The Practices and Challenges of SNE Teachers on the Identification of Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Two Selected Primary Schools of Gondar City

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to document the current practices and challenges Teachers face in the identification of students with intellectual disabilities in primary schools. In this qualitative case study, six special needs education teachers currently engaged in supporting students with intellectual disabilities (SWID) were purposefully selected from those working in two public primary schools in Gondar city. The data was gathered through interviews, observations and consultation of relevant documents. A thematic analysis method was used to analyze and present the qualitative data and two major themes emerged. These are (1) the processes of identification of students with intellectual disabilities (SWID) where participant teachers of the two schools demonstrated their practices; and (2) the challenges teachers faced in the identification process. The findings indicated that the process of identification practices is based on teachers’ own experiences rather than on standardized assessment tools. The findings of the study also showed that in addition to the absence of assessment tools, the lack of clear policy implementation guidelines and the lack of sufficient skill to identify SWID were found to be the major challenges. Based on the findings of the study, some practical implications are discussed for improving the current identification practice so that it would be possible to get their needs met.