Identifying Barriers to Inclusion

Identifying barriers to inclusion

Special Educational Needs (SEN) are learning differences, difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for a child to learn than other within their peer group. This could be behavioral difficulties, emotional, social and intellectual difficulties. Inclusion is a philosophy of education based on the belief in every person’s inherent and breaking down the barriers right to fully participate in society (Pivik,2007). It implies acceptance of differences and access to the educational experiences that are fundamental to every student’s development. Moreover inclusion promotes self-esteem we believe that education is about making young people grow in confidence and self-esteem, in a safe, loving and welcoming environment. (Gould &Vaughn 2000). School is about getting an education, that's important but it's also about relationships, friendships, being valued and of course, learning together. An important part of a child's success at school is for them to feel and be included. In this essay i will be highlighting for what is down syndrome and  developmental delays of down syndrome child and also typically developing child. And the barriers that child may face in accessing in the services in the community. Moreover weakness in three subjects ( English, math, Dhivehi) and goal for three subjects plus the strategies to achieve the goal. At last conclusion.

Down syndrome , also called Trisomy 21, is a condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in the way a child develops, both mentally and physically. Normally, at the time of conception a baby inherits genetic information from its parents in the form of 46 chromosomes; 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. In most cases of down syndrome, a child gets an extra chromosome 21 for a total of 47 chromosomes instead of 46. It's this extra genetic material that causes the physical features and developmental delays associated with down syndrome. It affect approximately 1 in 750 births (Janice Light & Kathryn Drager 2010). This extra genetic material causes changes in the orderly development of the body and brain, There are many physical characteristics that form the basis for suspecting an infant has down syndrome. Many of these characteristics are found to some extent in the general population. Therefore, Some infants with down syndrome have only a few of these traits, while others have many. Among the most common traits are;  muscle hypertonia (low muscle tone),Flat facial profile (a somewhat depressed nasal bridge and a small nose), oblique palpebral fissures (an upward slant to the eyes ), Dysplastic ear (an abnormal shape of the ear ), Single palmar crease (a single deep crease across the center of the palm) , Hyper-flexibility ( an excessive ability to extend the joints), Curvature of the fifth finger, caused by under development of the middle phalanx (bone), Epicanthal folds ; small skin folds on the inner corner of the eyes, Excessive space between first and second toe and Large tongue in relation to size of mouth. And cognitive delays , Language delays  and also delays in speech production .

Down syndrome affects children's ability to learn in different ways, but most have been mild to moderate intellectual impairment. Children with down syndrome can and do learn, and are capable of developing skills throughout their lives. They simply reach goals at a different pace.

A developmental delay is more than being “a little behind” in skills. All children/ people with down syndrome experience cognitive delays, however, the effect is usually mild to moderate and is not indicative of the many strengths and talents that each individual possesses. Children with down syndrome learn to sit, walk, talk, play, toilet train and do most other activities , only somewhat later than typical child.

Motor skills develop at a slower rate for children with down syndrome than typical child. These delays in motor development reduce infants’ opportunities for exploring and learning about the world around them and therefore further affect cognitive development. Children with down syndrome average age can sit about 6 to 30 months, typical child can sit among 5 to 9 months. own syndrome can crawl among infant about 8 to 22 months, typical child can crawl through 6 to 12 months. Down syndrome child can stand about 12 to 39 months, and typically child stands 8 to 17 months. Down syndrome child can walk alone through 12 to 48 months, typically child can walk alone 9 to 18 months.

Poor oral motor control may impact the development of language skills. The average age of babbling among the infants with down syndrome was about 9 months, approximately two months later than the age for the typically developing infants, and that the proportional occurrence of canonical babbling was less stable for the infants with down syndrome. Because hypo tonicity and delays in motor development are characteristic of down syndrome, it appears to have relatively little effect on pre-linguistic vocal development. In large measure, developmental patterns are within typical range although the babbling period for infants with down syndrome is much longer, often extending through the second year of life. (Lynch, Oller, Steffens, Levine, Basinger, &Umbel, 1995).

The findings of Buckley (2000) extend our understanding of lexical acquisition in down syndrome children. Research  show that vocabulary growth is quite slow. First word they can say range of 12 to 48 month. At 24 months of age, the average productive vocabulary was 28 words (compared typical child can say through 8 to 23 months, with 250 for a typically developing child). At 3 years, the mean vocabulary was 116 words, rising to 248 words at 4 years, to 272 words at 5 years, and 330 words at 6 years, an age at which the child with typical development has a productive vocabulary of several thousand words. In terms of early lexical acquisition, the child with typical development achieves a productive vocabulary of about 250 words at two years of age, among children with down syndrome, this milestone is not attained until two years.

 Delay in speech development, Children with down syndrome typically demonstrate significant delays in speech development . As a result, they have very limited means to express themselves during the critical early years of development, delays in speech may negatively impact many aspects of development , functional communication ,  social development , language development, learning / cognitive development,  literacy development and quality of life (Light & Drager, 2010).

Delays in social development, children with down syndrome child respond to smile through 1 to 2 and half years, compared typical child can respond around 1 to 3 months. Down syndrome child finger feed 10 to 24 months, compared typical child finger feed thorough 7 to 14 months. Down syndrome starts to drink approximately using cup at 12 to 32 months. And use spoon at 13 to 39 months, Comparing typical child they start to drink using cup at 9 to 17 months. Plus they use spoon at 12 to 20 months. Down syndrome child can dress up through at the age of 3and half to 8 and half years, and typical child can dress up approximately at the age of 3 and half to 5 years. (National Down syndrome Society, 2012)