Gatchalian wants diagnosis for children with disabilities covered by Universal Health Care

Senator Win Gatchalian is seeking the inclusion of medical diagnosis for children with disabilities in the roll-out of the Universal Health Care Law.

Gatchalian strongly pushes for an Inclusive Education as stipulated in his Senate Bill 171 seeking to establish Inclusive Education Learning Resource Centers in all public schools nationwide.

Inclusive Education means all students, disabled or non-disabled, are placed together in general education classes so that they can receive high-quality interventions and support that enable them to meet success in the core curriculum.

He indicates that diagnosing disabilities in children is necessary to gauge their specific need and capacity before they can be officially categorized as "children with disabilities". On the other hand, diagnostic procedures come at a high cost and some parents would opt to skip subjecting their children to proper medical diagnosis. Findings of such screenings can identify needed interventions so that learners can be equipped to participate in regular classrooms.

In the absence of medical diagnosis, teachers rely mainly on some assessment tools to identify and address the learning difficulties of children. One example of an assessment tool is the Early Childhood Development Council (ECCD) Checklist, which helps teachers identify children who are at risk of having developmental delays.

Another tool is the classroom activity-based Multi-Factored Assessment Tool (MFAT) administered to Grade 1 students. These are the only available tools that guide teachers on instructional design and decision-making, including the formulation of an individualized education program per learner.

"The first stage should be diagnosis so that the teacher will know at what stage and what kind of approach will they be giving the students. I think that is a fundamental requirement for inclusive education, which our system is not doing right now because of high expense," said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

"We would include in our proposed bill to include the payment for diagnosis in the universal health care program. Hindi siya covered ngayon under universal health care", Gatchalian added.

Senate Bill 171 also seeks to capacitate regular teachers, administrators, non-teaching personnel, and parents through trainings on disability awareness and inclusive education.

Records from the Department of Education (DepEd) show that there are 14,000 regular schools that cater to SPED students and separate SPED centers nationwide. While there are 231, 631 self-contained learners with disabilities or those who are not part of regular classrooms, SPED teachers are only around 4,000 nationwide.

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) estimates that one out of seven or around 5.1 million Filipino children are living with disabilities.

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'Diagnosis' sa mga kabataang may kapansanan dapat sakop na ng universal health care - Gatchalian

Isinusulong ni Senador Win Gatchalian na gawing bahagi ng Universal Health Care Law ang diagnosis o pagsusuri para sa mga kabataang may kapansanan.

Ito'y bahagi ng panukala ni Gatchalian para palakasin ang 'Inclusive Education' sa bansa tulad ng nakasaad sa inihain niyang Senate Bill 171. Isinusulong ng panukalang batas na magkaroon ng Inclusive Education Learning Resource Centers sa mga pampublikong paaralan sa bansa.

Layunin ng Inclusive Education na pagsamahin sa mga regular na classroom ang parehong mga mag-aaral na may kapansanan at wala at sabay na ituro sa kanila ang pangunahing kurikulum.

Ayon kay Gatchalian, mahalaga ang pagsusuring medikal o medical diagnosis para matukoy talaga ang kapansanan sa isang bata, ang pangunahing pangangailangan nito at kakayahan bago opisyal na maisama sa kategorya ng "children with disabilities." Makakatulong din ang prosesong ito upang matukoy ang mga kailangang intervention sa mga bata. Ngunit dahil sa mataas na halaga ng medical diagnosis, may mga magulang na pinipiling huwag nang idaan sa ganitong proseso ang kanilang mga anak.

Sa kabila ng kawalan ng medical diagnosis, ang ginagamit na lamang ng mga guro ay ilang 'assessment tools' tulad ng Early Childhood Development Council (ECCD) Checklist at ng Multi-Factored Assessment Tool (MFAT) mula sa Department of Education (DepEd). Ayon sa mga guro, nakakatulong ang mga ito upang matukoy ang mga mag-aaral na nahuhuli sa kanilang development. Ginagabayan din ng mga assessment na ito ang mga guro upang makabuo sila ng 'individualized education program' para sa bawat mag-aaral na may kapansanan. Pero lumalabas na hindi sapat ito para masuri nang maigi ang tunay na kondisyon ng isang bata.

"Unang hakbang dapat ang diagnosis upang malaman ng guro ang kalagayan ng mag-aaral at ang pamamaraan ng pagtuturo na dapat niyang gamitin. Mahalaga ito sa inclusive education, ngunit hindi natin ito ginagawa sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang sistema dahil hindi ito abot-kaya," ani Gatchalian, Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

"Isasama natin sa ating panukalang batas na maging bahagi ng universal health care program ang pagbabayad para sa diagnosis ng mga children with disabilities. Hindi siya sakop ngayon ng universal health care", dagdag ni Gatchalian.

Ayon sa DepEd may labing apat na libong (14,000) regular na paaralan at SPED centers sa bansa para sa mga SPED students. Bagama't merong mahigit dalawang daang libong (231,631) mga mag-aaral na may kapansanang wala sa regular classroom set-up, mayroong apat na libo (4,000) lamang na SPED teachers sa buong bansa.

Batay sa datos ng Philippine Health Insurance Corporation o PhilHealth, isa sa pito o mahigit limang milyong (5.1) kabataang mga Pilipino ang may kapansanan sa bansa.

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