Textbook of Special Education

Book excerpt: “Disabled children are equally entitled to an exciting and brilliant future” - Nelson Mandela Special Education is a need based, target specific approach to teach and train the children with special needs including different types of disabilities. The Textbook of Special Education, First Edition, is a Resource Book for trainees and learners in the field of Special Education, Mental health including Rehabilitation Psychology, Clinical Psychology and allied sectors in India. The book focuses on the latest trends and follows the latest curriculum set by the UGC and RCI for Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes in India. This book comprises 7 chapters which emphasizes upon the concept of Special Education, gifted, backward, intellectually disabled and delinquent children, classroom practices, Acts and Legal provisions and educational provisions for disabilities and giftedness in children. We have written this textbook with four primary group of readers in mind: (i) Students of Special Education formal programme, (ii) General Educators, (iii) Mental Health Professionals and (iv) Parents/caregivers of this segment of special population. Given the legislative mandates on inclusion, as well as ethical concerns, for including students with disabilities in general education classrooms whenever possible, educators must be prepared to understand and serve the needs of special children. This book is also appropriate for professionals in other allied fields who work with special children viz. speech-language pathologists, audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, counselors and school psychologists and school administrators.