Investigating Special Needs Children in Skardu District, Union Council Gumba: An Analysis of Establishing Special Education Complex in Baltistan Division of Pakistan

Abstract

This research study is designed to investigate the affairs of critical conditions of special persons and their distinctive needs and requirements concerning social development in Pakistan. The prime objective of the research is to identify the school going children in the age bracket of 03-15 years requiring special needs from the entire population of Skardu city and union council Gumba, Gilgit-Baltistan. To conduct this research, a comprehensive questionnaire was designed by the research and was circulated among the targeted population by engaging the field investigators to collect the feedback. This survey was distributed in 815 targeted samples of population and 714 responses were received. Furthermore, this collected data was analyzed with different tools. Subsequently, the analysis revealed that a total number of 572 school going children were identified who were declared as special needs required children. Moreover, the data of special children reflected that 230 children comprising of almost 40% of total targeted population were showing Physically Handicapped Children. While 164 children showing 28% of targeted sample were Mentally Retarded Children, 130 Hearing Impaired Children reflected 22.60% of said population and 48 Visually Handicapped Children were 8.30% of 572 under observation population. The findings of this research recommends that mass survey of disability prevalence, awareness campaigns and large scale provision programs for special needs children at Government as well as community levels to fulfill the requirement of establishing the Special Education Centres in Baltistan Division in Pakistan.

Keywords: Disability, Identification, Special Education, Special Children, Needs, Ten Questionnaires