Diversity and Special Education: Korean Inter- Agency Network (KIN)

Diversity and Special Education: Korean Inter-Agency Network (KIN) explores issues relating to ethno cult ural identity and special education. The paper outlines potential needs within the Korean-Canadian com munity, and identifies a source of support that has been developed by the community itself. Cobb concl udes that agencies, such as the Korean Inter-Agency Network, can provide a vital link between schools a nd communities as educators and parents work together to dialogue, and develop formal and informal s ources of support for children. Introduction The interplay between ethno cultural identity and special education presents both a challenge and learning opportunity for educators. In this paper, I explore some key issues of ethno cultural diversit y in the realm of special education. The Korean-Canadian community serves as the focal point of this stu dy. In the first section, I assess how Bennett and Weber deal with the dimension of ethno cultural plurali sm in Special Education in Ontario Schools. In the second section, I pose three questions and examine thr ee resources educators may utilize to learn more about the Korean-Canadian community. Special Education in Ontario Schools Special Education in Ontario Schools explores various facets of special education in Ontario. In C hapters 2 and 15 Bennett and Weber (2004) briefly reflect on the complex issue of respecting ethno cult ural plurality while simultaneously utilizing standardized assessment procedures (p. 192). As Bennett an d Weber (2004) observe, Ontarioi s procedure of identifying exceptionalities in learners can be a cultura lly biased contributing factor to mislabeling, as i°assessment procedures that do not allow for cultural an omalies can have the effect of placing a child very restrictively in an educational systemi± (p. 24). The fifth edition of Special Education in Ontario Schools fuses the issue of class overrepresentati on and cultural overrepresentation in special education programs into a three-paragraph segment of Ch 1 Cobb: Diversity and Special Education: Korean Inter-Agency Network (KIN Published by CORE Scholar, 2005 apter 2. While I agree with Bennett and Weberi s assertion that ethno culturally biased expectations, te aching methods, and assessment tools contribute to the mislabeling of learners in Ontario schools (p. 2); I believe further dimensions of this issue need to be explored. For instance, Bennett and Weber neglect t o address the philosophical conflict that arises when educators recommend special education (i.e. the id entification process), and a childi s parents strongly oppose exceptionality identification and/or special education servicing on the grounds of their ethno cultural beliefs. The two may expand on this subject in future editions of Special Education in Ontario Schools. Resources In this section, I pose three questions, and connect one resource to each. Where can teachers learn about special education in Korea? The BC Teachersi Federation (BCTF) Web site offers a range of articles written by BC certified t eachers. The BCTF is available at the following URL: http://www.bctf.bc.ca/home.shtml. i°Testing Under mines Education in Koreai± (2002) was written by Emily Moes and Adam Woelders, two Canadian teach ers, who at the time of writing, were teaching on Jeju Island in South Korea. The two observe, i°In this hi ghly competitive system, there is no special education, and few placements are available for students wi th learning disabilitiesi± (Moes and Woelders, 2002). It would appear that special education does not exi st as a viable source of support for a number of learners in South Korea. It is critical to note that the first time a number of Korean-Canadian parents are exposed to the notion of special education servicing is w hen a school informs them that their child might be exceptional. How do first-generation Korean immigrants view special education? The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is an American-based i°international professional org anizationi± and advocacy group that i°is dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals wi th exceptionalities, students with disabilities and/or the giftedi± (Council for Exceptional Children). The CEC homepage is available at the following URL: http://www.cec.sped.org/index.html. One article on the 2 Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education, Vol. 1, No. 9 [2005], Art. 6 http://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/ejie/vol1/iss9/6 CEC Web site, i°Research Identifies Opportunities and Offers Solutions for Improving Family Involvement i± (2001), discusses connections between family life and learning opportunities for children with excepti onalities. In the final section of the article, entitled i®Helping Families Deal with Stress,i the CEC (2001) asserts that an immigrant familyi s experience often has additional sources of stress: In another study, Singer and his colleagues investigated the experiences of Korean immigra nts and found that while Korean families tend to cope with parenting a child with a severe d isability (e.g., autism, Down syndrome), the ongoing challenges of raising the child may be s tressful. i®Overall, for Korean families the challenges include difficulties in access to social s ervices and communication difficulties with professionals due to language barriers.i Language barriers may compound the challenges Korean-Canadian parents as they reflect on their feelin gs about special education. These circumstances intensify the need for schools to offer support services and/or connect Korean-Canadian parents with resources that are available to them as they consider the shape of their childi s education. Where can Korean-Canadians find support? The Korean Inter-Agency Network (KIN) is a Toronto-based support network for Korean-Canadi ans. Their Web site is available at the following URL: http://myhome.naver.com/kinetwork/main.html. K IN (n.d.) describes itself as i°A non-incorporated organization of non-profit status which includes social, health care and government agencies.i± The organization goes on to state that its mission is: To co-ordinate services, programs and resources of member agencies from the Korean Cana dian community and mainstream agencies to provide a leadership role in identifying and m eeting the needs of the Korean Canadian community in the Greater Toronto Area.(Korean In ter-Agency Network). KIN has established links with 17 sources of support for the Korean-Canadian community in the Greater Toronto Area. A list of these sources is available at the following URL: http://myhome.naver.com/kinetw 3 Cobb: Diversity and Special Education: Korean Inter-Agency Network (KIN Published by CORE Scholar, 2005 ork/kinmembers.html. KIN is one example of a support-oriented agency with which educators can devel op a mutually beneficial and enduring relationship. In working with KIN, teachers can direct Korean-Cana dian parents to alternative sources of support when facing the decision of whether or not to go through the identification process, and/or choose the form of formal or informal support they believe is most ap propriate for their child. Conclusion Ethno cultural diversity adds dimensions to the issue of exceptionality identification and the pr ocess of developing suitable modes of formal and informal support for children. As I have observed in th e Korean-Canadian community, not all newcomers to Canada have been exposed to special education. L anguage can be a barrier for ESL parents. It is thus incumbent on educators – administrators and teacher s alike – to connect immigrant families with organizations, such as the KIN, as all three parties dialogue a nd work together to develop education plans, and learning experiences, for children.