The pandemic has brought in lot of challenges including the evolving role of educators. Each form of education – physical, online or hybrid has its own advantages and disadvantages and has had impacts on educators and children alike.
The field of Special Education was not in mainstream of schools before and has evolved drastically in the past 15-20 years. It started with inclusive education, then moved to early identification, frameworks and finally to teacher training. The impact of inclusion is currently in mainstream education and spread across UAE as the visionaries of the country put inclusion at the forefront. The impact of this can be seen at both of the school and community level.
Perseverance, patience and passion are the qualities needed in the field of inclusion. One must be flexible to new learning. An optimistic and growth mindset is needed to accept new changes. The focus for an educator should be on what is in there instead of what is not there in the children with determination.
Team Collaboration between Therapist and Psychologist is also an integral part of inclusive education. These can be extended to teacher training, parents and students. Some of these may require a lot of financial support which can get challenging both for parents and students. The goal should be to provide the facilities in school or secure environment so that teachers and parents also get equipped.
Online education in inclusion has set many hurdles in the beginning but most students have shown progress with each session. Listening skills of most students have improved but challenges related to developing motor skill remain. People have shared more resources in social media groups and there has been a lot more awareness.
There have been case studies about Students of Determination participating in Robotics and Gaming competitions. The result of these studies conclude that students are more technology savvy than before and have more concentration. Teachers too are putting in a lot of effort and the education system is evolved and made more enjoyable. Necessity is the mother of invention and so Behaviour Therapy is happening online. Boundaries have been diluted and we are helping people to be emotionally strong.
