SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL AND

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Chapter 1 - BASIC CONCEPTS ON SPECIAL AND
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

A. Intended Learning Outcome:

Students are expected to be able to:
1. analyze basic concepts related to special and inclusive education:
 meaning of special and inclusive education;
 goals, beliefs and values;
2. identify and explain the benefits and elements of Inclusive Education
3. discover and explain the barriers to Inclusive Education
4. identify and explain the Common Misconceptions about Inclusive Education
5. to differentiate between Medical Model, Social Model and Biopsychosocial
Model of Disability

B. Introduction
Inclusive education
 is about looking at the ways our schools, classrooms, programs, activities
and lessons are designed so that all children can participate and learn
together.
 means different and diverse students learning side by side in the same
classroom and every child feels safe and has a sense of belonging.
 means that all students attend and are welcomed by their neighborhood
schools in age-appropriate, regular classes and are supported to learn,
contribute and participate in all aspects of the life of the school.
 means finding ways to develop friendships, relationships and mutual
respect between all children, and between children and teachers in the
school.
 is not just for some children. Being included is not something that a child
must be ready for. All children are at all times ready to attend regular
schools and classrooms. Their participation is not something that must be
earned.

Special education
 also called special needs education, the education of children who differ
socially, mentally, or physically from the average to such an extent that
they require modifications of usual school practices.
 encompasses the programs which serve students with mental, physical,
emotional, and behavioral disabilities.
 The major law governing special education is the federal Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees a “free appropriate public education”
to children with disabilities and mandates that, to the “maximum extent
appropriate,” they be educated with their nondisabled peers in the “least restrictive
environment.

C. Content
What is inclusive Education (IE)?
 is about putting the right to education into action by including all learners,
respecting their diverse needs, abilities and characteristics and eliminating all
forms of discrimination in the learning environments (UNESCO, 2009).
 is the process of strengthening the capacity of the education system to reach out
to all learners (UNESCO, 2017)
 is the process that helps overcome barriers limiting the presence, participation,
and achievement of learners (UNESCO, 2017)
 is highlighted in the recent DepEd Order 21, series of 2019, known as Policy
Guidelines on the K to 12 Basic Education Program. According to this policy,
Inclusive Education is the key standard and core principle of the K to 12
curriculums.
As an inclusive curriculum, it is learner-centered, developmentally,
appropriate, culture-sensitive, relevant, gender-responsive and contextualized,
with these concepts, teachers shall be considered as the primary implementers
of inclusive education as they address the diverse needs of the learners.
Custodio, Zhanina U. and Nalipay, Jenina N. (2021/. Foundations of Special and Inclusive
Education

Goals, Beliefs and Values

The goal of an inclusive education system is to provide all students with the most
appropriate learning environments and opportunities for them to best achieve their
potential.
1. All children can learn and reach their full potential given opportunity, effective
teaching and appropriate resources.
2. Programs will be offered to best meet the individual needs of each child and
student within the school community.
3. A student's program must address the intellectual, learning, communication,
social, emotional and physical aspects of a child's development.
4. Parents play a key role in the education of their child in that they are the most
complete information source and have the greatest investment in their child's
future.
5. All students will have equitable opportunity to be included in the typical learning
environment. (Alberta Education 2010) This means educating children/students
with special supports and service needs in inclusive settings is the first
placement option, providing the opportunity to participate in regular classrooms
with same-aged peers in their neighborhood school.
 6. All students shall be given the opportunity to participate in all aspects of school
life, subject to limitations based on reasonableness in each circumstance.
7. The student should be a partner in his/her educational program.
8. Student program needs are best met by a team approach. For children and
students to receive the services they need, school personnel will work together
with service providers in the community.
9. There must be a balance between individual and group rights within the
classroom setting. In every case, the best educational interest of students is the
paramount consideration for decision-making and programming.
10. Awareness and support by the school community is essential to successful
inclusion. Diversity must be valued in order for inclusion to be successful.

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"INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IS THE FOUNDATION OF EQUITY AND

COLLABORATION"

Inclusive education means that all students attend and are welcomed by their
neighborhood schools in age-appropriate, regular classes and are supported to learn,
contribute and participate in all aspects of the life of the school.
Inclusion in education is an approach to educating students with special
educational needs. ... Inclusion rejects the use of special schools or classrooms to
separate students with disabilities from students without disabilities.
Inclusive education means different and diverse students learning side by side
in the same classroom. They enjoy field trips and after-school activities together. They
participate in student government together. ... Inclusive education values diversity
and the unique contributions each student brings to the classroom.

Beliefs and Principles.

All children:
 can learn
 attend age appropriate regular classrooms in their local schools
 receive appropriate educational programs
 receive a curriculum relevant to their needs
  participate in co-curricular and extracurricular activities
 benefit from cooperation, collaboration among home, among school, among
community

From Best Practices for Inclusion, New Brunswick Department of Education,

1994
Does Inclusive Education Mean That All Children Should Never Leave Their
Regular Classrooms?
Inclusive education means that all children are educated in regular classrooms. It
does not, however, mean that individual children cannot leave the classroom for specific
reasons. For example, a child may require one-on-one assistance in a particular
subject. This may or may not be happening during regular class time.
Once schools are inclusive, serious thought is given to how often a child may be
out of regular classroom and the reasons that this may be happening It does not mean
that children with certain characteristics (for example, those who have disabilities) are
grouped together in separate classrooms for all or part of the school day.

Key Features of Inclusive Education

 Generally, inclusive education will be successful if these important features and
practices are followed:
 Accepting unconditionally all children into regular classes and the life of the school.
 Providing as much support to children, teachers and classrooms as necessary to
ensure that all children can participate in their schools and classes.
 Looking at all children at what they can do rather then what they cannot do.
 Teachers and parents have high expectations of all children.
 Developing education goals according to each child’s abilities. This means that
children do not need to have the same education goals in order to learn together in
regular classes.
 Designing schools and classes in ways that help children learn and achieve to their
fullest potential (for example, by developing class time tables for allowing more
individual attention for all students).
 Having strong leadership for inclusion from school principals and other
administrators.
 Having teachers who have knowledge about different ways of teaching so that
children with various abilities and strengths can learn together.
 Having principals, teachers, parents and others work together to determine the most
effective ways of providing a quality education in an inclusive environment.

The Benefits of Inclusive Education

Inclusive education (when practiced well) is very important because:
 All children are able to be part of their community and develop a sense of belonging
and become better prepared for life in the community as children and adults.
  It provides better opportunities for learning. Children with varying abilities are often
better motivated when they learn in classes surrounded by other children.
 The expectations of all the children are higher. Successful inclusion attempts to
develop an individual’s strengths and gifts.
 It allows children to work on individual goals while being with other students their
own age.
 It encourages the involvement of parents in the education of their children and the
activities of their local schools.
 It fosters a culture of respect and belonging. It also provides the opportunity to learn
about and accept individual differences.
 It provides all children with opportunities to develop friendships with one another.
Friendships provide role models and opportunities for growth.
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Why is inclusive education important?

Inclusive systems provide a better quality education for all children and are
instrumental in changing discriminatory attitudes. Schools provide the context for a
child’s first relationship with the world outside their families, enabling the development
of social relationships and interactions. Respect and understanding grow when students
of diverse abilities and backgrounds play, socialize, and learn together.
Education that excludes and segregates perpetuates discrimination against
traditionally marginalized groups. When education is more inclusive, so are concepts of
civic participation, employment, and community life.

The basic elements of inclusive education

 Use of teaching assistants or specialists: These staff have the potential to be
inclusive or divisive. For instance, a specialist who helps teachers address the
needs of all students is working inclusively. A specialist who pulls students out of
class to work with them individually on a regular basis is not.
 Inclusive curriculum: An inclusive curriculum includes locally relevant themes
and contributions by marginalized and minority groups. It avoids binary narratives
of good and bad, and allows adapting the curriculum to the learning styles of
children with special education needs.
 Parental involvement: Most schools strive for some level of parental
involvement, but it is often limited to emails home and occasional parent–teacher
conferences. In a diverse school system, inclusion means thinking about multiple
ways to reach out to parents on their own terms.

To make inclusive education a reality, we need to do the following:

 ensure that educators have the training, flexibility, and resources to teach
students with diverse needs and learning styles
 ensure that kindergartens and schools receive adequate and sustainable
financial support so that all activities and services are fully inclusive
  empower parents to assert their children’s right to education in inclusive settings
 enable the entire community—including mainstream and special educators,
social workers, parents, and students—to work together and participate in the
design, delivery, and monitoring of education, thereby reframing inclusive
education as a shared responsibility
 hold governments accountable for implementing antidiscrimination legislation,
legal mandates for inclusion, and policies to remove barriers

Is inclusive education expensive?

Making education inclusive is not a cost-cutting measure. Governments must be
prepared to invest substantial resources at the outset on system reforms such as
teacher and staff training; improving infrastructure, learning materials, and equipment;
and revising curricula to implement inclusive education successfully. However, by
eliminating redundancy and the high costs of running parallel systems, such
investments are an efficient and effective use of funds, and hold the potential to
improve education for all students.
Funding mechanisms must be reformed so that schools that enroll students with
special needs receive the necessary additional financial resources. When students
move from special schools to mainstream schools, the funding should also follow.

How do Open Society Foundations support inclusive education?

We promote changes to policy and practice in a variety of ways:
 advocate for the recognition of children’s legal rights, such as supporting
organizations of parents with children with special educational needs and
disabilities
 fund empirical research, including support for an organization of young people
with disabilities
 support sustainable services like networking and learning opportunities for
schools and NGOs, such as teacher associations and parent groups
 strengthen civil society groups that give young people, parents, and educators a
voice, including parent-led organizations advocating for the rights and inclusion
of children with disabilities
 engage with civil society and other actors in policy development by, for instance,
providing technical support to the development of key inclusive education–related
laws, policies, and strategies at the national level
 support governments and system services to pilot models of successful inclusive
education provision that could be scaled up and replicated

Barriers to Inclusive Education

a. Attitudes. The greatest barriers to inclusion are caused by society, not by
particular medical impairments. Negative attitudes towards differences result in
discrimination and can lead to a serious barrier to learning. It can take the form
of social discrimination, lack of awareness and traditional prejudices. Regarding
disabled children some regions still maintain established beliefs that educating
the disabled is pointless. Often the problem is identified as being caused by the
child's differences rather than the education systems shortcomings.
b. Physical Barriers. The vast majority of centers of learning are physically
inaccessible to many learners, especially to those who have physical disabilities.
In poorer, particularly rural areas, the centers of learning are often inaccessible
largely because buildings are rundown or poorly maintained. They are unhealthy
and unsafe for all learners. Many schools are not equipped to respond to special
needs, and the community does not provide local backing. Environmental
barriers included: doors, passageways, stairs and ramps and recreational areas.
A major problem identified by many students is physically getting into school.
c. Curriculum. In any education system, the curriculum is one of the major
obstacles or tools to facilitate the development of more inclusive system and is
often unable to meet the needs of a wide range of different learners. In many
contexts, the curriculum is centrally designed and rigid, leaving little flexibility for
local adaptations or for teachers to experiment and try out new approaches. The
content might be distant to the reality in which the students live, and therefore
inaccessible.
d. Teachers. Teachers' abilities and attitudes can be major limitations for inclusive
education. The training of staff at all levels is often not adequate. Where there is
training, it often tends to be fragmented, uncoordinated and inadequate. If
teachers do not have positive attitudes towards learners with special needs, it is
unlikely that these children will receive satisfactory education.
e. Language and communication. Teaching and learning often takes place
through a language which is not the first language of some learners. This places
these learners, at a disadvantage and it often leads to significant linguistic
difficulties which contribute to learning breakdown. Second language learners
are particularly subject to low expectations and discrimination.
f. Socio-economic factors. Inadequacies and inequalities in the education
system and are most evident in areas which have sustained poverty and high
levels of unemployment. The impact of violence and HIV/AIDS can also have
adverse effects.
g. Funding. A major constraint is serious shortages of resources – lack of schools
or inadequate facilities, lack of teachers and/or shortage of qualified staff, lack of
learning materials and absence of support. The inadequacy of resources
available to meet the basic needs in education is a universal theme. It is
estimated that achieving education for all will require additional financial support
by countries and donors.
h. Organization of the education system. Education systems are often
centralized and this can inhibit change and initiative. Responsibility for decisions
tends to be located at the highest level and the focus of management remains
orientated towards employees complying with rules rather than on ensuring
quality service delivery. Only a small percentage of learners who are categorized
as having ‘special needs' receive appropriate education in ordinary schools or
special settings and there is no support available for those learners who are
outside the system. Existing provision after primary school is inadequate to meet
the needs.
i. Policies as barriers. Policy makers who do not understand or accept the
concept of inclusive education are a barrier to the implementation of inclusive
 policies. In some countries, there may still exist policies that facilitate the
possibility for authorities to declare that some children are ‘uneducable'. Usually,
this practice applies to children with severe intellectual disability. In some other
countries, the education of some specific groups of learners might the
responsibility of another authority than the Ministry of Education. Very often this
leads to a situation where these learners are not expected to participate in
mainstream education and, consequently, they do not have equal opportunities
for further education or employment.

The principles that guide quality inclusive education: All children belong.

Inclusive education is based on the simple idea that every child and family is
valued equally and deserves the same opportunities and experiences. Inclusive
education is about children with disabilities – whether the disability is mild or severe,
hidden or obvious – participating in everyday activities, just like they would if their
disability were not present. It is about building friendships, membership and having
opportunities just like everyone else.

All children learn in different ways. Inclusion is about providing the help
children need to learn and participate in meaningful ways. Sometimes, help from friends
or teachers works best. Other times, specially designed materials or technology can
help. The key is to give only as much help as needed.

It is every child’s right to be included. Inclusive education is a child’s right,

not a privilege. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act clearly states that all
children with disabilities should be educated with non-disabled children their own age
and have access to the general education curriculum.

Common Misconceptions About Inclusive Education

Some opinions about inclusive education are based on unsound
information. Three common myths about inclusion are:

Myth 1: Separate is better.

Reality: Segregation doesn’t work. Whether children are separated based on
race, ability, or any other characteristic, a separate education is not an equal education.
Research shows that typical children and children with disabilities learn as much or
more in inclusive classes.

Myth 2: Children must be “ready” to be included.

Reality: All children have the right to be with other children their own
age. A child with disabilities does not have to perform at a certain grade level or act
exactly like the other children in their class to benefit from being a full-time member in
general education.

Myth 3: Parents do not support inclusive education.

 Reality: Parents have been and continue to be the driving force for
inclusive education. The best outcomes occur when parents of children with
disabilities and professionals work together. Effective partnerships happen when there
is collaboration, communication and, most of all, TRUST between parents and
professionals.

Making Inclusion a Reality

What you can do to promote inclusion for your child:

1. Encourage your child to participate in activities where she can meet children her
same age with different abilities.
2. When looking for activities, consider your child’s interests. The local school,
library, and recreation or community centers are good places to check out. You
also may want to consider national organizations that encourage diversity, such
as Clubs or Girl Scouts.
3. Search the Internet for activities or organizations that your child may want to join.
4. Two community Web sites with numerous resources are The Family Village and
Kids Together: Information for Children and Adults with Disabilities.
5. Help your child develop friendships with classmates or other neighborhood
children.
6. Set up opportunities for your child to be with children he likes or children who
show an interest in him. Teach your child how to make and keep friends.
7. Share your goals and expectations for your child.
8. Before you meet with the school and decide upon your child’s Individualized
Education Plan (IEP), meet with his teachers, therapists and others to discuss
your goals, expectations, and future placement preferences for him.
9. Know the rights you and your child have to an inclusive education.

For more information on your rights, visit the article Family Rights: The
Educational Rights of Children with Disabilities.

What schools can do to promote successful inclusive education:

1. Consider inclusive education first.
2. Special education services can be provided in many different settings. Schools
are required to consider the general education class before considering any other
setting for your child to receive special education services.
3. Support each child’s learning.
4. Teachers support learning in inclusive classrooms in three ways. First, they teach
so that students with differing abilities and learning styles can understand and
participate. Second, they modify assignments when they are too difficult. Third,
they model respect and encourage friendships.
What families can do when they meet resistance in accessing inclusive education
for their children:
1. Get and share information.
2. Some schools do not support a family’s desire for inclusion, because they are
used to providing special education services to students in separate classes. Or
they may not understand how to make inclusion work for all children. Visit
general education classes and separate classes for students with disabilities.
Carefully explain to your child’s teachers, principal or IEP team why you believe
inclusive education would be best for your child. Share information with your
child’s school about the benefits of inclusive education.
3. Enlist the help of others.
4. Sometimes it is helpful to bring in an expert or advocate. This person will make
sure that your preferences about your child’s placement are heard. This person
can also help explain the benefits of inclusive education and how to make it
happen in your child’s school. You may find someone to help by contacting
advocacy organizations, special education parent groups in your child’s school,
and local colleges with teacher training programs.
5. Become your child’s advocate.
6. It takes time and energy to make inclusion happen in a school that is resistant to
change. Stay focused on what you believe is best for your child. Listen carefully
to the arguments against your child’s inclusion in a general education class and
use what you learn to advocate for change. For example, if you are told that your
child is not ready for the general education class, ask what supports could be
provided to help make her successful in the class.

FOUNDATIONS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

Learning knows no boundaries
SPECIAL EDUCATION (SpEd) is defined as classes or instruction designed or
students with disabilities, giftedness and talents.
Special Education Needs (SEN) is a term used in some countries to refer to
children with impairments that are seen as requiring additional support (UNESCO,
2017).
Mainstreaming is the practice of educating students with learning challenges in
regular classes, in the least restrictive environment, based on their skills, while
integration according to Franklin (1996) refers to the creation of spaces such as regular
classrooms, special education classrooms or pull-out services for diverse learners.
A school that admits learners with disabilities and combines them with regular
pupils in the regular classroom is said to perform integration, while the classroom is
called as mainstreamed classroom.
An educational program \/ service designed to meet the needs of children with
special needs who cannot profit from general or regular education because of
disabilities or exceptional abilities.
 Integration, Exclusion, Segregation and Inclusion

Conceptualization of Inclusion, Mainstreaming and Integration

INCLUSION MAINSTREAMING INTEGRATION
Placement of learners in Placement in the regular Placement in the regular
the regular class is based class is based on the class is one or more
on age, regardless of their admission requirements subjects or activities
abilities or disabilities
There are no pull outs and Provisions of interaction Provisions of interaction
no shadow teaching with regular children, with with regular children, with
the regular class as the the SPED class as the
child’s station child’s station
Individualization within the May include shadow May include tutorial and
lass without pullout teaching in the regular other learning-assistance
class, provision programs
 for pullout and one-on-one

Inclusive Education and Special Education

Inclusive Education Special Education
All learners, regardless of the condition, The learners with disabilities, giftedness
participate in a mainstream classroom and talents are accommodated in a
alongside their age peers. special along with other learners of the
same condition.
The learners adhere to a prescribed A special curriculum is structured on the
curriculum and methodology with some learner’s condition (i.e. intellectual
accommodation/adaptations and disability , visual impairment) but is based
modifications to meet the needs of on the regular curriculum.
learners with disabilities, giftedness, and
talents.
All students simply require good The learners with disabilities, giftedness,
instruction, but different teaching and talents are given specialized and
strategies may be employed to those with intensive instruction anchored on their
low or very high education needs. curriculum
The general education teacher oversees The special education teacher oversees
the learning of students and in some the learning of the learners with
cases, with the help of shadow teacher or disabilities, giftedness and talents with
a special education teacher. the collaborative partnerships of other
professionals listed in the Individualized
Education Plan/Program (IEP)
Ideal number of learners: 30 - 35 For one-on-one: 1
For group: 3 – 4
For resource group: 5 - 10
 Special, integrated and inclusive are often used interchangeably, as if they all
mean the same thing. In some languages, it is not always possible to make the
distinction between integration and inclusion. However, it is believed that an
understanding of the distinction between the two terms is essential to the inclusive
process.
Integrated education is about ‘going to school’ whereas inclusive education is
about ‘participating in school’. However, it is important not to become too school-
focused and remember that education is much broader than schooling. Inclusive
education should incorporate a range of strategies within a community which ensure
that all children have equal access to education. This education should equip them for
life as part of that community and help develop their potential.
For a child with severe learning difficulties, this may mean education within the
home and family which focuses on self-help skills together with support from the
community in the long-term care of the child.
For a deaf child, it may mean having access to deaf adults and developing a
local sign language in order to be included in school and society on an equal basis.
Accessibility and participation are therefore critical issues in inclusive education.
 Based on the above images, inclusive education works on improving and making
the system flexible (changing the box) and not trying to change the learners to fit in the
educational system (resembling the square pegs to make it round). Inclusive education
is transformative rather than just being alleviate and it equates to the idea of equity.
The first image represents Equality where everyone is given the support with
the assumption that once all children are provided with the same opportunities and were
catered property. This kind of fairness does not yield a result where everyone is able to
access the opportunity to see over the fence. Hence, equality does not mean equity
because every child is different.
The second image represents Equity that concerns about fairness in every
situation. It is a condition or state of fair, inclusive, and respectful treatment of all
people. Equity does not mean treating people the same without regard for individual
differences. Equity is giving each student what they need to be successful. Equity leads
to the fair treatment of all individuals based upon their circumstances. Equity and
equality are not the same thing. Equity is the process; equality is the outcome.
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The third image represents Liberation means working to challenge and reverse the
effects of structural oppression in society, which manifest themselves in higher education in
numerous ways. Equality means that the curriculum should not disadvantage any student or
group of students because of their background or characteristics.

Likewise, it is important to differentiate the term accommodations or adaptations and

modifications. In making education inclusive, teachers use both accommodation and
modification strategies in teaching.
 Accommodations change how the learners with disabilities, giftedness and talents learn
the same material and meet the same expectations as their age peers (e.g. a person
with visual impairments using audio books, highlighted texts or large print materials).
 Modification changes what a student is taught and expected to learn (e.g. person with
intellectual disability use less complicated text materials of different topic, than their age
peers). As a result, learners with disabilities and those with academic challenges are
provided with materials that meet their learning needs.
 The term disability is often confused with impairment. The precondition to completely
understand its definition is by becoming acquainted with its two major disability models: medical
and social model.

The Social Model versus The Medical Model of Disability

Medical Model of Disability

Source: Aligada-Halal, Cristina Nieves et. al. (2020). Foundations of Special and
Inclusive Education

The medical model of disability says people are disabled by their impairments or
differences. Under this model, these impairments or differences should be ‘fixed’ or
changed by medical and other treatments, even when the impairment or difference does
not cause pain or illness.
The medical model looks at what is ‘wrong’ with the person and not what the
person needs. It creates low expectations and leads to people losing independence,
choice and control in their own lives.

Medical Model: The person is the problem; the individual needs to change;
PWDs become the victim or that their responsibilities are disempowered; Assessment,
monitoring, and evaluation are imposed by therapy; Segregation and alternative
services are given; and Society remains unchanged.

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Social Model of Disability: some examples

Source: Aligada-Halal, Cristina Nieves et. al. (2020). Foundations of Special and
Inclusive Education

Social Model of Disability

The social model of disability says that disability is caused by the way society is
organized, rather than by a person’s impairment or difference. It looks at ways of
removing barriers that restrict life choices for disabled people. When barriers are
removed, disabled people can be independent and equal in society, with choice and
control over their own lives.
Disabled people developed the social model of disability because the traditional
medical model did not explain their personal experience of disability or help to develop
more inclusive ways of living.
Social Model: The barriers created by the society are the problem; The barriers
need to be removed; PWD have independence, control and choice; Resources are
made available to regular services; Training of parents and professionals are provided;
and Society evolves.
 (An impairment is defined as the limitation of a person’s physical, mental or
sensory function on a long-term basis.)

Changing attitudes to disabled people

Barriers are not just physical. Attitudes found in society, based on prejudice or
stereotype (also called disablism), also disable people from having equal opportunities
to be part of society.

The social model of disability says that disability is caused by the way society is
organized.
 A wheelchair user wants to get into a building with a step at the entrance. Under
a social model solution, a ramp would be added to the entrance so that the
wheelchair user is free to go into the building immediately. Using the medical
model, there are very few solutions to help wheelchair users to climb stairs,
which excludes them from many essential and leisure activities.
 A teenager with a learning difficulty wants to work towards living independently in
their own home but is unsure how to pay the rent. Under the social model, the
person would be supported so that they are enabled to pay rent and live in their
own home. Under a medical model, the young person might be expected to live
in a communal home.
 A child with a visual impairment wants to read the latest best-selling book to chat
about with their sighted friends. Under the medical model, there are very few
solutions but a social model solution ensures full text audio-recordings
are available when the book is first published. This means children with visual
impairments can join in with cultural activities on an equal basis with everyone
else.

http://www.disabilitynottinghamshire.org.uk/index.php/about/social-model-vs-
medical-model-of-disability/
Examples of the Social Model in action
 You are a disabled person who cannot use stairs and wants to get into a building
with a step at the entrance. The social model recognizes that this is a problem
with the building, not the person, and would suggest adding a ramp to the
entrance.
 Your child with a visual impairment wants to read the latest best-selling book, so
they can chat about it with their friends. The social model solution makes full-text
recordings available when the book is published.
 You are a teenager with a learning difficulty who wants to live independently in
your own home, but you don't know how to pay the rent. The social model
recognizes that with the right support on how to pay your rent, you can live the
life you choose. The medical model might assume that the barriers to
independent living are insurmountable, and you might be expected to live in a
care home.
 https://www.scope.org.uk/about-us/social-model-of-disability/

ISSUE MEDICAL MODEL SOCIAL MODEL

Transport Specialist transport is provided for Mainstream transport and infrastructure is
people who cannot access mainstream made accessible for everyone.
transport.
At Home Homes are adapted and specialist Mainstream retailers (kitchen and
products are recommended by bathroom shops) offer more options such
professionals such as Occupational as different heights and depths of units as
Therapists to meet the needs of standard. Products around the home are
individual disabled people. designed with accessibility in mind so that
specialist products are not required.
Education Disabled children receive specialist Disabled children are educated in
provision in special schools and are accessible mainstream schools alongside
entered for alternative qualifications. non-disabled children. Education
provision is accessible to all with the
same qualifications and opportunities
open to all who wish to access them.
At work Sheltered workplaces are created for Workplaces are made accessible for
disabled people to work alongside other disabled people and training and
disabled people in a specially adapted development available to disabled people
environment doing specific work. enables them to apply for a range of roles
Communication Communication takes place in Communication is tailored to meet the
‘standard’ ways e.g. letters are in size needs of the individuals involved and
12, if someone is unable to read them information is available in a range of
they can be given magnifiers or ask formats.
someone to read the information for
them.
Language Language usually refers to a person’s Language is focused around the barriers
medical condition, what is ‘wrong’ with faced by an individual and what can be
them and what they can and can’t do. done to remove them.
Attitudes People make assumptions about what People talk to individuals about their
someone is capable of based on needs and experiences and the barriers
information about their medical they face.
condition for example using internet
searches
https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/sites/default/files/FDN-
218144_Introduction_to_the_Social_and_Medical_Models_of_Disability.pdf

Biopsychosocial Model
The biopsychosocial model states that health and illness are determined by a
dynamic interaction between biological, psychological, and social factors.
 The biopsychosocial model of health and illness is a framework developed by
George L. Engel that states that interactions between biological, psychological, and
social factors determine the cause, manifestation, and outcome of wellness and
disease. Historically, popular theories like the nature versus nurture debate posited that
any one. The biopsychosocial model argues that any one factor is not sufficient; it is the
interplay between people’s genetic makeup (biology), mental health and behavior
(psychology), and social and cultural context that determine the course of their health-
related outcomes.

Biopsychosocial Model of health and illness

The diagram shows how biological, psychological, and sociological factors
overlap to determine overall health.

Biological Influences on Health

Biological influences on health include an individual’s genetic makeup and history
of physical trauma or infection. Many disorders have an inherited genetic vulnerability.
The greatest single risk factor for developing schizophrenia, for example is having a
first-degree relative with the disease (risk is 6.5%); more than 40% of monozygotic twins
of those with schizophrenia are also affected. If one parent is affected the risk is about
13%; if both are affected the risk is nearly 50%.
It is clear that genetics have an important role in the development of
schizophrenia, but equally clear is that there must be other factors at play. Certain non-
biological (i.e., environmental) factors influence the expression of the disorder in those
with a pre-existing genetic risk.

Psychological Influences on Health

The psychological component of the biopsychosocial model seeks to find a
psychological foundation for a particular symptom or array of symptoms (e.g.,
impulsivity, irritability, overwhelming sadness, etc.). Individuals with a genetic
vulnerability may be more likely to display negative thinking that puts them at risk for
depression; alternatively, psychological factors may exacerbate a biological
predisposition by putting a genetically vulnerable person at risk for other risk behaviors.
 For example, depression on its own may not cause liver problems, but a person
with depression may be more likely to abuse alcohol, and, therefore, develop liver
damage. Increased risk-taking leads to an increased likelihood of disease.

Social Influences on Health

Social factors include socioeconomic status, culture, technology, and religion.
For instance, losing one’s job or ending a romantic relationship may place one at risk of
stress and illness. Such life events may predispose an individual to developing
depression, which may, in turn, contribute to physical health problems.
The impact of social factors is widely recognized in mental disorders like
anorexia nervosa (a disorder characterized by excessive and purposeful weight loss
despite evidence of low body weight). The fashion industry and the media promote an
unhealthy standard of beauty that emphasizes thinness over health. This exerts social
pressure to attain this “ideal” body image despite the obvious health risks.

Cultural Factors
Also included in the social domain are cultural factors. For instance, differences
in the circumstances, expectations, and belief systems of different cultural groups
contribute to different prevalence rates and symptom expression of disorders. For
example, anorexia is less common in non-western cultures because they put less
emphasis on thinness in women.
Culture can vary across a small geographic range, such as from lower-income to
higher-income areas, and rates of disease and illness differ across these communities
accordingly. Culture can even change biology, as research on epigenetics is beginning
to show. Specifically, research on epigenetics suggests that the environment can
actually alter an individual’s genetic makeup. For instance, research shows that
individuals exposed to over-crowding and poverty are more at risk for developing
depression with actual genetic mutations forming over only a single generation.

Application of the Biopsychosocial Model

The biopsychosocial model states that the workings of the body, mind, and
environment all affect each other. According to this model, none of these factors in
isolation is sufficient to lead definitively to health or illness—it is the deep interrelation of
all three components that leads to a given outcome.
Health promotion must address all three factors, as a growing body of empirical
literature suggests that it is the combination of health status, perceptions of health, and
sociocultural barriers to accessing health care that influence the likelihood of a patient
engaging in health-promoting behaviors, like taking medication, proper diet or nutrition,
and engaging in physical activity.

Analysis
 According to the biopsychosocial model, it is the deep interrelation of all three
factors (biological, psychological, social) that leads to a given outcome—each
component on its own is insufficient to lead definitively to health or illness.
  The psychological component of the biopsychosocial model seeks to find a
psychological foundation for a particular symptom or array of symptoms (e.g.,
impulsivity, irritability, overwhelming sadness, etc.).
 Social and cultural factors are conceptualized as a particular set of stressful
events (being laid off, for example) that may differently impact the mental health of
people from different social environments and histories.
 Despite its usefulness, there are issues with the biopsychosocial model, including
the degree of influence that each factor has, the degree of interaction between
factors, and variation across individuals and life spans.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ccbcmd-health/chapter/biopsychosocial-model/

Example:
 Stressful life event: receiving the news of a diagnosis of cancer
 A psychosocial event that causes immediate biological changes and later has
psychological, biological, and social consequences
 News of the cancer diagnosis – brain’s sensory cortex simultaneously registers
the information- biological changes: heart to pound faster - fear of death –
escalate to anxiety or depression.
 This certainly has been established for breast cancer patients.
https://www.slideshare.net/memehabesamis/biopsychosocial

In the school setting, apart from structural barriers, many learners with disabilities
face attitudinal barriers that could lead to isolation and low achievement in the
classroom. As a pre-service teacher, it is important to avoid discriminatory behavior
and language towards learners with disabilities, to be sensitive enough not to make
them feel different from other students in the school, and also to avoid name-calling (i.e.
using the term SpEd to denote poor performance and is behavior regardless of the
person’s condition when SpEd clearly refers to a program, and not individuals).
Another way to model non-discriminatory is by sensitive to the words used to
address people with disabilities. Language use is not difficult, if one is referring to
PWDs in his sentence construction, use the People First Policy, where the word people
or person is used followed by their condition or impairment. For example: use the
phrase “person with intellectual disability” instead of using intellectually disabled person,
mentally retarded or learning disabled. One can also use the phrase “person with
mental health impairment” instead of using “mentally ill”, “mental patient” or “insane”.
This practice shifts the focus on the individual rather than their condition. The terms
“abnormal” or even “special” may also be deemed offensive, so avoid using these
terms.
D. References:

Custodio, Zhanina U., Nalipay, Jenina N. (2021). Foundations of Special and Inclusive
Education
Aligada-Halal, Cristina N., Yuzon, Marie Rose A., Padilla, Cristina Rowena D. and Mariano-
Ligon, Clarissa Carmelita (2020). Foundations of Special and Inclusive Education
https://www.pallisersd.ab.ca/inclusive-education/goals-beliefs-and-values
https://nbacl.nb.ca/module-pages/inclusive-education-and-its-benefits/
http://www.disabilitynottinghamshire.org.uk/index.php/about/social-model-vs-medical-
model-of-disability/
https://www.scope.org.uk/about-us/social-model-of-disability/
https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/sites/default/files/FDN-
218144_Introduction_to_the_Social_and_Medical_Models_of_Disability.pdf
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/ccbcmd-health/chapter/biopsychosocial-model/
https://www.slideshare.net/memehabesamis/biopsychosocial
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/special-education-definition-statistics-and-
trends/2019/12