In 1976 the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS) stated that disability was:
“the disadvantage or restriction of activity caused by a contemporary social organisation which takes little or no account of people who have physical impairments and thus excludes them from participation in the mainstream of social activities” (, no date).
This statement has no recognition of any other disabilities other than physical, however it was this organisation that introduced the social model of disability, ultimately changing and improving the lives of people with SEN. Understanding SEN using the social model recognises the child or person in question as an individual instead of labelling them as a ‘special needs child’ or a ‘down’s child’ as an example. The social model of disability promotes inclusion, hoping to remove the barriers set by society by including all children regardless of their abilities in mainstream education. A professor from the University of Plymouth argues that if disability is a problem for society then society must change (Hyde, 2001). Under the theory of inclusion children with SEN are to be taught in mainstream education alongside their peers. Schools need to cater for children with both physical and learning disabilities, ensuring that their needs are met. The SEN CoP (2001, p.7) promotes the use of the social model using the principal that children with SEN should be offered full access to a broad, balanced and relevant education. Furthermore, the culture, practice, management and deployment of resources in a school or setting are designed to ensure all children’s needs are met. The social model as a way of understanding SEN is to gain knowledge of the child by recognising both their strengths and weaknesses and moreover, by including the child’s parents, it allows teachers, doctors and other professionals involved the ability to gain an understanding of the child as an individual, in place of the medical model label.
Identifying a child with SEN with regard to the medical model is usually by diagnosis. Lindsay (2003) argues that disability may be recognized at any time in childhood or adolescence, but generally the more severe the disability, the earlier it will be noticed. Some disabilities are diagnosed soon after birth because of their physical characteristics, whereas those with a mild intellectual disability with no physical signs may not be diagnosed until they start to experience difficulties in adolescence. The medical model approach of identifying SEN is ‘symptoms’ based, with doctors and other ‘experts’ such as Educational Psychologists (EP)’s and Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCO)’s involved in trying to find what is ‘wrong’ with the child. Within an educational setting Frederickson and Cline (2007, p.133) argue that the traditional way of assessing SEN was by examining the child in question. It was assumed that the source of the problem was within the child and that they must be suffering with a disability or a learning impairment. The assessment was thought of as similar to a medical diagnosis by determining what category of disability the child suffered from.
The social model of disability considers all factors when identifying a child having SEN. It views the child in a more holistic manner, taking into account any emotional, behavioural, physical or social needs they may have, as opposed to diagnosing a medical condition. Roffey (2001, p.53) states that observing the child in various situations over a short length of time; watching how they interact with other children, how they communicate and how they approach a range of activities will give a good indication of the child’s strengths and weaknesses. A collaborative approach is taken when addressing SEN if practicing the social model. The SEN CoP (2001, p.4) states that to be able to meet the needs of children and young people with SEN successfully, it requires partnership between all those involved; Local Education Authorities (LEA)’s, schools, parents, pupils, health and social services as well as other agencies.
The medical model of responding to SEN firstly means ‘labelling’ the child. Does the child have a diagnosis and if so, what is the cure for the problem? In many cases remediation is the answer and with conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication is often prescribed. Oliver (1990) argues that disability as a long term social state is not treatable and certainly not curable. He also states that the aim is to restore the disabled person to normality and where that is not possible, the goal is to restore the person to a state that is as near normality as possible. In addition, many children with SEN are sent to special schools to receive ‘specialist’ teaching. The nineteenth century saw the first special schools built for children with visual or hearing difficulties, intended for those from middle or upper class families. The 1870 Education Act saw the expansion of special schools as children with emotional and learning difficulties were now entitled to an education. However many mainstream schools rejected children with SEN and as a result the growth of special schools took effect. Segregation is a common occurrence with a child who has SEN and within a
mainstream setting many children miss out on classes to be tutored by the ‘special needs teacher’. Burt (1917) encourages separate provision for children with SEN, suggesting an introduction of special classes for children with learning difficulties. The medical model has reduced expectations of a person with SEN, seeing ‘handicapped’ children as abnormal, assuming that they will have a limit of what they can achieve. Frederickson and Cline (2007, p.67) state that ‘handicap’ was understood in terms of defect, and physical and sensory impairments were thought to impose limitations on cognitive development. As a result barriers to achievement were imposed on children with SEN.
The Warnock Report in 1978 changed how the education system treated children with SEN with many of its recommendations becoming law in the Education Act 1981. The social model of responding to SEN was made more aware of with the end of categorisation and segregation. Alcott (2002, p.5-6) explains that the Warnock report recognised that a child’s disabilities could be multiple and complex. A child could have a hearing impairment as well as a physical disability and, quite possibly, difficulties of an intellectual nature, influencing how people thought of disability. People with disabilities were no longer labelled as ‘handicapped’ or ‘non-handicapped’ and the result were that their individual needs became recognised. Children with SEN were now able to be taught in mainstream schools, having access to the national curriculum under the theory of Inclusion. The SEN CoP (2001, p.13) maintains that all schools should admit pupils identified with having SEN, stating that admission authorities are not able to refuse the admittance of a child because they feel unable to cater for their needs. The CoP leans strongly towards the social model of responding to SEN emphasising on the policy of inclusion, taking into account the parents views and wishes as well as promoting the involvement of the child in question. It states that the views of the child should be sought and taken into account and that parents have a vital role to play in supporting their child’s education (ibid. p.7). Individual Educational Plans (IEP)’s are the provision for children with SEN, including short-term targets set for the child, teaching strategies to be used to encourage the reaching of the targets, when the plan is to be reviewed as well as the outcome of the action taken previously.
To include children with SEN teachers are encouraged to receive more training, as all teachers are in fact teachers of children with SEN. It is estimated that one in five children in a classroom will have additional educational needs. The Warnock Report (1978) argues that teachers should gain specialist knowledge and skills to be able to work more effectively with children who have specific needs. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) make the following statement:
“All children have the right to a good education and the opportunity to fulfil their potential. All teachers should expect to teach children with special educational needs (SEN) and all schools should play their part in educating children from their local community, whatever their background or ability. We must reflect this in the way we train our teachers, in the way we fund our schools, and in the way we judge their achievements” (DfES, 2004, introduction).
In contrast to the medical model of responding to SEN, the social model makes changes to the environment in which the child lives. It removes the barriers to achievement in which the medical model creates. Society makes changes in order to fit around the child as opposed to changing or ‘curing’ the child to fit in.
Both the medical and the social model have good and bad points. Many parents of a child with SEN would rather their child have a diagnosis, which is very much the medical model of disability, helping them to understand the problems the child may encounter. Other advantages of the medical model are that with a diagnosis ‘expert’ help is available, professionals with an understanding of the condition or disability are able to offer more advice and support to the child and parents. With some medical conditions there are health issues which are common to the disability. For example, the majority of people with Williams Syndrome suffer with the same heart condition; supravalvular aortic stenosis, however not all cases are the same. Some people will not have any symptoms of the heart defect, living a long and healthy life, whereas other people may require a heart transplant and suffer with heart disease and high blood pressure. If a doctor is aware of this condition, regular checkups to ensure good health are essential. The disadvantages of the medical model are the assumptions that all children with SEN are the same. Their individuality is not recognised, nor their individual needs. Children are labelled as ‘handicapped’ and segregated from other children from whom they could learn many skills, such as social skills.
The advantages of the social model of disability are that a child’s needs are focussed on rather than their diagnosis. Their strengths and weaknesses as well as external influences such as a child’s background and history are taken into account in order to find a suitable method of teaching, which, in time will help the child reach their full potential. The child is recognised as an individual, as a person instead of a ‘problem’ that needs fixing and furthermore, society changes in order to make life easier for the person in question. For example, wheelchair users are now able to access all forms of public transport, whereas the medical model’s hope would be to ‘cure’ the person. Inclusive education is an advantage of the social model, and in order to demonstrate this point I will reflect upon a personal experience. As previously mentioned, my daughter has SEN. She attends a mainstream school with a good level of learning support. The school are fully aware of her individual needs and I am content that they are being met. More often than not she reaches the targets set in her IEP showing that inclusion can be a success if the social model of understanding, identifying and responding to SEN takes place. However, there are disadvantages of the social model of disability, these being conflicting arguments between both models. Parents feel they have an understanding of their child’s needs if they are diagnosed with a certain condition, yet they also want their child being recognised as an individual and not by their condition. As well as this, many resources such as social security benefits rely heavily on having a diagnosis, and many parents have been advised that they are not entitled to receive this help without a medical diagnosis. As previously mentioned, a diagnosis can be helpful in determining certain health issues that are related to a medical condition and without a diagnosis many people would face ill-health and in the worst possible case; death.
It should be noted that not one model is seen as a superior to the other as both models have their advantages and disadvantages. The medical model focuses on ‘curing’ the disability in order to include the person within society, whereas the social model’s focus is on the changing of society and human attitudes with the aim of improving the life of the disabled person, making it easier for the person to gain an education and carry out day to day activities. The identification processes are diverse with the medical model identifying SEN generically, and the social model by way of observation and collaboration. Responding to SEN under the medical model labels the child, assuming they need ‘specialist’ education, with the hope of remediation. In contrast the social model embraces the child, removing the barriers to achievement by responding to the child’s individual needs; underpinning inclusion. Additionally, if elements of both models were used sensibly the long-term health, education and well-being of the child could be improved.
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REFERENCES
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Burt, C. (1917) The Distribution and Relations of Educational Abilities. London: King & Son.
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Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2004) Removing Barriers to Achievement: The Government’s Strategy for SEN. Nottingham: DfES Publications.
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2001) Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. Nottingham: DfES Publications.
Department of Education and Science (DES) (1978) Special Educational Needs (Warnock Report). London: HMSO
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Hyde, M. (2001) ‘Disabled people in Britain today: Discrimination, social disadvantage and empowerment’, Sociology Review, Vol.10, No.4, pp. 8-11.
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Roffey, S. (2001) Special Needs in the Early Years, Collaboration, communication and coordination. 2nd edn. Abingdon: David Fulton Publishers.