PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR SPED IN PHILIPPINES

1. BEA JOY LORRAINE ARCENIO
III-9BSE HISTORY
Philippine Normal University

2. Article 1: Philosophy, Goals and Objectives
• Section 1: The State shall promote the
right of every individual to relevant quality
education regardless of sex, age, breed,
socio-economic status, physical and
mental condition, social or ethnic origin,
political and other affiliation. The State
shall therefore promote and maintain
equality of access to education as well as
the enjoyment of the benefits of education
by all its citizen. (BP Blg. 232)mental
condition, social or ethic origin, political )

3. Section 2: Every child with special needs
has a right to an educational program
that is suitable to his needs. Special
education shares with regular
education basic responsibilities of the
educational system to fulfill the right of
the child to develop to his full
potential.

4. • Section 3: Special education shall aim
to develop the maximum potential of the
child with special needs to enable him to
become self-reliant and shall be geared
towards providing him with the
opportunities for a full and happy life.

5. • Section 4: The specific objectives of
special education shall be the development
and maximization of learning competencies,
as well as the inculcation of values to make
the learners with special needs a useful and
effective member of society.

6. • Section 5: The ultimate goal of special
education shall be the integration or
maintenance of learners with special
needs into the regular school system and
eventually in the community.

7. Article 2: Definition and Scope
• Section 1: Special education refers to the
education of persons who are gifted or talented
and those who have physical, mental, social or
sensory impairment and cultural differences so as
to require modifications of the school curricula,
programs and special services and physical
facilities to develop them to their maximum
capacity. These persons may be gifted/talented,
fast learner, mentally retarded, visually impaired,
hearing impaired, with behavior problems,
orthopedically handicapped, with special health
problems, learning disabled, speech impaired or
multiply handicapped.

8. • Section 2: These policies and guidelines
shall apply to all schools, centers and
classes (national or local, public or
private, formal or nonformal) established
under the educational system of the
Philippines for the education of children
with special needs.

9. Article 3: Identification, Screening, Assessment
and Evaluation of Children
• Section 1: Identification, screening, assessment
and evaluation of children with special needs
shall be conducted by the school and the
community utilizing appropriate assessment
instruments.
• 1.1 Identification and assessment of every child
shall be conducted as early as possible.

10. • 1.2 The team approach shall be used in the
identification and assessment procedures.
The team shall be composed of persons
with working knowledge and
understanding of children with special
needs, such as the following:
• 1.2.1 parents/guardians/extended families,
neighbors and friends
• 1.2.2 regular teachers

11. • 1.2.3 special education teachers
• 1.2.4 guidance counselors
• 1.2.5 school administrators
• 1.2.6 health workers
• 1.2.7 social workers
• 1.2.8 psychologists
• 1.2.9 speech and physical therapists
• 1.2.10 law enforcement officers
• 1.2.11 probation officers

12. • 1.3 Aspects to be covered in the identification,
screening, assessment and education of children
with special needs shall cover the following
aspects:
• 1.3.1 Physical:
– 1.3.1.1 height and weight
– 1.3.1.2 physical deformities
– 1.3.1.3 gross and fine motor coordination
– 1.3.1.4 hearing
– a.3.1.5 visual function
– 1.3.1.6 oral hygiene and dental development

13. • 1.3.2 Psycho-social
– 1.3.2.1 family history
– 1.3.2.2 personality
– 1.3.2.3 behavior
• 1.3.3 Educational
– 1.3.3.1 learning disabilities
– 1.3.3.2 language and speech
– 1.3.4 Medical

14. • 1.4 Appropriate assessment instruments shall be
developed or adopted in order to identify
handicapping conditions as early as possible.
• 1.5 Identification and assessment of children with
special needs shall be a continuing process
• 1.6 The synthesis of identification and diagnostic
information shall be the basis for the appropriate
educational placement of the child with special
needs.

15. Article 4: School Admission and Organization
of Classes
• Section 1:Children with special needs shall
enjoy equality of access to formal and
nonformal education.
• 1.1 Educational help for the handicapped child
shall be made available as early as possible.
• 1.2 Every school division shall organize
special classes and provide special services
for children with special needs. (PD 603)

16. • 1.3 All schools at the preschool, elementary,
secondary and tertiary levels shall admit
children and youth with special needs.
• 1.4 Preschool education and post secondary
education for technical and vocational
courses shall be salient features of the
formal education of children with special
needs.

17. • 1.5 The school entrance age of a child with special
needs to formal academic instruction shall follow
the current regulation of the Ministry of Education,
Culture and Sports. He may be admitted any time
during the year, if circumstances warrant such
admission. No age requirement nor time limitation
shall be imposed for attendance to nonformal
education programs.
• 1.6 Only persons with special needs shall be
eligible for enrolment in special schools.

18. • 1.7 Special educational provisions shall
be made in hospital schools during
treatment periods of handicapped
children.
• 1.8 An assessment test to determine
proper grade placement shall be
administered to special students who
cannot present school credentials. Their
admission shall be subject to the
approval of the regional director.

19. • 1.9 Over-aged students assessed by the
Philippine Educational Placement Test but found
deficient in communication and other skills, shall
be admitted provided that they shall undergo
remedial instruction in the areas of deficiency.
• 1.10 Admission requirements for regular students
taking degree courses at the tertiary level shall
apply to students with special needs.

20. • 1.11 Adaptation in the administration of
college entrance tests and other
examinations given by the Ministry of
Education, Culture and Sports and other
agencies shall be provided to meet the
needs of special students.

21. • Section 2: For maximum efficiency, class size at
any given time shall be as follows:
– Exceptionality...One-Grade Level...Multi-Grade
or Multi-Level
– Gifted/Fast Learner...30-35...15-20
– Mentally retarded...8-15...8-10
– Blind 7-10 5-6

22. – Deaf 7-15 6-8
– Behavior Problems 15-20 7-12
– Orthopedically Handicapped 10-15 10-
15
– Multiply Handicapped 5-8 3-6
– Speech Defective 10-15 10-15
– Learning Disabled 7-10 5-6

23. • 2.1 Placement in a special class shall be
temporary and not terminal, thus a continuous
assessment process is essential.
• 2.2 A maximum of only 2 children with the same
or different type of handicapping condition shall
be integrated in a regular class at any given
time.
• 2.3 An itinerant teacher shall have a case load of
not more than five children with special needs.

24. • 3.2 The following modifications shall be made for
special learners.
– 3.2.1 Promotion Scheme for
Gifted/Talented/Fast Learners
• 3.2.1.1 Yearly progression
• 3.2.1.2 Acceleration
• 3.2.1.3 Finishing the last three grades in the
elementary grades in 2 years
• 3.2.1.4 Advanced placement

25. 3.2.2 The levels of instruction for the
mentally retarded shall be as follows:
3.2.2.1 Preschool
3.2.2.2 Lower Primary
3.2.2.3 Upper Primary
3.2.2.4 Intermediate
3.2.2.5 Advanced
3.2.2.6 Post-Secondary
3.2.3 For the multiply handicapped,
individualized promotion shall be
adopted on a case to case basis.

26. Article 5: Curriculum Content, Instructional
Strategies and Materials
• Section 1: Curriculum Content, Instructional
Strategies and Materials
• 1.1 The following schemes or options may be
adopted for Special Education Programs
– 1.1.1 Regular curriculum - the curriculum
prescribed for regular children.
– 1.1.2 Modified curriculum - the curriculum
prescribed for regular children with certain
adaptations to meet the needs of special
children.
–

27. – 1.1.3 Special curriculum - the curriculum
for children with special needs aimed
primarily at developing special adoptive
skills to maximize their potentials.
• 1.2 Curriculum plans shall be research-
based, tested successfully on a pilot basis
before their implementation on a bigger
scale, and evaluated periodically. These
plans shall be accompanied by a variety of
instructional materials.

28. • 1.3 The modified curriculum for the visually
impaired shall include sensory training, special
instruction in Braille reading and writing,
mathematics, orientation and mobility, Braille
music, and typing.

29. • 1.4 The modified curriculum for the hearing
impaired shall emphasize communication and
language development based on the philosophy
of Total Communication which is tailored to meet
the individual child's communication, and
educational needs. The curriculum, in addition,
shall include special instruction in speech and
speech reading, auditory training and rhythm.
The multi-sensory approach shall be maximized
and speech/speech reading and sign language
shall be encouraged starting in Grade I.

30. • 1.4.1 Pilipino Sign Language shall be used in the
education of the hearing impaired.
• 1.5 The modified curriculum for children with
behavior problems shall include special
activities and instructional techniques for the
normalization of behavior with emphasis on
moral, civic and spiritual values as well as
training in livelihood, and technical and
academic skills to prepare them for the world of
work.
• 1.6 The curriculum for the physically
handicapped child shall include functional
exercises.

31. • 1.7 The special curriculum for the mentally
retarded shall emphasize training in self-care,
socialization, motor and pre-vocational and
vocational skills. For the more severely ratarded
child, emphasis shall be on development of self-
care skills.
• 1.8 Teaching strategies shall be creative and
multi-dimensional. They shall make maximum
use of all remaining sense modalities and
provide for active participation in the learning
process.

32. • 1.9 All special schools shall strengthen their
vocational and technical training programs.
Arrangements shall be made to enable the child
with special needs to attend special courses
offered in the regular vocational schools
whenever practical.
• 1.10 A community-based, home-based or any
useful alternative special education delivery
system shall be established to reach those who
cannot avail of regular institution-based
programs.

33. • 1.11 Effective guidance and counselling
programs shall be developed and
maintained.
• Section 2: Instructional Materials
• 2.1 Low cost and indigenous materials
shall be developed for the use of children
with special needs.

34. Article 6: Organization Patterns
• Section 1: Children with special needs
shall be provided with a variety of
educational patterns and services.
• 1.1 The assessed needs of each child shall
be the primary consideration in determining
his particular program and services.
• 1.2 Programs may be organized in a variety
of settings, namely:

35. • 1.2.1 Integration/Mainstreaming. This refers to the
enrolment of a child with special needs in a regular
school with additional teaching/care resources. There
are degrees of integration. In partial integration, a
child enrolled in a special class in a regular school is
integrated with regular children in non-academic
activities like work education, physical education, arts,
school programs, etc. Later on, qualified children
may be integrated gradually in one or more academic
subjects. In full integration (sometimes called "zero
reject model"), the handicapped child sits in the
regular classes in all subjects, academic or non-
academic.

36. • 1.2.2 Resource Room Plan. Under this scheme,
the child with special needs is enrolled in the
regular school program but goes to a resource
room to use the specialized equipment either in a
tutorial situation or in a small group. The resource
room teacher functions both as an instructor and
as a consultant. The usual procedure is for the
resource room teacher to serve the area of
exceptionality in which she has had training.
However, occasionally in small communities,
necessity may dictate that she serves children with
a variety of learning disabilities. Such a resource
room service that does not constitute a complete
program of special education should not turn out to
be a segregated plan.

37. • 1.2.3 Itinerant Teacher Plan. Under this plan, an
itinerant or traveling teacher serves one or more
regular schools depending on how many pupils
need special help. She gives direct and
consultative services to children. In addition,
these specialists observe, diagnose, make
referrals, requisition textbooks and equipment,
prepare instructional materials and evaluates
performance.

38. • 1.2.4 Cooperative Class Plan (Part-Time
Special Class Plan). In this plan, the child
with special needs is enrolled in a special
class but receives some of his academic
instruction in the regular grades. In this way,
the child is, to a varying extent, integrated
into regular education.

39. • 1.2.5 Special Class Plan (Self-
Contained/Segregated Plan). Under this plan,
usually, pupils with only one type of
exceptionality label are enrolled in the special
class. This plan is needed for those with more
sever problems which makes it impossible for
them to learn in a regular classroom setting. At
times, they may be with their normal peers, but
not usually in an academic situation.

40. • 1.2.6 Special Education Center. A growing alternative
service delivery system is the Special Education Center
which holds classes for children with special needs
within the regular school. Itinerant, resource room
services, special and cooperative classes are held in
the special education center. Classes range from three
to more than twenty, depending upon the population and
affluence of the community. The school-within-a-school
concept receives much support from parents of the
children themselves and from civic and social
community organizations. The Center is administered
by a principal and operated according to the rules and
regulations that govern a regular school.

41. • 1.2.7 Special Day School. This type of school
serves specific types of children with moderate to
severe disabilities. It offers a range of trained
special educators and a comprehensive array of
medical, psychological and social services.
• 1.2.8 Residential School. The reason for placing
a child in a residential school is based on the
premise that he can make greater progress in
such setting than in any other. Residential
schools provide special education services that
are qualitatively and quantitatively superior to
those available in local communities.
They also offer comprehensive diagnostic and counselling
services, and vocational and recreational services.

42. • 1.2.9 Hospital Instruction. Provision of children
confined to hospitals, sanatoria, and
convalescent homes is a service of special
education. The types of children in need of
hospital instruction are the severely emotionally
disturbed, the profoundly retarded who are
bedbound, the crippled, those with chronic and/or
serious health disabilities, and recovering
patients. Both bedside tutoring and group
instruction are made available to the above.

43. • 1.2.10 Homebound Instruction. This plan is
provided by the local school system to serve the
chronically ill, usually the bedridden, the
convalescents from operation, accident or
temporary illness, the disturbed, and the retarded
pupils. Services are provided by either a full time
itinerant teacher who instructs each pupil in his
own home about three times a week, or the
regular class teacher who instructs her
temporarily homebound pupils.

44. • 1.2.11 Community-based Delivery
System. This is a plan for children with
special needs who reside in distant
communities and cannot avail of existing
special education programs. They are
reached by teachers, para-teachers or
volunteers trained to teach the basic 3
R's and self-help activities to prepare
them for useful and independent living.

45. 1.3 A combination of plans may be considered
where special children are not concentrated in a
particular geographic area; where there are not
enough children to justify employing more than
one teacher or where the spread is great; and/or
where a variety of services is not feasible.
1.4 Appropriate referral system shall be established if
the result of an assessment merits residential school
placement, e.g., for the child who lives too far from
existing special education services. Otherwise,
homebound instruction shall be provided.
1.5 Special supportive services like readers,
interpreters, notetakers, and others shall be provided
when necessary.

46. • 1.6 Special programs for the gifted, talented and
creative shall be developed and maintained.
– 1.6.1 Special provisions for the gifted, talented and
creative may take the following prototypes, singly
or in combination:
• 1.6.1.1. Grouping - clustering of small groups
from different sections to be placed with a
teacher who can modify the curriculum to suit
the gifted as in seminars, mini courses, a library
period a week, etc.
• 1.6.1.2 Vertical Acceleration - early school
admission, double grade promotion, advanced
placement, tutoring; correspondence courses;
independent study, acceleration by grade
skipping or time compression.

47. • 1.6.1.3 Horizontal Acceleration -
mentorship wherein gifted students are
paired with adults who serve as their
mentors in a subject of mutual interest;
individual or group research projects;
honors classes; a core or block program for
the integration of ideas from two or more
subjects.
• 1.6.1.4 Guidance - individual conferences;
community-sponsored programs;
scholarship societies; career and
vocational counseling; peer facilitator.

48. Section 2: The goal of special education shall be
integration or mainstreaming of children with
special needs.
2.1 Integration or mainstreaming of children with
special needs shall be viewed as a developmental
process.
2.2 Special supportive services like readers,
interpreters, note takers, and other auxiliary
services shall be provided when necessary.
2.3 The school division shall extend such services
as orientation and training of administrators,
teachers, other school personnel and regular pupils
on special education.

49. Article 7: School Plant Facilities
• Section 1: Adequate physical facilities and
equipment shall be provided to assure quality
education for all children with special needs.
• 1.1 The school system shall assign buildings and
resource rooms and adapt physical facilities to
suit children with special needs.
• 1.2 The school system shall provide appropriate
specialized equipment, instructional materials
and supplies.

50. • 1.3 Requirement for school site, school
plants, physical facilities and classroom
size shall be for the purpose of securing
permit for operation of special schools
modified in accordance with the type of
exceptionality and enrolment size.
• 1.4 The minimum requirement for basic
classroom equipment for children with
special needs prepared by the Ministry of
Education, culture and Sports including
medical and dental facilities shall be
complied with.

51. • Section 2: Buildings and facilities shall be made
accessible to persons with special needs.
• 2.1 Steps shall be taken to remove architectural
barriers to and within buildings (walkways,
corridors, doors, washrooms and toilets) to
enhance mobility of disabled persons.

52. • Article 8: Personnel Recruitment, Welfare and
Development
• Section 1: For the effective implementation of the
special education program, the education, welfare
and training of personnel shall be given high
priority.
• 1.1 All personnel involved in the education of
children with special needs shall have adequate
and appropriate educational background and
training and personnel qualities specified as
follows:

53. • 1.1.1 Education and Work Experience
• 1.1.1.1 For a special education teacher
• Bachelor of Elementary Education
specializing in special education
• Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
or Secondary Education, major in Special
Education
• Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
or Secondary Education plus 18 units in
special education in the graduate level
•