PERCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL WORKERS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

In the world of impartial hearings, those primarily dealing with the importance of free, public education for students with special needs, all avenues of perceptions and opinions have been documented, but none with more scrutiny than the perceptions and opinions of social workers who become involved. Social workers are often overlooked during the impartial, due-process hearings, as many do not consider their importance regarding the education of, or regulation of, special-education individuals. Several important court cases have come in the early formation of special-education services, which, in the long run, helped to accelerate the importance of social workers in special education programs.
Often times, rather than being overlooked, social workers are simply seen as an unimportant aspect of special education. However, borrowing from case studies and various literature and court reports, the social worker can be seen as an important character and knowledgeable witness in the impartial hearings regarding the free education of special education students. Social workers are impartial observers with objective opinions and helpf...