Counseling Guidance for Children with Special Needs

Abstract

Children with special needs have many conditions, such as specific disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, attention and hyperactivity disorders, learning disorders, and other conditions that affect their ability to learn and interact with their environment. Guidance counseling for children with special needs plays an important role in helping them face challenges and optimize their potential. Children with special needs face challenges in education and social-emotional development that require special attention. The integration of counseling services in an inclusive education system can improve the academic achievement and psychological well-being of children with disabilities. This research examines the evaluation of counseling services for children with special needs. The method used was a literature study with the SPIDER (Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, Research Type) approach to review relevant literature from 2014 to 2024. The results showed that only a small proportion of children with special needs have adequate access to appropriate counseling services. There is an urgent need to improve the quality and accessibility of these services. The counselor to student ratio is far from ideal. In addition, there is a shortage of trained professionals, limited resources and social stigma or lack of understanding of children with disabilities in the community, limited school budgets and a lack of collaboration between schools, families and mental health professionals. The right counseling approach can improve the adaptability and social skills and emotional development of children with disabilities. In providing guidance and counseling to children with disabilities, understanding and adjusting to the needs and characteristics of children is a priority to provide maximum results. In addition, there are ways to improve the accessibility of guidance and counseling services by utilizing technology such as digital devices and online platforms.