ABSTRACT
Advice on enhancing self-esteem in children with special needs deals with the basic conditions which should obtain in a supportive classroom and examines both indirect and direct strategies. Pastoral care was touched on as an important element of support to children with special needs who may be in the ordinary school, and also the general climate of the school which encourages pupils to feel and to be significant, both in their own opinion and that of others. Teachers of special needs children should be constantly on the lookout for pupils who appear low in self-esteem and give overt signs in their attitudes, statements, school performance, and social behaviour, level of confidence or peer contacts. It is important to encourage self-management behaviour in children with special needs since it appears to be productive in enhancing self-esteem. The self-concept was seen as a very important attitude object which could function to control behaviours, or predispositions towards them.
