Fostering the Inner Life of Children with Special Needs: A spiritual approach

Abstract

The spiritual aspect of life has the potential to affect one’s quality of life in terms of emotional and physical well-being, relationships, and social inclusion. Unfortunately, despite public acknowledgement of the importance of spiritual development, little has been written on spirituality in students with special needs. Furthermore, in the field of special education, spirituality is frequently under-used in practice. The purpose of this article is to explore issues related to spirituality and disabilities. The following aspects are considered: the relationship between spirituality and disabilities; spirituality as an integral part of overall student development and learning; and spirituality as a source of social and psychological support. Implications for educational programmes that will address the spiritual dimension of learning are discussed.

Keywords:

• disabilities
• interventions
• learning
• spirituality
• spiritual development
• special education
• special needs
• student development

Acknowledgements

There was no research funding for this study, and no restrictions have been imposed on free access to, or publication of, the research data.

Notes

1. See http://www.aaiddreligion.org/.

2. See http://www.aapd.com/what-we-do/interfaith/interfaith-initiative.html.