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Significance of Exceptionality
Children who differ from typical children in such a way that they cannot profit from the conventional educational system or the usual educational process are considered exceptional children. To reach their full potential, they need special schooling. They need teachers who have undergone specialised training, specialised tools and supplies, and specialised instructional techniques. Only special schools or normal education classes that have been modified to accommodate exceptional students’ needs and talents are capable of doing this.
Exceptional kids have certain requirements. For instance, braille instruction, neighbourhood orientation, and mobility training are necessary for the blind. The deaf youngster need instruction in lipreading, speech reading, and etc. The specific requirements of gifted children can be met through special education.
Prior to the creation of special education, parents and the community rejected children who were unique, especially those who were badly damaged. They were viewed by society as a burden. They were abandoned at the temple gates or in a rural nook.
But today’s educators have demonstrated that gifted children may develop self-reliance and become assets for society rather than a burden if given the right education and training. They can make a substantial contribution to the global peace process and societal wellbeing.
The history of the special education movement amply demonstrates the value of early intervention in the lives of exceptional children through special education and care. Hellen Keller was deaf and blind from birth. Polio left Roosevelt, a previous American president, with physical impairments. Former American President John F. Kennedy’s sister suffered from mental retardation. During his formative school years, renowned physicist Albert Einstein was labelled as a learning impaired youngster. Bhima Bhoi and Surdas, two renowned poets, were born blind. By receiving special education beginning very early in their lives, they were able to make up for their deficiencies.
Education is a matter of human rights. Every kid has the right to a proper education, regardless of whether they are impaired or not. Children with special needs should receive special education, either in the inclusive environment of general education classrooms or in the segregated environment of special education classrooms, so that they can develop the knowledge, competencies, and skills necessary to live as competent and contributing members of society.
