Introduction
Reading refers to the overall active, cognitive (acting on, reworking, and transforming input to trigger responses), and affective process of constructing meaning from written texts. The ultimate purpose is to derive specific meaning from the written texts. Reading is a learned behavior dependent on mastering a written code based on the alphabetic principle.
Special education defines the type of learning process that entails individuals possessing special needs; such needs include hearing impairment, partial and or total blindness, feeblemindedness, and physical disabilities among others. Individuals with special needs face numerous challenges including difficulties in oral expressions in terms of reading.
For effective communication to take place between different parties, there must be a mutual understanding, being brought about by fluent and easy way of expression of ones feelings, ideas, expectations among other issues, which is acceptable and affirmative among the communicating parties. Oral reading expression is one of the many ways used for communicating ideas, thoughts, and deriving meaning from written materials such as books, magazines, electronic formats (hypertexts) and other forms of written materials available (Braunger and Lewis, 2006).
Problem cause of Oral reading
Difficulty in oral reading has become a major problem that affects communication, most especially in special education. Both the elderly individuals and those with special needs are faced with this problem. With the elderly, the problem occurs due to loss of clear view and comprehension of written text due to vast age or eye infections.
Some individuals are born totally blind, hence needing the use of Braille equipments for text comprehension, others may suffer from short or long sightedness, and this affects the way written text is interpreted. The entire community needs to be aware of the adverse effects that oral expression bears on individuals, and should advocate for appropriate measures to be adopted to ensure that individuals facing such challenges are catered for.
This could be done by acquiring Braille reading equipments in schools, providing medical services that treat and protect the eye sight, and promoting overall understanding among individuals facing such challenges. Braille enables the blind to read and comprehend written text, though it cannot be of much help if the content is in video or motion picture, if the contents are hypertext, this means that there will be extreme difficulty for the victim to easily comprehend.
For the minority with eyesight sicknesses, appropriate medical services should be easily availed to such individuals, like provision of corrective eye lenses to correct both long and short sightedness, treatment of eye defects such as Trachoma, Cataracts and so on. Application of medical services to the community will have an adverse overall effect of helping majority of the individuals facing infections to their eyesights through massive medical campaigns at subsidized and affordable costs held in health centers, churches, and schools.
This will encourage most individuals to get treatment and advice from professionals. In addition, counseling services should be provided to special needs populations, specifically to parents of feebleminded individuals so that they can provide support to the victims while at home and in school. This will ensure the adaptability of a common reading language to be used between the parties, though such a method will not be as effective due to stigmatization, and inferiority complex resulting from the current situation (Danforth, 2009).
Special education
It is a widely challenged field within the entire education system because of the special needs that arise, and the challenges facing individuals with special needs. Special education caters for individuals with physical and mental unfitness. Such individuals could either be blind (partial or total), physically handicapped, mentally retarded, and some might be faced with traumatic occurrences.
Special education requires the availability of both resources in terms of materials, professional skills, and overall support from the community to ensure that those individuals who have special needs, have adequate, sufficient, and efficient access to all the services provided through special education. There should be a workable cooperation between the government, local authorities, and the community to ensure that the individuals’ demands are met in a cost effective manner.
The government should ensure equal and equitable distribution of special education professionals within the entire region to access and provide quality services. Adequate funds should be allocated to the special education kitty to enable the acquiring of special equipments that meet the demands of special needs, and also their maintenance.
Adequate and modern training should be provided to the professionals who handle individuals with special needs in terms of education, this will enable the integration of modern methods that will ensure that the individuals are able to comprehend oral reading and expression. Special needs individuals and parents should be encouraged to come out clear and participate in activities that help individuals to learn, access, and practice oral reading and expression.
This will reduce the number of individuals facing such problems, at the same time increasing their ability to comprehend and adapt to the system of reading using any means available at their disposal (Winzer, 1993).
In my own situation, the important issues should be to encourage individuals through mass media, churches, concerts, and other available forms advocating for the slogan that “disability is not inability”, and provide the required resources to the special education sectors. This will reduce stigmatization, and other forms of fear that usually embrace such individuals.
Conclusion
Oral reading is an interactive process by which expressions from written texts are interpreted to derive meaning, which helps individuals to express their notions and conscience. It is a behavior learned gradually with time. Special education defines and addresses the specificity of individuals who possess special needs that are unique within the entire population, and require professional extensive care to cater for such needs.
Such people require consideration from both the professional and the government stakeholders to enable their needs to be addressed effectively, including the problems of oral reading.
References
Braunger, J. & Lewis, P. J. (2006). Building a knowledge base in reading. NY: International Reading Assoc. Web.
Danforth, S. (2009). The incomplete child: an intellectual history of learning disabilities. Broadway: Peter Lang. Web
Winzer, A. M. (1993). The history of special education: from isolation to integration. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. Web.