At Davao City National High School (DCNHS), there are 25 students enrolled in the Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) program this school year.

The school administration, which is dedicated to fully implementing inclusive education, began its special education program (SPED) in 2015.

According to English teachers who use the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI), 12 students have learning disabilities, four have autism and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), four have intellectual disabilities, two have speech delay conditions, one student is visually impaired, one is hearing impaired and one has orthopedic special needs.

Their challenges, however, do not stop them from learning and showcasing their talents in school.

Emmanuel Kean Jopson, 17, is visually impaired but enjoys his time in school. An only son, he was born with retinopathy of prematurity, an eye disease that can happen in premature babies. It causes abnormal blood vessels to grow in the retina, and can lead to blindness.

Jopson was born three months early and has multiple disabilities and visual impairment. Apart from being blind, he has cognitive, developmental, hearing and mobility-related challenges. He also has autism and issues with his fine motor skills.

Reaching for dreams

Melbert de los Reyes of Grade 12 Tesla is another DCNHS student who continues to strive despite his disability. De los Reyes has a malignant tumor and started losing mobility when he was 13. He says it really changed the way he lives his life. He now has to use crutches but this does not stop him from reaching for his dreams.

“Live the life you love, love the life you live,” he said with a smile. He is headed to college next year.

“You can see his perseverance to learn. He inspires me to study more,” said his classmate Alliya Kim Panes.

Students who live with disabilities often experience discrimination and being stereotyped in their daily lives. But in DCNHS, they are treated like normal students. Equal access to learning is important since every child has the right to education.

School head Dr. Wenefredo Cagape made sure DCNHS’ SPED teachers were ready by sending them to trainings on sign language, Braille reading and writing, and making their classroom deaf-inclusive.

The school’s resource center is committed to monitoring, following up and accommodating LSEN students, making sure they are given maximum assistance.

“The best is yet to come for the massive implementation of special education, as teachers continue to identify LSEN in their sections and recommend them to the office,” said Loreta Enriquez, the school’s SPED coordinator. —CONTRIBUTED