Identifying Children with Special Needs in Inclusive Schools: A Sociology of Education Perspective

Abstract

Indonesian education regulations have progressively expanded the definition of children with special needs (ABK), from a physical-deficit basis in Law No. 4/1997 to include mental and psychosocial disabilities in Law No. 8/2016. However, school identification practices still rely largely on teachers' informal observations rather than standardized assessment. This study examines the social mechanisms underlying ABK identification in inclusive primary schools and explains why the gap between regulatory expansion and school practice persists.

Data were collected through structured observations using a checklist instrument in inclusive primary schools in Makassar City and Bantaeng Regency, South Sulawesi, from January to April 2026. The analysis was supported by regulatory document analysis and a literature review, drawing on Bourdieu's concept of habitus, Berger and Luckmann's theory of social construction, and Goffman's concept of stigma.

Students identified through structured observation as showing indicators of special needs had generally neither received professional assessment nor been formally identified as ABK by their schools. Identification focused primarily on visible physical impairments and disruptive behaviour, while less visible conditions, including specific learning difficulties, emotional disorders, and giftedness (CIBI), were rarely recognised despite being acknowledged in national regulations. This gap reflects limited teacher training, the absence of standardized identification procedures, and a socially constructed habitus of normality.

The study is limited to two locations in South Sulawesi and a cross-sectional design, restricting generalizability and causal inference. Nevertheless, it highlights the need to strengthen identification systems while addressing the social processes that shape how schools recognize ABK.