ACADEMICIA: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal

The world is riddled with behavioral barriers in the form of negative social norms, myths, beliefs, stigma and bias based on fear and misinformation about people with disabilities. This inaccurate knowledge influences the behavior of the global community in the prospect of creating an inclusive society in which all people with or without disabilities can flourish and exercise their rights. But this is especially pronounced in relation to that very socially excluded group of people: children with disabilities. Disability implies several stigmas that are the basis for the exclusion of a child from society and school. The attitude towards children with disabilities, as well as the lack of resources to accommodate them, constitute the problems they face in accessing education. Persistent false and negative beliefs about how a child was injured are based on cultural, religious and historical beliefs about disability. Religious stigma has not been challenged because of unwavering convictions as a result of the unquestioned authority of the religious leadership over the cause of disability. Stigma and discrimination against children with disabilities are profound. Three key factors were found that influence the depth of stigma of individual children with disabilities: gender, impairment, and severity of impairment. There is resistance at all levels of society to include children with disabilities. The language used to describe children with disabilities, for example, referring to the child as being "unteachable " because he or she is hard of hearing, is a long-standing bias, and false beliefs create attitudes based on fear and resistance to change. Families face stigma based on shame that they did something wrong because they have a child with a disability. The shame and stigmatization of a disabled child persists today and, despite a variety of specific contexts, hinders inclusive education throughout the Middle East and Central and South Asia. In most cases, it is the stigma of disability generated by the lack of awareness of people, that creates obstacles to the full socialization of disabled people, in some way "isolates" them from a full-fledged social life. Since stigma is a tool of society and culture, then getting rid of stigma is possible by changing social institutions through inclusion. Inclusion is a term used to describe the learning process for children with special needs. Inclusion is the process of real inclusion of people with disabilities in active social life, which is equally necessary for all members of society. Inclusive education recognizes that all children are individuals with different learning needs, but most importantly in communication. Inclusive education seeks to develop an approach to teaching and interpersonal communication for children with special needs that is more flexible to meet the different needs of students. Inclusion as a principle of organizing education is a socio-pedagogical phenomenon. Accordingly, inclusion is not aimed at changing or correcting an individual child, but at adapting the educational and social environment to the capabilities of this child.