Underachievement

Looking into the different legal bases on the rights and privileges of special children, it is very evident that one of the basic philosophies protecting them derives from the premise that in a democratic country every individual has the right to education and should be given equal opportunities to develop his full potential. In addition, every child should be given equal opportunities within the nature of the educational system. In short, a person, even with disabilities should not be denied opportunities to learn (Inciong, 2003). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) lists 13 separate categories under which students may be eligible for special education related services: 1) autism, 2) deaf-blindness, 3) developmental delay, 4) emotional disturbance, 5) hearing impairment, 6) mental retardation/ intellectual disability, 7) multiple disabilities, 8) orthopedic impairment, 9) other health impairment, 10) specific learning disability, 11) speech or language impairment, 12) traumatic brain injury, and 13) visual impairment (Pierangelo & Guiliani, 2011). Despite their needs being met and provided, not all children with special needs are …show more content…
Underachievement in school is damaging because it affects students' self-esteem. When this happens, the child will have difficulty reaching his full potential. Some common signs of underachievement in children may include lack of motivation or disinterest in school activities. They daydream or socialize too much, make school work the lowest priority, receive failing grades, take no satisfaction or pride in school activities, see themselves as having no chance to succeed, or seem to believe they are already defeated (Gearheart & Gearheart, 2010). In addition, they show lack of discipline in doing school activities, and seek attention from parents and teachers (Longsdon,