[[alternative]]A Study of Current Special Education for Seriously Emotional Handicapped Students in Taipei Vocational-Industrial Senior High Schools

[[abstract]]ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to investigate the status quo of identifying, placing, and guiding the seriously emotional handicapped students throughout the vocational-industrial senior high schools in Taipei City during the 2000 school year, to understand the practice of special education for the seriously emotional handicapped students throughout the schools during the same period, and to find out the views of the counselors and special education teachers in the schools on the subject of special education for the seriously emotional handicapped students. To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, this study relies on censuses, using the three-pronged self-designed poll "The Investigation on the Status Quo of the Special Education for the Seriously Emotional Handicapped Students throughout Vocational-Industrial Senior High Schools in Taipei City"(with three separate forms--for separate cases, for schools, and for the counselors and special education teachers) to administer to the seriously emotional handicapped students and the counselors and special education teachers in 11 public and private vocational-industrial senior high schools in Taipei City. After the returned poll is analyzed by frequency, percentages, and chi square test, the following conclusion is reached: 1. Status quo of case identification, placement, and guidance a. There are a total of 26 seriously emotional handicapped students (21 males, 5 females) identified in all the vocational-industrial senior high schools. Nine of them have a record of dropping out of schools, eight of them are registered physically handicapped, and 17 of them are undergoing psychiatric treatment from hospitals at the moment. b. Most of the seriously emotional handicapped students are placed in regular classes, 40 percent of the students are placed improperly. c. There is no plan of individualized education program for sixty percent of the students. Half of the students show poor academic performance. 2. Practice of the special education for the seriously emotional handicapped students throughout the vocational-industrial senior high schools a. Most of the schools haven't set up a professional team for the seriously emotional handicapped students and are therefore unable to provide integrated special education and related service. b. Most of the schools haven't administered pertinent evaluation or examination forms to all students in school in an effort to identify seriously emotional handicapped students. c. These schools predominantly place these students in regular classes. d. Half of the schools have no teachers with proper training or counseling experience to help the students with their schooling and living. e. Overall, the counseling service for the seriously emotional handicapped students throughout the vocational high schools in Taipei City has been inadequate, with areas needing to be addressed the most include inceptive counseling, individualized education programming, student volunteer arrangement, counseling on pursuing higher education, job placement assistance, and transitional counseling. 3. Views from the counselors and special education teachers on the status quo a. Most teachers think regulations and plans to identify and place the seriously emotional handicapped students need to be made as soon as possible. b. Most teachers think the number of seriously emotional handicapped students is on the increase. c. Half of the teachers think their schools overlook the special education for the seriously emotional handicapped students. d. Most teachers think that it's appropriate to administer pertinent evaluation or examination forms to all students in the school in order to identify the seriously emotional handicapped students. e. Teachers think the most needed addition is to increase classes for students with psychiatric problems, and secondly, to increase resource classrooms for the seriously emotional handicapped students. f. Most teachers think class selection and graduation requirement credits should be flexible for the seriously emotional handicapped students; and some credits should be awarded for receiving off-campus vocational training depending on their learning performance. g. Half of the teachers have never taken any classes related to special education for the seriously emotional handicapped students. Most of the teachers feel they need to study the subject. Given opportunities to study, visit, or practice, most teachers would like to take part in the activities. The conclusion this study has reached offers practical advice regarding the laws and regulations, identification, placement, guidance, teacher education and further study. This study expects to serve as a source of references for the vocational high schools in Taipei City in their developing special education programs for the seriously emotional handicapped students, and for the city education board in their making or altering the according plans or regulations. Keywords：Taipei city, vocational-industrial senior high school, seriously emotional handicapped, identification, placement, guidance