Students with Special Educational Needs: An Analysis of Needs, Competencies, and Independence

Abstract

Islamic Religious Education and Character Education (PAI-BP) is a compulsory subject within Indonesia’s special education curriculum. However, the Learning Outcomes (Capaian Pembelajaran/CP) documents do not yet provide operational guidance on how needs assessments, competency adaptations, and self-reliance orientations should be implemented for students with special educational needs (SEN). This literature review aims to address this gap by examining the adaptation of the five PAI-BP elements across the six learning outcome phases (A–F) for students with sensory, motor, intellectual, and multiple disabilities. Using a descriptive-analytical qualitative approach, this study examines journal articles, academic books, and policy documents published between 2019 and 2026. The findings indicate that adaptation needs vary according to the type of disability. Students with intellectual disabilities require comprehensive modifications to learning objectives, content, processes, and assessment, whereas students with other types of disabilities generally require adjustments to teaching methods and learning media. The operational verbs used to express competencies progressively shift from recognizing and imitating in the early phases to identifying and applying in the later phases, without reaching the level of analysis. The fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) element is identified as the most concrete means of fostering personal, spiritual, and social independence, as well as preparing students for maturity. These findings contribute to the development of inclusive Islamic education through a needs-based framework for adapting PAI-BP learning outcomes for students with special educational needs.