| dc.description.abstract | This was a cross-sectional study on challenges facing children with special needs in
pursuing education in Thika Sub-County, Kiambu County. Specifically the study
sought to identify the challenges faced by children with special needs in pursuing
education and identify strategies put in place to address the challenges facing children
with special needs in pursuing education. The study was guided by the theory of
stigma by Goffman 1963.Which states that the society brings about stigma which
pertains to the shame that a person may feel when he or she fails to meet others and
fear of being discredited; which causes the individual not to reveal his or her
shortcomings.
The study used a sample of twenty two children who were was purposively selected
for in-depth interviews and twenty two teachers who were purposively selected for
key informant expert interviews. Data collected was through in-depth interviews, key
informant interviews and analyzed thematically guided by the study objectives. The
study findings indicate that economic, social-cultural, policy frameworks and school
related challenges make the pursuit of education for children with special needs
challenging.
The parents are poor thus unable to purchase the high costly instructional materials
for their children with special needs to access all inclusive educational services.
Socially, there should be a range of inclusive settings whereby the CWSN can feel
included and be best served. Such settings could be arranged within the school
premises, family circles, at community gatherings to ensure the opportunities for
social interaction. The study concludes that new policy frameworks should be put in
place to allow the government to allocate more funds for special schools and units to
enable a smooth learning environment through provision of learning materials and
enough teachers trained in special needs education for children with special needs
which in turn boosts the pursuit of education for the children with special needs. | en_US |
