Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development
Disability Information Service Center (DISC)

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to compare the psychosocial functioning of children with visual important integrated and special school settings.

Methodology: 

To conduct this study 32 children (M=15, F=17) were purposefully selected from German (integrated) and Sebeta (special) school and instruments that measure their psychosocial functioning were administered on them. Their teachers and caregivers (who were also purposefully selected) filled the social skill scale and responded to interview questions with regard to the children’s psycho social functioning. The T-test result indicated that at 8 = 0.005 there is significant difference.

Main findings:

The T-test result indicated that at 8=0.05 there is significant difference in the psychosocial functions of those children in the two schools. When specifically looking into the variables, the significant difference is observed in four of the variables. The children in the special school were found to be better in their self confidence, psychological adjustment social adjustment and functional independence. 

The interview made with teachers indicated that what was found from most of the respondents in the special school is in line with many of the qualitative findings. Whereas what was found from those in the integrated school was different. This strengthens the finding that the children in the special school are better in their psychosocial functioning that those in the integrated school; it can be concluded that the educational setting has an impact to the psychosocial functioning of children with visual impairment.

Conclusions:

The results of the study were analyzed using both qualitative (t-test) and quantitative (thematic analysis) method. The t-test result indicated that there is statistically significant difference between those children in the special integrated school in their psychosocial functioning; those children in the special school were found to be better in their self- confidence, psychological adjustment, social adjustment and functional independence. 

In case of the qualitative results; the responses given by most of the respondents from the special school were in line with the qualitative result while it wasn’t the case of the responses given by the participants from the integrated school. This means that the participants from the two schools favour the children in their respective school with regard to their psychosocial functioning. The reasons for this could be that the participants may not have enough information about the conditions and the psychosocial functioning of the students in the other school or just being biased to their respective school. 

Recommendations:

Before integrating children with visual impairment in the regular schools some pre conditions must be fulfilled like equipping sighted children, teachers and others from within the school community with the necessary information about children with visual impairment and teaching them to accept the children as they are and there should be trained teachers in these schools. The infrastructure of the schools should be made suitable for those children with visual impairment.

The children should be integrated not only physically but also socially and intellectually.

The children’s’ special needs must be fulfilled in integrated educational settings.

The teachers in the integrated schools should have a close relationship with the children and should work together with parents and all teachers to solve any problems that the children face.

To increase the self- confidence of children in integrated schools, it is important to help them to encourage them in their schooling, e.g. giving tutorial classes. 

Counseling services should be provided to the children in integrated settings to help them avoid unnecessary comparisons with the sighted children and to develop their psychosocial functioning in general.

There must be follow- up on the psychosocial functioning of the children and any necessary steps should be taken.Schools, parents etc. must play their role in enhancing the social skill and self-esteem of children with visual impairment.

There should be a revision in the current trend in special needs education.  

It is also good to conduct further studies to find out the possible causes for the diference observed between the children in the two educational settings.

Since the results of the study favor those children in special schools, it is recommended that it is better for those children with visual impairment to join these schools and learn with their fellow peers so that their psychosocial functioning would be enhanced. However, since the present study is delimited in its scope ( psychological and social ) and in the size of the participants (32 from each group), its very good to conduct further studies by encompassing other aspects such as education and by increasing the sample size.

Purpose:

To find out the psychosocial functioning of children in visual impairment in integrated and special school settings.

Methodology:

Qualitative method of study design was used to analyze the collected data. Participants were six street girls of day and night program attendants, who were beneficiaries of the organization, Forum on Street Children Ethiopia (FSCE), Adama Branch, three school principals, nine teachers (five female and four male), seven non street children, and the social workers of the drop-in center and the counselor of FSCE, Adama Branch. 

The main method of data collection was through interviews. In addition, focus group discussions and informal talks were used to support the data obtained through the interviews. 

Main findings:

The study found out that the integration of the girls into mainstream education has both positive and negative impacts; socially, economically and educationally. The main social problems faced by the children are born from prejudices within the school community, and a result of pre-determined negative attitudes established by society. The children are unable to create bonds or friendships with non street children at the school and the lack of understanding on both sides lead to problems such ‘Revenge’ tactics being embraced by the street children as a way of settling score against those they feel persecuted by in the school community.

Economic problems were highlighted in integrated children’s pursue for education; lack of food, poor quality or absence of shelter, clothing and school materials and inability to pay school fees are recurring problems for these children.

It looks like the social and economic problems for the girls are highly interconnected; their social problems aggravate their poverty and vise-versa. This sways the girls into leading their lives by begging or through prostitution.

Conclusions:

Some of the school community members have negative attitudes towards the children. They misunderstand the girls, mistreat them, and consider them to be extremely uncontrollable. Some insults and neglect can be causes for exclusion of the girls from the school and those were found to the case in the finding.

The negative attitude of the street girls in response to the same negative attitude of others towards them is found to be affecting their social interaction among peers in the schools. The female street children hide their backgrounds from their school mates and teachers in order to avoid the abuse as highlighted above lead to social problems. They do not interact with non-street children in the schools; they form groups of street children and show inappropriate behavior including revenge action against those who they feel persecuted by; leading to violence in the schools. This makes the school environment unfavorable for the school community in general and for the girls in particular. Therefore, they exposed to total exclusion from the school.

Poor family background hinders the girls from attending school consistently, economic restraints (as highlighted in main findings) such as the lack of food, inadequate clothing, shortage of adequate learning materials, and school fees are found to be just some of the problems faced by the girls. In addition to that, these problems also mean many of them perform poorly at school, become discouraged and finally quit their education.

Recommendations:

In order to minimize the possible social problems for the girls, training that could raise awareness should be given to the entire school community about the nature and problems of the children and present methods of solving these problems as well as ways of understanding the children better.

The girls should be integrated into the schools as early as possible before they acquire any unacceptable behavior from the street which may need more time and energy to deal with.

The children should be given the opportunity to learn some acceptable social norms from their society in order to help them create healthy relationships in school. 

Effort should be made to organize income generating activities for the girls in order to minimize their economic struggles and prevent them from long working hours or activities they perform to get money. 

The relationship between the school community and other concerned bodies should be strong and continuous in order to intervene with the problem at an early stage.

Further study should be done related to the area in order to find out if there are any possible remaining problems that have not been identified when it comes to the children wanting to learn.

Purpose: 

To assess the problem of physical barriers hindering the mobility of people with disabilities 

Brief Description: 

For many non-disabled people, urban areas like Addis Ababa may be convenient and enjoyable places for working and living, offering a great variety of opportunities and experiences. However, for the majority of people with disabilities these built environments are full of uncertainties, anxieties and danger largely due to physical barriers in all walks of life. 

Persons with disabilities in urban areas of Ethiopia very often encounter many obstacles that prevent them from moving freely and safely for example; for wheelchair users, steps and stairways are obstacles. People with visual impairment are also endangered by absence of directional and safety features that they can hear and touch. 

Many people with disabilities live in poverty and need education and training, but these are often located in places where access is difficult. In addition to that, most community centers, parks and places of worship have not been designed to welcome users with disabilities. Public transport systems are not user-friendly to people with disabilities. 

Despite the ongoing expansion of construction activities in the country, the participation of people with disabilities is highly restricted because of the fact that existing roads, buildings, communication systems, various public services and recreational centers are not accessible for those with disabilities. 

Realizing this situation, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is being mandated to coordinate and create a favourable environment for equalizing opportunities and full participation of people with disabilities in the assessment studies on the problem of physical barriers in the country. 

Results: 

The problem of physical barriers in Ethiopia is the most neglected issue and has become a serious problem for people with disabilities, which in turn hinders the realization of equal opportunities and full participation of people with disabilities in the development activities of the country. 

Government officials and organizations working for people with disabilities are not aware of the issue of accessibility. These institutions working for people with disabilities and covered by the assessment study provide services like heath, education, transport, information etc and not all pedestrian walkways are accessible for wheelchair users. 

The existing and ongoing constructions like schools, health institutions and other social services do not include the mobility problem of people with disabilities both at regional and federal levels. 

No efforts are made to mainstream disability issue in all sectors of the economy and physical accessibility in particular. 

Construction designers, contractors, architects and investors of all kind are not aware of the advantage of creating barriers free environment for people with disabilities, although they have classes at college and university level. 

Government officials who are responsible for building permits and other service including infrastructure give no attention to the issue of accessibility either. 

No legal provision or regulation for the issue of physical barriers in the country. The city administration took the initiative to produce a building code a few years ago; however it was not put into action. 

The development social welfare policy and the national program of action for rehabilitation of people with disabilities also consider the importance of physical accessibility, but not is sufficient enough. 

Methodology: 

The rehabilitation department of the Ministry, directly responsible for the issue of people with disabilities has made the assessment study by interviewing 5 relevant regional bureaus in each 7 regional states i.e. in total 35 relevant offices was interviewed. Regions covered by the study Amhara, Tigray, Somalia, Diredawa, SNNPR, Afar and Harari. Institutions included in the study are Labor and Social Affairs Bureau, Work and Urban Development, Education Bureau, Information Bureau and Construction and Design Bureau. Open ended questionnaire discussion with relevant officials and observation. 

Recommendations: 

Promoting sustainable and coordinated awareness creation programs both at federal and regional level is highly essential to create barrier free environments for people with disabilities. 

There is a strong need to have legal provisions that encourage and guide all stakeholders to mainstream the issue of accessibility in their specific area of activity. 

Establishing new partnerships among the different parents working in the area of accessibility and strengthening the existing CBR-network and disability forum is also important in lobbying and pressuring the decision makers in the parliament to take appropriate action on the issue. 

Finally, the Addis Ababa city administration should take the lead and become a role model by implementing the new building code, so that other regional states can follow similar initiatives. 

Purpose:

 This study examined the psychological, social and behavioural developmental problems of institutionalised HIV orphans 

Methodology: 

A total of 63 participants were selected using a purposive sampling method from SOS children’s village in Bahir Dar, Orphans in age of 14-18, had lost one or two of their parents to HIV & AIDS. Three questionnaires were independently administered to the orphan. The data from the questionnaires were analysed by using independent sampled t-test, rating scales, Anova, and student zed range statistic (Turkey) method.

Main findings:

The findings showed sex, age of admission, and duration of study were directly related to the psychological, social and behavioral development of orphans. Double orphans were more affected and paternal orphans were the least affected from the loss of their parent(s).

Conclusions:

Orphans have psychological, social and behavioral developmental problems.

Male paternal orphans, female maternal orphans, double male orphans, have psychological, social and behavioral developmental problems.

Age of admission to the institution was one of the most important variables, which predicts the rate of the social and behavioral development of the orphan; hence, most orphans who joined the institution in their early age showed higher developmental problems.

Results showed that double orphans were more affected in their development than maternal and paternal orphans.

Double orphans have the highest psychological social and behavioral development problems while paternal orphans have the least development difficulties in the institution.

Support or care for orphans in the institution focused on maternal provisions.

The community reacted negatively towards orphans because they perceived orphans, like their parents as having HIV.

 

It seems that orphans accepted the norms and values that label them as having negative characteristics.

Recommendations:

 Further research should be made to identify children who are at particular risk of psychological, social and behavioral developmental problems and provide intervention efforts for them.

Strengthening the protection and care of AIDS orphans with the help of the community, governmental as well as non- governmental organizations (as SOS children village).

Emphasis has to be given most on maternal provisions but equivalently psychological, social and behavioral needs must be met. Caregivers and communities need be trained on issues related to child development.

Raising awareness among caregivers and the community about the orphans is an effective way to avoid and provide psychological social and behavioral support.

Organizations like SOS children’s village that deal with care and support for orphans must give counseling service, which could help children to accept the realities of death.

Special attention should be given to all orphans as a whole, but to double orphans in particular.

Provisions should be made available to give support to orphans and the family before the death of their parent(s). It is important to help orphans gain better developmental skills and increase their coping skills with problems they come to face after the death of their parent(s).

Finally, if children are to develop the resilience to deal with challenges in their lives, their psychological, social and behavioral needs must be receive proper and prompt attention before and after the death of their parent(s).

Purpose:

This study focused on assessing the behaviour of people with mental retardation at a center for mental retardation based in Addis Ababa. 

Methodology:

The participants of this study consisted of thirty-two students (nine mild males, three mild female, twelve moderate males and eight moderate females), six teachers, two principals of the center and one Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs team leader of people with a disability. All of them (excluding the students) were selected using a purposive sampling method; hence, the students were selected by random sampling method. 

Four data collection instruments were used namely, competency rating scale, questionnaires, interviews and document analysis. In order to analyze the data both qualitative and quantitative study designs were used.

Main findings:

The result showed that in the center for mental retardation, there are ten varieties of prevocational adaptive skills and prevocational skills training given to students with mental retardation. The majority of the students were competent in these skills training, except in functional academics and petty trading, and their first vocational skill training choice was a janitorial activity.

The performance on prevocational adaptive skill correlated with prevocational skill training. On the other hand, when the performances on these skills training sessions were analysed by sex, it seems to appear in favour of males, where as in regard to the care level of retardation; mild students performed better than those of moderate with some exceptions.

People with mental retardation have higher rates of unemployment comparing with other people with or without disabilities. The main challenge of implementation policy was financial shortage, lack of a professional and lack of awareness.

Conclusions:

This study concluded that students with mental retardation are able to perform different tasks of vocational skills training with appropriate order and supervision. Despite this demonstration of competency, most people with mental retardation are unemployed. However, a small number of them have jobs in non governmental organizations.

The prevocational adaptive skills areas in which the center trains the students are social competency, language competency, self care skills, home keeping, physical development activity, functional academics, travel competency, responsibility of using equipment, self direction and safety awareness, whereas the prevocational skill training areas are tailoring, food preparation, simple trading, wood work, painting, weaving, clay making, and janitorial activity.

Majority of the students with mental retardation were competent in most of the activities except in functional academics and petty trading.

The prevocational adaptive skill performance is a prerequisite for prevocational skill training.

Students with mental retardation are able to perform tasks of vocational skill training options with appropriate order and supervision. Despite this demonstration of competency, many people with mental retardation are underemployed or unemployed. Only few of them have jobs in non-governmental organizations.

The problem of trying to implement the policies regarding job opportunities for people with mental retardation rests in the service provided as well as in the autonomous regional offices. However, challenges like inadequate financing and being short of skilled people and lack of awareness in the community have arisen.

Recommendations:

People with mental retardation need vocational skill training; so governmental and non-governmental organizations should work to expand vocational skill training centers, like Support Organization of Mental Retardation (SOOM) and Center of Mentally Challenged Children (CMCC) through out the country.

When the center (CMCC) enrolls children with mental retardation, it should seriously consider the age of admission.

CMCC should train the students according to the local market. It ought to give trainings that reflect market needs, such as in areas of masonry, bench assembly, farm labour, bottle packing, etc.

Social skill trainings need to be emphasized, because many job contracts are terminated due to the employee not having the appropriate social skills rather than the performance of the actual work.
 
Promoting close working relationships between community members and centers. Policy makers are concerned that NGO’s should be set up to implement the policy for vocational skills training and create more job opportunities for individuals with mental retardation.

Further research should be conducted in this area so to help children with mental retardation in their vocational skill training and in creating job opportunities to increase their level of independent functioning.

Qualified trainers are needed.

Programs to enhance public awareness about the vocational behaviour and skills of people with mental retardation should be allocated. 

Purpose: 

The purpose of this study was to find out the impact of a war – induced traumatizing experience up on the academic, health and behavioral status of children and provision of psychosocial service to victims. 

Methodology: 

The Ayder primary school was the research site. The school was bombed on June 5, 1998 at the brink of Ethio-Eritrean border conflict. Sample was drawn from students, parents, teachers and also NGO’s participating in the provision of care and support.

Questioner, focus group discussions and interviews were used as tools for collecting primary data. Moreover, compiled report on the Ayder school bombing, newspapers, video clips and photo collections were used as a secondary source of data. The method used to analyse the data was reflective analysis.

Main findings:

 The study has shown that the bombing incident of the Ayder primary school and students was followed by severe physical, behavioral, academic and social effects on the students.

Regarding the provision of psychosocial care and support to the students, it was found that except the tireless parental support other forms of supports were unsatisfactory and unorganized due to budgetary and 0organizational problems.

Concerning the recovery of the students after the traumatic experience, smilingly majority of the students seem to recover from its impact. Some of the factors for this possible recovery included the reason was observed to be the natural decrease in symptoms of traumatic stress over time, personal and family history, cultural background and experience.

Conclusions:

 From the findings, it can easily be concluded that the Ayder primary school bombing, which is a traumatic life experience for the young students, has proved to have caused post traumatic problems to the students. Beyond the physical injury and direct threats of life, these problems are multiple, several and chronic.

Parents are found to be the main actors in the provision of care and support to the victim students. This is without forgetting the fact that some of the students have not recovered because of the health and very low socioeconomic status of their parents. 
The school bombing , in addition to physical injury, loss of bodily parts, and direct threats of life caused, was associated with problems such as flash backs, nightmares and sleep disturbances, concentration problems and avoidance of situations that evokes memories of the traumatic event.

Teacher’s perception of the problem and measures they have taken seems to be insignificant. Despite the fact that teachers consider the problem, as a very traumatizing problem that caused a lot of harm on the students as well as the school infrastructure, most of them believe that they have not played much role as was expected of them.

The findings have shown that within few minutes of the bombing a lot of people who were around the school were swiftly moving to the school to provide emergency support. However, after the event, support does not last.

Recommendations: 

In situations where war or war like phenomena happen, it has to be known that, children are the prime victims of the problem and assume more vulnerability than adults due to their less developed cognitive capacities of remembering, processing and coping with the trauma. 

Parents are the ones who carry most of the burden in the provision of care and support to their children. This being the case, any communal, governmental and non-governmental support provision should consider the overall assistance provision to the overall family.

It is unfortunate that, conflict situations and war occur all over the world. Ethiopia is not different. Thus, next to parents, teachers (or schools) should be prepared to carry out the care and support tasks for these students in case of such incidents. Therefore, teachers, especially those in the first cycle, need to have basic training about problems that may cause a traumatic life experiences, beyond physical injury and direct life threat.