Perception and Acceptability of Regular Education Teachers Towards Inclusion of Children with Intellectual Disability in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Access to education has been a challenge to individuals with intellectual disability (ID) in Cross River State, Nigeria, as a result of limited schools that accept these individuals. This study consequently investigated the knowledge and perception of regular teachers about children with ID and their level of acceptance into the regular classroom. Two hundred (200) teachers in public primary schools in Calabar municipal were randomly selected for the study. A descriptive research design was adopted. “Teachers’ Knowledge, Perception and Acceptability of Teachers towards Children with Intellectual Disability (TKPATCID)” was used as an instrument for data collection. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency count, simple percentage standard deviation, and mean scores. Findings showed that the knowledge of regular teachers about children with ID is very low. The majority of the regular teachers have negative perceptions of children with ID. Similarly, the majority of the respondents were of the opinion that children with ID should not be accepted alongside their non-disabled counterparts in the classroom. It was therefore recommended, among others, that awareness of the nature of ID be created. Regular in-service training should be organized for regular education teachers by the government in order to properly equip them with relevant and up-to-date knowledge of children with ID

Music Therapy in Enhancing Learning Attention of Children with Intellectual Disability

Inattention is one of the significant problems that inhibit learning among children with intellectual disabilities. However, several strategies and therapies have been developed to solve the problem. This study, therefore, investigates the effectiveness of music therapy in enhancing attention among children with intellectual disability. A pretest-posttest control experimental research design was adopted. The experiment was carried out for six weeks using Music Therapy Treatment Package on 24 children with intellectual disability that were randomly selected Modupe Cole Momerial Childcare and Treatment Home/School, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos. A validated Attention Observation Rating Scale (AORS) with a reliability coefficient of 0.88 was used for this study. Three hypotheses were tested in the study, and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used for data analysis. This study revealed that music therapy is effective in enhancing attention among children with intellectual disabilities. Sex and level of severity of the disability were also tested as moderator variables, but they have no significant main or interaction effect with music therapy in enhancing attention for children with intellectual disability. The finding is that music therapy is significantly effective in enhancing attention for children with intellectual disability regardless of their sex or level of severity. It was concluded that attention deficit could be improved for children with intellectual disability. Therefore, Music therapy was recommended for use in the school with adequate teacher training

Impact Assessment of Counselling on Family of Children with Intellectual Disability in Cross River State, Nigeria

This study examined the impact of counseling on the families of children with intellectual disability (ID) in Cross River State, Nigeria. Three research questions were generated to guide the study while the Ex-post-Facto research design was adopted. A purposive sampling technique was used, and 100 parents of children with ID were selected from the Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities of Nigeria (AIDDN), Cross River State Chapter. These parents have been exposed to psychodynamic counseling in the past. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled “Impact of Counseling on Parents of Children with ID (ICPCID)”. The instrument was validated by three experts, two in special education and one in measurement and evaluation. The reliability coefficient of 0.88 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha. The data collected were analyzed using simple percentages, frequencies, and mean scores. The findings revealed, among others, that counseling has a higher impact on the information needs of parents of children with ID. Counseling has a significant positive impact on the emotional stability of parents of children with ID. Counseling has a significant positive impact on stabilizing families of children with ID. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that the Cross River State Government should establish a department of guidance and counseling under the State Ministry of Education that regularly caters for the counseling needs of parents of children with ID in the state