Jakarta, Kartunet.com - Definitions sometimes seem trivial in many respects. However, have we ever realized that errors in understanding the meaning or definition of a term often lead to real-world misconceptions?
Misconceptions like these also frequently occur in the field of special education (orthopedagogy), for instance, errors in defining the category of Children with Special Needs (CSN). When many people misunderstand children in the CSN category, it is highly likely that the services provided will also be incorrect.
Most people understand CSN to be synonymous with defective children (defective), handicapped children (handicapped children), and exceptional children (exceptional children). However, the concept of CSN is vastly different from these three other terms. The differences among the three lead to variations in the form of services provided.
If we look back at the evolution of terms for children receiving special services, we will find a shift from 'disabled children' to 'exceptional children,' and now it has changed again to 'children with special needs,' or commonly referred to as CSN. Why does the designation for children receiving special services keep changing? This is because the scope of children receiving special education has become more specific.
In the past, the term 'disabled children' was used to refer to any child who differed from most children in general. And every child studying in a Special School (SLB) was certainly categorized as a disabled child.
Subsequently, the term 'disabled children' changed to 'children with abnormalities' or 'exceptional children'. Initially, this change in terminology was based on softening the language. Even though the term had changed and been softened, children receiving special services in SLB were still referred to as children with abnormalities or exceptional children.
This term persisted for quite some time, but many still understood that children attending SLB were certainly disabled children or exceptional children, which carried more negative connotations. However, if we observe closely, not all children studying in SBL are disabled children or exceptional children. For example, children with learning difficulties. Children with learning difficulties are not children who have physical or intellectual disabilities or abnormalities. Furthermore, children in the category with exceptionally high intelligence and talent also fall under exceptional children who do not have abnormalities or disabilities.
Thus, in addition to being softened, the shift from the term 'disabled children' to 'children with abnormalities' or 'exceptional children' also involved a shift in scope. While the term 'disabled children' covered children with physical limitations, 'exceptional children' referred to children who had abilities less than or exceeding those of typical children.
To make it even more specific, a new term emerged in the field of orthopedagogy for children receiving special services: Children with Special Needs, hereinafter referred to as CSN. Unlike the two previous terms, the use of CSN is more specific to the child's condition and the interaction process that must be carried out with CSN.
A child is considered a Child with Special Needs (CSN) if they meet the following three criteria; (1) the child has a significant deviation from typical children (less than or exceeding typical children), (2) this deviation causes the child to experience daily life challenges, and (3) due to these challenges, the child requires special services.
If all three of the above criteria are present in a child, then the child is categorized as CSN. Therefore, if a child has physical or intellectual deviations but does not experience daily life challenges, this child automatically does not require special services and is not categorized as a child with special needs.
Types of CSN
Children with Special Needs have many categories; there are approximately nine types of CSN as listed below.
- Children with Intellectual Disabilities (Mental Retardation), formerly called 'tunagrahita' (mentally disabled). Children in this category are those with below-average intelligence or an IQ below 70.
- Children with Visual Impairments, formerly called 'tunanetra' (blind). Children in this category are those who have visual impairments, either total (totally blind) or partial (low vision).
- Children with Hearing Impairments, formerly called 'tunarungu' (deaf). Children in this category are those who have hearing impairments, whether mild or severe.
- Children with Physical Disabilities, formerly called 'tunadaksa' (physically disabled). Children in this category are those who have physical conditions that deviate from typical children. These physical conditions can manifest in various ways and hinder the child's activities.
- Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, formerly called 'tunalaras' (socially maladjusted). Children in this category are those who have emotional disorders and behavioral deviations based on social, customary, and legal norms.
- Children with Autism. Children in this category are those who have disorders of the nervous system, leading to various distinct behaviors, such as having their own world. Autistic children have different characteristics for each individual, so there are no specific traits common to all autistic children.
- Children with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Children in this category are those who have attention deficit disorders and activity levels far exceeding those of typical children.
- Children with Learning Difficulties. Children in this category are those who experience learning barriers due to internal disorders, such as medical factors affecting the child's brain.
- Gifted Children. Children in this category are those who possess academic or non-academic abilities exceeding those of typical children.
The nine categories of CSN listed above differ in their specificities. Each CSN category requires different services tailored to its specific needs.(Nir)