Familial and Educational Attitudes towards Children with Special Needs in China and Thailand

Attitudes towards children with special needs vary around the world and may vary in different parts of the same country. For most Buddhist Thais, the birth of such a child indicates sins committed in the past and karmic consequences. For those of Sino-Thai lineage, such a child may indicate good fortune to come. Meanwhile, in China, many parents will refuse to accept a clinical diagnosis and will return to consult doctors numerous times in the hope of obtaining a second opinion. They may refuse to acknowledge the situation until the child is seven years old and able, therefore, to be admitted to a school specializing in treating children with special needs. Across Thailand, teachers have comparatively high social status and a greater proportion of the national budget is spent on education than in China (although there remain significant problems in the Thai education system). Spending on education for children with special needs is also lower in China and the Chinese system requires teachers to advance through knowledge acquisition, which means few teachers are able or willing to teach children with special needs. By contrast, the Thai system attempts to imbue teachers with an awareness of ethics and encourages a loving relationship between teachers and children and inculcate cooperation among students. This paper is based on qualitative research in both countries concerning the treatment of children with special needs and the production of teachers to help teach them. Insights are drawn and some initial policy recommendations made.