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Do children with special needs? Who are children with special needs? They are special children who have needs that are more or somewhat different from other children in general. According to Suron and Rizzo (1979), children with special needs are children who have differences in the state of important dimensions of their humanitarian functions. They are physically, psychologically, cognitively, or socially constrained in achieving their goals / needs and potential to the fullest, so that it requires the handling of trained professionals.
Many people perceive that children with special needs are children who have shortcomings or limitations, even though the understanding of children with special needs is not that narrow. Gifted children are also included in the category of children with special needs.
The government has also sought appropriate education and is suitable for children with special needs. In what way? By holding a school that is specialized or focused on educating children with special needs.
Schools that are intended for children with special needs are Extraordinary Schools (SLB), where SLB is grouped into several types, namely SLB-A which is intended for students who have limited vision or commonly called blind, SLB-B which is intended for students who have limitations in hearing or commonly called hearing impaired, SLB-C which is intended for students who have an IQ below the average (<90) or commonly called tuna grahita, SLB-D is intended for students who have limitations in their limbs or commonly called disabled people, SLB-E is intended for students who experience difficulties in adjusting to the social environment and children who experience emotional disturbances or commonly called tuna laras, and SLB- F is intended for students who have abilities or intelligence above the average which is usually called gifted or gifted children. However, most gifted or gifted children prefer to go to public schools with an accelerated pathway, because again people's perceptions of the SLB are very narrow. Most people consider SLB to be a school for children who have weaknesses or limitations, even though the reality is not like that.
Today many people see one eye to children with special needs, many who underestimate and consider these children to be less useful, even though such perceptions cannot be said to be true. Children with special needs also have potentials and abilities that may still be hidden within themselves and not everyone can help them to issue and explore their abilities. Most people just don't know how to educate and treat children with special needs. Even if educated and directed correctly, children with special needs also have advantages that may not be imagined by most people. For example, I have played and observed in several SLBs in Malang City and interacted with younger siblings who attended school there.
I interact with younger siblings who are deaf, disabled, even mentally disabled. They are all sweet, they are friendly, they are happy to be invited to interact. I also had the opportunity to see their activities. Many of them can paint, dance, play musical instruments, and so on. Yes they do have limitations, but behind that they certainly have other advantages. Maybe they can't hear, but they can understand what we say. Maybe they don't have perfect limbs, but they also want to be treated with people who have complete, perfect limbs. Maybe they don't understand what's going on, who they interact with, but they also want to be loved.
In essence, children with special needs are creatures of God who also have the same rights as us. They have the right to be loved, they have the right to be given proper education, they have the right to be treated well, they have the right to feel happy. They may be a little different, but they are great kids