Abstract:
Disabled children are first and foremost children with similar needs and desires as normal children. A network of forces, the most important of which are the family, the school and the society in which the child lives, influence their development, including their self- esteem. The impact ofeach ofthese forces changes as the child develops. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact ofthe family and the school on the development ofthe disabled child’s self-esteem. It further assessed the influence of the type of school: the special school and the mainstream school as well as the role of guidance and counseling in enhancing the self-esteem of the children. The study was carried out among the disabled children in special schools and the special units in mainstream schools within Nakuru municipality. The study was a survey in which disabled children were sampled from each ofthese schools. There were four schools in Nakuru municipality for disabled children with a population of 298 such children. Purposeful sampling was used to target only children from classes 6. 7. and 8. and a sample of 52 children was obtained. The data was collected by use of questionnaires administered to the students and the heads of these institutions. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study found that the disabled children in special units in regular schools have a higher level of self-esteem than those in special schools. The study also found that guidance and counseling programmes are actively undertaken in either of the school types. The study recommended that the disabled children should be placed in special units whenever possible.
