Educating Children with Developmental Disabilities

Disability is a socially defined phenomenon. It has all-encompassing social consequences for individuals and has a significant impact on societies. The social reality of disability is characterised by “considerable variation in the experience of impairment by large numbers of people who nonetheless share common conditions of exclusion, marginalisation, and disadvantage. Discrimination against children with developmental disabilities can be observed in terms of exclusion from education and healthcare, limited opportunities for play or access to cultural life, denial of family life, vulnerability to violence, poverty, and exclusion from participation in decision-making. It also undermines self-esteem and self-confidence among children, particularly among girls with developmental disabilities). Accordingly, disability has been conceptualised and addressed as a human rights issue in different forums. It is observed that persons with developmental disabilities who belong to poor families are more marginalised and disadvantaged by various factors, such as lack of access to productive resources and opportunities, and lack of information and skills that could have enabled them to participate in social, economic and political processes. It is also found that disabled women and girls are more vulnerable to elimination .

Keywords:
Child, Education, Disability, UNICEF