An Act Establishing a Medical and Educational Institution to Address, Among Others, Both

Medical and Educational Needs of Persons with Special Needs and Disabilities.

Section 1. Title.- This act shall be known as The Special Education and Medical System of
the Philippines.
Title I
Declaration of Principles
Section 2. Declaration of Principles- the State recognizes the rights and the privileges that
should be granted to persons with special needs and disabilities, as well as its responsibility to
protect and provide these persons with quality and proper education. The grant of the rights and
privileges for Persons with special needs and Disabilities shall be guided by the following
principles:
(a). Persons with special needs and Disabilities have the same rights as other people to
take their proper place in society. They should be able to live freely and as independently as
possible. This must be the concern of everyone the family, community and all government and
non-government organizations Persons with special needs and Disabilities rights must never be
perceived as welfare services by the Government.
(b). Education of children and adults with special needs and disabilities,
as a part of unified educational system is realized pursuant to this law and
special laws by which preschool, elementary, general, secondary, and
vocational education.
States Parties should ensure that:
1. Children with special needs and disabilities are not excluded from free and
compulsory primary education, or from secondary education;
2. Adults with special needs and disabilities have access to general tertiary
education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning;
3. Persons with special needs and disabilities receive the necessary support, within the
general education system, to facilitate their effective education; and
4. Effective individualized support measures are put in place to maximize academic and
social development.

(c) The Law requires medical care providers to make their services available in an accessible
manner to all Persons with Special Needs and Disabilities:
1. Full and equal access to their health care services and facilities; and
2. Reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures when necessary to make
health care services fully available to Persons with special needs and disabilities, unless
the modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the services

(d). To facilitate integration of Persons with special needs and disabilities into the
mainstream of society, the State shall advocate for and encourage respect for these persons. The
State shall exert all efforts to remove all social, cultural, economic, environmental and attitudinal
barriers that are prejudicial to persons with special needs and disabilities.
Section 3- Coverage: This Act shall covers all persons with special need and disabilities, to the
extend herein provided, departments, offices and agencies of the National Government or nongovernment organization involved in the attainment of the objectives of this Act.

Title II
Definition of Terms
Section 4. Definition of Terms: For purposes of this Act, these terms are defined as follows:
(a). Disabled Persons are those suffering from restriction of different abilities, as a
result of a mental, physical or sensory impairment, to perform an activity in the manner or within
the range considered normal for a human being;
(b). Disability shall mean (1) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits
one or more psychological, physiological or anatomical function of an individual or activities of
such individual; (2) a record of such an impairment; or (3) being regarded as having such an
impairment;
(c). Handicap refers to a disadvantage for a given individual resulting from an
impairment or a disability, that limits or prevents the functions or activity, that is considered
normal given the age and sex of the individual;
(d). Persons with Special Needs are persons with: physical, mental, and sensory
disability; behavioral disorders; serious chronic diseases; emotional disorders; combined
disorders; children ill for a long time, and other children who encounter difficulties in learning
who need education by the educational program with adjusted tuition and additional professional
help, or by a special curriculum.

Title III
The Medical and Educational Institute for Persons with Special Needs or Disability
Section 5. The Institute and Its Mandate. This act shall create The Medical And Educational
Institute For Persons With Special Needs or Disability. The Institute shall provide quality
education together with the proper medical attendance needed by persons with special needs or
disability to help them improve their condition, to be more productive, to help them be more
socially involved, and to help them realize their strengths and talents in order to build in them
self-worth and confidence.
Section 6. Objective of Education. Objectives of education of persons with special needs and
disabilities are:
1) Providing of equal possibilities of education for all persons with special needs and
disabilities;
2) Providing of respective conditions which enable optimal development;
3) Timely orientation and inclusion in respective curriculum;
4) Individual approach;
5) Preservation of balance of physical, intellectual, emotional and social development;
6) Inclusion of parents in the process of habilitation, rehabilitation and education;
7) Continuity of curriculum;
8) Entirety and complexity of education;
9) Organizing the education as close as possible to dwelling place.
Section 7. Teachers, Professional Associates and Associates:
Teaching Personnel
Educational work with children that have special needs in a preschool institution, school
and special institution is carried out by: educator, teacher, professional associate and associate,
who meet the requirements set forth by the law regulating respective field of education, provided
that this law does not regulate otherwise
Professional Associates
Professional associate in a special institution is a person that completed a respective
faculty (special teacher, psychologist, pedagogist, social worker, physician specialist, etc.).

Associate
(nurse and physiotherapist) in special institution may be a person that completed at least a
relevant high school and has the necessary experience in harmony with the act on systemization.
Section 8. The Curriculum:
Education of persons with special needs and disabilities according to the curriculum with
adjusted implementation and additional professional assistance is implemented individually, in
special groups or classrooms in school, respectively special institutions through a joint teaching
process in individual courses with other students or joint participation in extracurricular activities
of school, respectively through the instruction in some courses they attend with their peers from
neighboring school.
Scope and manner of implementing additional assistance is determined by a decision on
orienting the children with special needs, in harmony with the curriculum.
Special Curriculum
Education of children and adult with special needs who cannot be educated in school,
owing to necessary support and close connection of education, habilitation and rehabilitation, is
implemented in special institutions.
Curricula
Education of children with disorders in behavior and personality are implemented on
basis of curriculum with adjusted implementation and additional professional assistance,
pursuant to regulations on elementary and secondary education, provided that it has not been
otherwise defined by this law.
Individual Curriculum
Preschool institution, school, respectively special institution shall adopt individual
curriculum for persons with special needs, with the opinion of the Bureau for Educational
Services, in cooperation with a parent within 30 days as of the admition of child. The individual
curriculum shall determine: forms of educational work for educational fields, respectively
teaching subjects, way of implementing the additional professional assistance, possibility of
passing among the programs, adjustment in organization, assessment of knowledge, marking of
knowledge, achievements and advancement of children, as well as schedule of school lessons.
For preparation, application, monitoring and adjusting the curricula from paragraph 1 of this
article, preschool institution, respectively school or special institution shall form a professional

team composed of: teachers, professional associates of preschool institution, school or special
institution, with participation of parents. Individual curriculum may be changed throughout a
year, or adjusted in harmony with advancement in child's development.
Section 9. Medical Objectives
For persons with Autism, Downs Syndrome, and other Similar Conditions and their Guardians
For persons with Physical Disabilities Guardians
For the normal students of the Institute
Legal Education for discerning and qualified persons with special needs and disability and their
guardians
Education for Children with Special Needs and Disability
Education for Adults with Special Needs and Disability
Section 12. Recognition of the Students of the Institutes
Recognition in all State Universities
Recognition
Section 13. Funding

Title IV
Miscellaneous Provisions
Section 15. Separability Clause
Section 16. Saving Clause
Section 17. This act shall take effect on