Abstract:

Introduction:
Inclusion means all children should cater for their abilities or disabilities in a general education classroom [1]. Equity in education is a significant concept of inclusion, which indicates that children have the right to be educated properly. According to the Disability Discrimination Ordinance in Hong Kong (in 1996), the Equal Opportunities formulated the Code of Practice on Education in 2001[2], it mainly stated curriculum adaption, teaching strategies, and assessment to be undertaken for the diverse needs of students. It is a challenging situation for the students with special educational needs (SENs) during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the pilot study aimed to examine the students’ academic needs during the pandemics in terms of four research questions:
1) which types of the SENs do you have?
2) what kind of challenges did the students with SEN(s) encounter in the blended learning?
3) what kind of academic supports or accommodations are provided by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (the University) to support the students with SEN(s)
4) what kind of specific accommodations are suggested by the students with SENs to support blended learning?

Methodology:
The present study adopted a qualitative method design. A triangulation of data collection methods was used to ensure the validity of the results, including interviews, open-ended questions in a questionnaire, and documentation of reviews in inclusive education.

Results:
Thirteen students who were diagnosed with SEN(s) participated in the present study. The types of SENs that they had were mainly learning and developmental disabilities (43%) (e.g., autism spectrum disorder); psychiatric needs (28.6%) (e.g., depression) and multiple disabilities (14.2%). (e.g., depression with psychotic symptoms). Most of the students reported that all classes were held online during the pandemics. All students expressed that blended learning affected their social life due to limited interaction with their peers in online classes. Four main academic accommodations were adapted by the students, including examination breaks, 25-50% extra time for examinations, extension of assignment due dates, and taking examinations in a separate room under supervision to minimise distractions. Most of them agreed that psychological support from the University was essential to their studies. Also, they need advice on improving their study skills in different courses.

Conclusion:
The present study provided a general view of the challenges encountered by the students with SEN(s) and the implementation of the academic accommodations in a blended learning environment from the University during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong.

References:
[1] F. Foreman (Ed.) “Inclusion in action” (2nd ed). Sydney: Cengage, 2008.
[2] Hong Kong Government, “Code of practice on education” Disability Discrimination Ordinance (Ch. 487). Hong Kong.

Keywords:

Inclusion, Special Educational Needs, Higher Education, Hong Kong, COVID-19 Pandemics.