Introduction
Special education is defined as :Specially designed instruction ,at no cost to parents ,to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability( ).Special education is put in place in order to provide additional services ,programs ,support and special environment for the learners. I is important to note that special education entails the provision for students with special learning needs.These needs are addressed through special education ( ).In the USA ,special education is taken so seriously that it is governed by federal law in most educational jurisdictions .this is done under Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act(IDEA).
Farrell, M.: Debating Special Education. New York .Routledge , 2010.
This book gives a very short definition of education in its first chapter .Special education concerns with the provision for pupils with disabilities and disorders comprising of :curriculum and assessment pedagogy ,school and classroom organization ,resources ,and therapy .Farrel (2010)writes that the aim of special education is to encourage the academic progress and personal and social development of children with special needs .It then proceeds to give an elaborate the basic elements of this topic. The following information in this chapter defines general education. As well as authorities concerned with special education is vital for policy makers ,academics ,professionals associated with special education ,teachers doing advanced levels of special education as well as authorities concerned with this field of education. This book is therefore going to be of great importance in the further understanding of special education .I will find this very relevant as the book gives both wide ranging and far reaching knowledge in understanding special education.
I am going to find this book particularly important in the presentation of the elements of special education, types of disabilities and disorders children may have. The reason here is that I am going to have better knowledge on how to provide maximally for these children to benefit fully from the education given to them .Still it is going to enable to give a good account of both academic progress and psychological development of these learners.
Tomlinson, S.: A Sociology of Special Education. New York. Routledge, 2012.
This book strives to extend debates about special education by introducing sociological perspective of special education .It does this by asking relevant questions about the social structures and social relationships that happen when part of amass education system in an industrialized society as “special” rather than normal. Further, it addresses the questions related to how conflicts between various individuals and social groups arise in special education .Besides this ,it asks about the beliefs and ideologies used to justify varied and many actions and relationships in this kind of education ;
We find, in this book, current dominant perspectives on special education .They are given as medical, administrative, psychological and educational perspectives. These perspectives are very relevant in presentation of necessary arguments that are concerned with the topic of special education. I can also use this book to relate special education with the society within which it takes place. In doing this, am going to look at how the two influence one another.
I am going to find this book very valuable in the analysis of current hostility to sociology as an academic activity in the field of special education.***importance of developing a sociology of special education for those professionals and practionears who are involved in the field of special education .This extends to students who are preparing for either special or normal teaching .For example, it gives parents of handicapped children and sociological colleagues ** persuades me that there is a wide scope for starting to develop sociological perspectives on the various undertakings that forms special education .
Kauffman J., Hallahan ,D. Special Education :What It Is And Why We Need It
Some of major issues related to special education are addressed in this book. It asks questions such as what is special education is (page 1).It then continues to explore the questions of who should actually get special education and the reasons behind it in the proceeding pages.
Kauffman ,et al presents some facts and misconceptions concerning special education .For example ,it gives facts such describing special education as not just being good education for education for typical students but instruction that differs significantly from what is effective for typical students –special in ways we will find in a later chapter(Page 1).An example of misconception depicted here is on page 2 where special education is seen , mainly, as a matter of having patience ,of being tolerant of students who don’t learn readily or behave well .
Daugherty is concerned with some very exciting issues concerning the topic of education .In the introduction part, it explores elements such as the origins of special education and some of the historical recordings pertaining to it. The following sections of the book discuss the eligibility acts,
Sacks, A.: Special education: a reference handbook.California.ABC-CLIO, 2001.
This is another book on special education .It is divided into chapters each of which deals with specified areas of special education .It starts by giving an in- depth analysis of the development of this type of education in the United States .In the pages 1-11,it digs deep into the special education ,special institutions and the growing awareness of special education in the US A. Covered still within these pages are the legal implications and the funding of special need education .The following pages give the process of selecting the best suitable teaching methods and processes for maximum learning process when dealing with the students with special needs .Various types of assessments best suited for some specific special needs are also explained in this book(Pages 14-16).Still, chapters 3,4 .5 and 6 are related to some of the most important concepts of special education. For instance ,chapter 4 looks at the special education and its relationship with the law.In other words ,it gives an account of how the law affects special education (page 88).Special education and Advocacy is looked at as well. On pages 98 and 99, for example, as parents and schools as advocates are looked at. The importance of politics as another factor influencing education is also explained in this book.
For any meaningful discourse on the issue of special education to be done, it is significant to include the issues raised in this book. I will therefore find this book important in areas such as giving the historical background of this topic. When dealing with the whole process of teaching and assessing students with special needs, I will include in my discussion the methods and techniques of teaching and assessments best suited to each learner.
