PARENTAL ATTITUDE ON EARLY LEARNING OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
Title
Page
Certification
Acknowledgement
Table
of Contents
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
1.2
Statement of the Problem
1.3
Objectives of the Study
1.4
Research Question
1.5
Research Hypothesis
1.6
Significance of the Study
1.7
Definitions of Terms
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1
Children with Special Need
2.2
Children with Special Education
2.3
Parent Attitude towards the Education of Children with
Special Need.
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Population of the Study
3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques
3.5 Method of Data Collection
3.6 Validity of the Instrument
3.7 Methods of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF DATA AND
RESULTS
4.1
Introduction
4.2
Presentation of Results
4.3
Discussion of Findings
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
5.1
Introduction
5.2
Summary
5.3
Conclusion
5.4
Recommendation
5.5
References
5.6
Appendix
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ABSTRACT
The
study examined parental attitudes towards the early learning of children with
special needs. Eighty (80) pupils were randomly selected from two special
schools participated in the study.
Questionnaire
was administered on the learners to obtain relevant information regarding their
parents attitude towards their education. Finding revealed that the parents
positive attitude towards the education of their children, although they still
want them to be independent through trade. The believed that self employment
should be the ultimate of their children’s education.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
Children are the perfect extension and expression of a
couple’s love and caring (Gibran, 1986). The emotional preparation for expectant
parents is usually shaped by a glamorous image of the baby, a kind of ego
ideal. The discrepancy between the perfect child of their fantasy and the real
child may be the cause for negative attitudes and parenting stress, often a
range of emotions, such as denial, guilt, blame, frustration, anger and
despair, sweep through the parents as they are confronted by their children
with disability (Bhan, 1995). Loss of hope for the ‘perfect child’ causes
grief, and over time the feeling is heightened by loneliness, isolation, and
exhaustion. Parent frequently over protect their child and feel guilty that
they are responsible for the child’s disability.
The parents of children with disabilities develop chronic
sorrow characterized by periodic recurrence of sadness, guilt, shock and pain
(Wikler et al, 1981). They are played by feelings of pessimism, hostility and
shame (Rangers Wamy, 1989)
Denial, projection of blame, guilt, grief, withdrawal,
rejection and acceptance are some of the usual parental reactions. (Drew et al,
1984). Some parents also experience helplessness, feelings of inadequacy,
anger, shock and guilt, whereas others go through periods of disbelief,
depression and self blame. The siblings also experience feelings of guilt,
shame, and embarrassment (Frude, 1992).
Of course, early childhood education is not just about giving
children a better chance to succeed later on, it gives all children equal
opportunities to begin to develop their literacy, numeracy and social skills,
regardless of their family’s income. If conceived with some imagination, these
programmes can make on enormous difference in the lives of disadvantaged
families. For example, New Zeal and developed early education programmes are
targeted to families with low levels of education, which include an adult
education component. In regions where these programmes, are offered, enrolment
of disadvantaged children who benefit the most from these kinds of activities
has grown considerably.
Children with special needs are children with different disabilities,
health and mental health condition that require special intervention, services
or support, parenting a child with special need can be particularly
challenging.
Special need is a broad term and includes health, mental
health, development, and other kinds of conditions and diagnosis. Some example
include: autism, serious emotional and behavioural disturbances, mental
retardation, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, learning disability,
speech impairment, visual impairment, epilepsy. Children with special needs
also include those children who are at risk for disabilities such as those who
have developmental delays.
What comes to mind when the term children with special needs
is used, is that they are children with disabilities. The term children with
special needs has a broader scope than disability. Special need children
therefore means learners or children who require professional attention and
assistance to attain set learning objectives. This term has come to replace
some other labels like disabled, exceptional children or child or the
handicapped.
Garuba (2002) explained children with special needs as those
with physical, intellectual, social, emotional, cultural and linguistic
characteristics or other conditions that make it difficult for them to be
educated in the normal way without special intervention been put in place to
assist them.
For parents of children with special needs, initially,
acceptance becomes the main concern. They go through various emotional phases,
which are coping strategies. Parents go through grief, frustration, denial and
anger before the child’s condition is accepted. The other concern for parents
is the education of the child with special needs.
Parents who favour attitudes believe that it would increase
their child’s learning ability due to higher standards in a regular class, and
would provide a stimulating environment for learning. A majority of parents
show favourable attitude towards in terms of promoting positive role models,
friendships, facilitating acquisition of pre-academic, social, language and
motor skills. Parents who are not in favour attitude feel that teachers would
be overburden with the child’s disability and that the classroom would not
accept and welcome their child. On the other hand, parents of special children
have revealed that their children’s experiences were position they preferred
having their children in classes that included children with disabilities and
there was an increase in personal development, and improved self-worth by helping
others specific gains were in term of social cognition, lie, awareness of other
children’s needs, prosocial and personal characteristics, and greater
acceptance of human diversity.
The concern that parents of special children show are in the
effectiveness of instructions; the fact that some children with special needs
do not receive enough help from teachers, and that their children sometimes
emulate the inappropriate behaviour of children with special needs. Other
concerns stated by parents are that the demands of children with special needs
became so great, that they interfere or compromise their own child’s growth and
education.
1,2 Statement
of the Problem
Various studies have focused on stressors associated with
caring for children with special need and the deleterious effects on parent’s
well-being. This study intends to explore parental attitude on early learning
of children with special needs age 0 – 8.
1.3 Objectives
of the Study
The study broadly examines the attitude of the parents on
early learning of special children in Ikere Local Government Area of Ekiti
State.
The specific objectives are as under
1.
To examine the attitudes of parents towards schooling and
education of their children at the early age.
2.
To examine whether there exists a significant gender
difference in attitudes of parents towards children’s with special needs
education
3.
To examine the future planning and aspirations of the parents
with regard to their child’s education
1.4 Research
Question
In this study, there are some question that researcher has in
mind, which would assist in doing justice to the topic.
1.
What are the attitudes of parents towards the early learning
of their children?
2.
What are the attitudes of parents towards the outcome of
their children education.
3.
What are the parental attitude towards the self independent
of their children in the future.
1.5 Research
Hypothesis
Is there any difference in the parental gender of their
attitude towards early learning of their children.
1.6 Significance
of the Study
This research work is meant to examine the attitude of
parents towards the early learning (i.e. education) of children with special
needs.
Many children with special needs are faced with depressions
and discrimination from parents and other related people. This study therefore
intend to examine the attitude of parents towards the children that fall into
the category of children with one or two disability.
1.7 Definitions
of Terms
Parent: mother or father; somebody’s
mother, father, or legal guardian origin of something else: something from
which one or more similar and separate things have developed, or to which they
are attached.
Attitude: Personal view of something; an
opinion or general feeling about something a positive attitude to change.
Children with special needs – children with special
needs are children with different disabilities, health and mental health
condition, that require special intervention, services or support.
