The role of the librarian in providing quality education for the special child, 1985

Montgomery, Theresa C.

1980-1989

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of media services and programs to handicapped and gifted children as perceived by the teacher of the special child and by the media specialist. Areas covered include: how materials were selected; the availability of equipment and other materials; how often the library media specialist participated in the instruction of media skills; and the methods employed by the library media specialist to involve himself/herself in the programs for the handicapped and gifted. This study was also designed to determine if library media services to handicapped and gifted children are different from services provided to other children. Methods and Procedures: The author reviewed the literature of special education and library services involving the handicapped and gifted child. A questionnaire was formulated and mailed to fifty teachers of special children and media specialists in the metro-Atlanta area. The counties involved were Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, Dekalb and Douglas. From the responses received, the data were analyzed and presented through the use of tables. Results: Of the fifty media specialists and classroom teachers who were mailed a questionnaire, forty-two were received by the researcher, representing a return rate of eighty-four percent. Results of the survey revealed that the majority of the respondents reported that special adaptations and services should be available for special children. However, one classroom teacher indicated that the library media specialist was not involved with the school's special education program. A library media specialist reported that since the school has no handicapped children, that there is no need for special adaptations or special media services. Conclusions: The primary goal of the library media specialist should be the provision and implementation of media services to all children including the gifted and the handicapped. The library media specialist has a unique opportunity of ensuring the role of the library media center in educating gifted and handicapped children in the future and in further improving the quality of media services to all children.

text

application/pdf

1985-07-01

thesis

Specialist in Library Service

Atlanta University

School of Library Service

Clark Atlanta University

Georgia--Atlanta

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12322/cau.td:1985_montgomery_theresa_c