Children with Intellectual Disabilities and Special School Education in Ghana

Kassah, Bente Lilljan Lind; Kassah, Alexander Kwesi; Phillips, Deborah

doi:10.1080/1034912x.2017.1374358

Cited by 41 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…In Ghana, there is traditional interpretation given to people with disability that impacts their participation in societies. Disability is perceived as stigmatising condition, and giving birth to children with disabilities is linked to the work of supernatural forces (Agyei-Okyere et al 2019; Kassah, Kassah & Agbota 2018; Opoku et al 2017a, 2019). For instance, the birth of children with disabilities is interpreted as punishment from gods, for sins committed by a member of family (Opoku et al 2017b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy across the trajectory of diagnoses in Ghana

et al. 2019

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Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive disorder of posture or movement caused by a lesion to the developing brain that results in functional limitations. The diagnosis of CP can vary from one child to another, causing family stress because of vague and unknown outcomes of the disorder. Although there are negative attitudes in Ghanaian societies towards primary caregivers and children with disabilities, fewer attempts have been made to understand their experiences.Objectives: The main aim of this study was to explore the experiences of primary caregivers across the trajectory of the diagnosis (before, during and after) of CP in the setting of a tertiary hospital.Method: Using Social Capital Theory as framework, 40 primary caregivers of children with CP, who were receiving treatment at a major referral hospital in Ghana, were interviewed about their experiences before, during and after diagnosis.Results: The results that emerged from the thematic analysis were discussed as follows: experiences before diagnosis, experiences during the diagnosis and experiences after the diagnosis. Particularly, participants discussed their inability to access essential services such as education for their children with CP.Conclusion: In light of systemic challenges faced by participants and their children with CP, the need for health policymakers to prioritise the public education about CP, promoting the well-being of caregivers and other implications of the study have been discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy across the trajectory of diagnoses in Ghana

et al. 2019

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“…In Ghana, research on intellectual disability has focussed on special education and the experiences of parents (Avoke, 2002;Kassah, Kassah, & Phillips, 2018;Oti-Boadi, 2017). Services are also limited, with no specific mention of intellectual disability in most disability policy documents (Anthony, 2011;Sackey, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ghanaian traditional and faith healers' explanatory models of intellectual disability

Kpobi

Swartz

2018

Research Intellect Disabil

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“…This model places the problem within the individual as an infection (i.e. virus) needing to be cured, so that the original condition of functioning without deficits and defects is restored (Kassah, Kassah & Phillips, 2018;Meekosha & Soldatic, 2011). Put another way, disability is seen as a sickness and illness that needs to be treated and fully cured (Geldoff, 2016).…”

Section: Disability As Part Of Inclusive Education In Ssa Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The economic liability is grounded in the notion that students with disabilities are a liability to the society (Opoku et al, 2017b). Consequently, society views students with disabilities as lifelong economic dependents who will never contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the community (Kassah et al, 2018;Kassah, 2008). In addition, given the agriculture and resource-driven SSA cultures, the view is that all investment must yield their due profits and rewards in due course, and the communal family-knit economical model demand that children are expected to support parents as they grow older, as well as actively contribute towards the economic welfare of the whole family (Devereux & Getu, 2013).…”

Section: Disability As Part Of Inclusive Education In Ssa Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inclusive Education Without Resources: A Policy Approach for Sub-Sahara Africa

Opoku¹

2020

Developing Teaching and Learning in Africa: Decolonising Perspectives

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Slee, 2001). This all-inclusive understanding is essential in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries (i.e. Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania), as they lack funds, have shortages of specialist services, and more importantly, there are very few special schools and professional/clinical support facilities. However, the question-to what extent can inclusive education as an overarching framework come to support students without external resources-has not been addressed clearly and thus requires urgent exploring. More specifically, the challenge for inclusive education in SSA countries: To what extent can curriculum, personal experiences, and learning environments be adapted, changed and improved to cater for the needs of students with disabilities with little or no resources? The fundamental question that this chapter aims to tackle is, to what extent can students with disabilities be supported at all levels of schooling (i.e. systems, student, and curriculum) without external resources? Perhaps, a starting place to explore this concept is to understand how inclusive education is defined in terms of policies and operational practices within SSA countries, and then to examine how inclusive education is contextualised to assist students with disabilities within the SSA context. Ghana's Inclusive Education policy is described in terms of "… ensuring access and learning for all children: especially those disadvantaged from linguistic, ethnic, gender, geographic or religious minority, from an economically impoverished background as well as children with special needs including those with disabilities…" (Republic of Ghana, 2015:7). The principle concept of 'ensuring' and 'access' appear to be intricately reliant on external resources (i.e. funds and facilities)-the how, when and where are not clear, and move the focus away from capitalising on the student's strengths, abilities, and competencies. Further, the notion of 'providing' something implicitly seems to be embedded in resources. Importantly, there are no operational standard built-in to know how or whether 'ensuring' is effective or ineffective, which again inadvertently is related to resources and measurement? Importantly, very little attention is given to building or developing student strengths and abilities (J-F et al., 2017). In South Africa, the Education White Paper defines inclusive education as: […] acknowledging that all children and youth can learn and that all children and youth need support. Enabling education structures, systems and learning methodologies to meet the needs of all learners [...] Acknowledging and respecting differences in learners, whether due to age, gender, ethnicity, language, class, disability, HIV or other infectious diseases […]

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Children with Intellectual Disabilities and Special School Education in Ghana

Cited by 41 publications

References 13 publications

Experiences of primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy across the trajectory of diagnoses in Ghana

Experiences of primary caregivers of children with cerebral palsy across the trajectory of diagnoses in Ghana

Ghanaian traditional and faith healers' explanatory models of intellectual disability

Inclusive Education Without Resources: A Policy Approach for Sub-Sahara Africa

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