Comparative Studies in Special Education

15. Taiwan

_________________________________1. Taiwan YUNG-HWA CHE]~ TAI-HWA EMILY L1J The evolution of special education in Taiwan can be divided into four stages. The first stage, from 1949 to 1960, concentrated on only a small number of schools for the deaf and the blind. In the second stage, from 1961 to 1970, the government began experimental classes for mildly retarded children, the physically handicapped, and the hearing impaired. Visually impaired children were also integrated into regular mainstream programs. The boom period of spec:ial education, the third stage, lasted from 1971 to 1980. In 1974, a Six-Year Plan of Developing Special Education was designed to organize the overall development of special education services to disadvantaged groups. Special education centers in normal universities and teachers colleges, teacher-training prograrns, and national and international conferences were gradually established and conducted during this stage. The fourth stage started in 1981. During this stage, About the Authors • Yung-Hwa Chen is a professor of educational psychology and special education at National Taiwan Normal University. Dr. Chen has been a director of the Special Education Center; chairman of the Department of Educational Psychology and Guidance; dean of the College of Education at National Taiwan Normal University; and president of Taipei Municipal Teachers College. He has written numerous publications and is well-known for his leadership in special education in Taiwan. • Dr. Tai-Hwa Emily Lu is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education and section chief of the Resource Division of the Special Education Center at National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei. Her areas of interest are education of the mentally retarded and gifted, especially in curriculum and instructional design. She has also published many articles, research papers, curricula, and books in special education. Previous to undertaking an academic career, she spent twelve years teaching mildly retarded students at the junior high school level and six years working as an assistant researcher and instructor in the Special Education Center of the National Taiwan Normal University. 238 Taiwan 239 the Special Education Law (1984) and its regulations, and other related laws and regulations have been promulgated. The goals of special education have become attainable within a rational system, additional funding, and more trained personnel. The following accounts briefly describe the development of special education in Taiwan. Prevalence of Exceptional Conditions Since compulsory education was extended to students of nine years of age in 1968, special education has been a concern of the government of the Republic of China. Its first national prevalence study on exceptional children, conducted in 1976 (Kuo, Chen, and Liang 1976) provided the initial data base for exceptional children in Taiwan. Over seventy thousand elementary school teachers participated in this investigation and assumed direct responsibility for locating out-of-school children and referring them to further testing and medical evaluation when necessary. In addition, these teachers reviewed all their students in each class and referred to further evaluation any of them that met the specific descriptions of the five specific exceptional categories included in this study. Finally, a survey was conducted of all children in special school or hospitals who fit the five categories. These three sources of data were compiled and formed TABLE 15.1. Exceptional Children Ages 6 to 12, by Disabling Condition and Educational Status In Special School and Categories" In Regular Residential Out ofSchool School" Center TotalC N % N % N % N % VI 80 8.1 770 77.9 139 14.0 989 100.0 HI 358 16.6 675 31.3 1,121 52.1 2,154 100.0 PH 675 7.3 8,397 90.1 245 2.6 9,317 100.0 CD 375 31.6 810 68.4 0 0.0 1,185 100.0 MR 2,331 19.4 9,628 80.0 75 0.6 12,034 100.0 MH 2,365 44.0 2,870 53.4 139 2.6 5,374 100.0 NE 1,762 50.2 1,684 48.0 65 1.8 3,511 100.0 Total 7,946 23.0 24,834 71.8 1,784 5.2 34,564 100.0 Normal 492 27.8 1,274 71.9 5 0.3 1,771 100.0 Total Students 8,438 23.2 26,108 71.9 1,789 4.9 36,335 100.0 "VI = visual impairment; HI = hearing impairment; PH = physical handicap; CD = chronic disease; MR = mental retardation; MH = multiple handicaps; NE = not examined. b Including those in special education programs inside regular schools. C...