Essay Sample about Special Education

Special education has a hard time gaining the proper supplies and resources that they need. Special education is an educational environment that focuses on the unique needs of a student. It focuses on the individual student, providing an adequate education to ensure their academic future. When it comes to special education, there are not much support and resources. Special education has a lack of attention or resources which causes a lack of education for students who need it the most. Through the years Special education teachers want to develop a close relationship with their students. Freire et al. (2020) state these relationships help teachers address the student’s behaviors (p.496). Special education teachers want to give their students the best level of education. Special education takes more than just the teachers to make it successful. It takes help from parents and the community. Getting supplies for the classrooms can be stressful for one teacher. Using public resources can make special education easier and less stressful for schools and the students in that school. Investing in special education classrooms is beneficial for public resources because it gives special education classrooms opportunities to prepare their children for a better life beyond the classroom and stand up for themselves from bullying. 

Since special education can become the first to be cut due to funding, but there is a way for special education to thrive, public resources. Public resources are any property or asset owned by the state or any local agency, including, but not limited to, land, buildings, facilities, funds, equipment, supplies, telephones, computers, vehicles, travel, and state-compensated time. Public resources are used for many things. They can become more useful in different areas of the workplace. Public resources would be useful for special education classrooms. It can be used to purchase supplies and learning materials. These supplies can provide children with lessons and knowledge to help students grow in education. According to Billingsley et al. (2020), “[t]hese problematic working conditions compromise our nation’s commitment to a free appropriate public education for students with disabilities—an issue of great concern and an ethical dilemma for education. (p.22). Special education teachers can help wherever they are needed. They can adjust to teaching any type of subject to any grade that they are qualified to teach. They can handle children’s behavior that is an appropriate and professional way. Being a professional is a great way to show that public resources are going to a great cause. Billingsley et al. (2020) also stated that “SETs should not have to bear this responsibility for advocacy alone, as others play crucial roles in supporting productive working conditions” (p.22). With the help of public resources, teachers can provide the students with more learning materials, and they can focus their attention on each child. The children can improve their lifestyle and knowledge to express themselves in a life outside of the classroom. Special education teachers are skilled, dedicated teachers. With this dedication, they can show people that they can be trusted with public resources.

Some regular education does not have to struggle for funds or even teachers in the field, but some do. Special education has trouble with funds, resources, and support as well.  In the special education system, special education classrooms are becoming fewer and fewer. They are losing teachers, or they do not have the funds needed to keep the classrooms going. Special education systems are most likely to be cut first in the education system when it comes to school funding. According to Boe (2006) “The number of teaching positions may have started to decline in spite of continued growth in the number of students” (p.147). Some teachers prefer to teach in general education. It becomes less stressful and less work. There has been a need for special education teachers for a long time.  When there are fewer classrooms, there are fewer places to teach the children. With fewer children, there are no programs to help them progress in education. Boe (2006) also stated that focusing on teacher quality and quantity can help to interpret the supply, and demand of the decreasing number of special education teachers that cause the shortage (p.147). Many teachers want to become special education teachers, but the number of teachers willing to make the transition to special education starts to decrease when the stress arises. The students are the ones that suffer when teachers are not special education teachers. Students will not be able to go further in education if they do not have the teachers qualified to make the students better. Special education has a shortage of teachers in its field and some ways can improve the number to become a better educational system.

Students in regular education gain more than enough help in their educational learning. Special education students are the ones who need the most help with their learning. These students are indeed more complicated to teach as they develop. Those same students are often the ones to make the most difference. According to Shkedy et al. (2020), the technology utilized during Visual Communication Analysis (VCA) therapy incorporates the teachings of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to further meet the child’s needs for independence, proficiency, and understanding while enhancing their intrinsic motivation (p.2). Therapy can help children achieve many things in their lifetime. Without therapy, the students wouldn’t gain the knowledge that they need for life outside the classroom.  Teachers can also use the practice of music and art as a way teachers try to help their students gain more knowledge and academic achievement. Draper and Bartolome (2021) stated music is commonly accepted that music instruction is advantageous for children with disabilities.  (p.259).  Teachers are able to connect with students through music. Students with disabilities connect with others through music or any other musical concept. Music can help students to focus clearly on their goals and to communicate. Special education students are intelligent children that require a focused education to prepare them for a life outside of the classroom. 

Along with financial problems, special education students could experience bullying. Bullying can affect a student mentally and even physically. Children with autism are extremely vulnerable and easy targets for bullies. A bully can affect a victim’s overall quality of life. The victim may eventually want to harm others like they have been harmed. According to Matthias et al. (2021) “The power-based nature of bullying dynamics highlights why students with disabilities may be more susceptible to victimization, as well as why some students with disabilities might be more prone to bullying others” (p.4633). Teachers want to protect any student from becoming bullied. Some children are more prone to become bullied because of looks, or actions. Some may even have thoughts that are suicidal. Students may have violent actions against other students and even teachers. Students with disabilities may have brain thinking problems without bullying, and it could make it extremely worse than before. The effects of bullying can last beyond the classroom. Matthias et al. (2021) stated “[b]ullying continues to disproportionately affect students with disabilities, and students with ASD are particularly at risk for involvement, both as bullies and as victims” (p.4641). Bullying effects in a child can follow them throughout their lives. It could affect their choices mentally and physically and everyone around them. Teachers try to deal with bullying, but they do not always catch it in time to stop it. Bullying can have a negative impact on students with disabilities. Students with disabilities have a hard time coping with bullying. Teachers are trying their best to look out for their students, so bullying does not become a problem.

Public resources are a beneficial way for special education classrooms to prepare for adulthood. Public resources can be used to provide therapy and educational supplies for students with disabilities. Students can go through processes of bullying and self-harm which can affect them through adulthood. They can receive therapy that focuses on them individually and can help through any situation that they are dealing with. Special education classes are the first ones to get cut by funding since they would not have enough to afford the children’s education. Allowing funding allows teachers to purchase the proper supplies and materials that they could use to give out great educational instruction. If funding starts to go down, we are denying young people the right to a proper education. Special education has the ability to change the world through classrooms. Until others realize that special education is just important as regular education, students would not get the proper education that they need to live their lives for a greater purpose.