Challenges facing children with special needs in pursuing education in Thika Sub-county, Kiambu County

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.