Inclusion Of Children With Physical Disabilities Essay

This undertaking seeks to address a very critical topic as far as the education of children with physical disabilities is concerned. In the quest to do so, my stand is to be established in consideration of whether these children should be included in the main stream education as some scholars argue and strongly feel that they should be included. At the same time highlight the Zambian situation to that effect. To begin with it is imperative to understand what physical disabilities are and more so knowing what is meant by inclusion. I agree with Sirvis (1988) who when commenting on physical disabilities advanced a thought that,

“In special education, physical disabilities are physical limitations or health problems that interfere with school attendance or learning to such an extent that special services, training equipment, materials, or facilities are required”

With the foregoing, it is clear that the limitations which children with physical disabilities face range from physical to health problems. It is also worth mentioning here that a physical disability encompasses a wide range of disabilities which include those disabilities born with or those that are as a result of injury. This idea is rightly supported by Connor and Tulloch (1988) who pointed out that,

“the physical disability may either be congenital or a result of injury such as muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, amputation, heart disease, pulmonary disease or more”

Generally, physical disabilities take different forms however one thing remains common to children with the physical disabilities that is difficulties which have to be collectively addressed so as to help these children develop a sense of belonging. In that the difficulties they face mostly are mobility oriented and inability to use their hands, sit or stand normally. As such they depend on adaptive devices. Connor and Tulloch went on to say that,

”children with there disabilities often must...