Teaching Special Education Students in the Classroom,

Teaching Special Education Students

In the classroom, teachers are primarily responsible for ensuring that special education students are provided with equal opportunities for education. While instructors should not lower academic standards in the classroom, they should make every effort to make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. By making simple adjustments, such as allowing students to record lectures or changing the format of a test, teachers can make sure that special education students do not have academic or social disadvantages.

Setting up the Classroom

In the classroom, simple changes can make a great difference for special education students. For example, by arranging desks in a manner where each student has his own personal space, as opposed to sitting in groups, special education students have less chances of being distracted.

There should be various centers in the class that provide a space for students to go when they are finished with their individual work. This will ensure that they do not distract the other students. These centers can be filled with fun and education things, such as puzzles, picture and games.

Teachers can use bulletin boards to cover topics that are being covered at the time. These serve as excellent visual aids and help the students learn.

It is helpful to students if teacher review the curriculum and expectation at the start of the school year. By setting high yet realistic expectations, the students will try harder both behaviorally and academically. For special education students, teachers must be clear about choices they make, and positive and negative consequences of those choices.

During the first days of class, teachers should start giving placement tests to determine educational levels and start a routine. Teachers should also plan fun activities and give students time to interact with each other.

During the school year, teachers should remember to plan more than they intend to accomplish in a day. This way, if some ideas do not work with the students, it is easy to switch to something else.

Teachers should also be prepared for surprises. These students are often very intelligent and expect you to take them to areas you may not have anticipated. On the reverse side, a discipline, or learning problem, that unexpectedly shows up and is not dealt with immediately and appropriately, can destroy a lesson for the entire class.

A good teacher can have a tremendous effect on the future of their students. By being patient and kind, teachers can raise students' expectations and help them learn more and behave better.

Types of Disabilities and How To Deal With Them Many students have specific learning disabilities, such as dyslexia (a sever difficulty with reading) and dysgraphia (a severe difficulty with writing). Teachers should realize that learning disabilities are not a form of mental retardation and can be assisted with academic accommodations, such as allowing aids like computers, calculators and dictionaries. Teachers should also help these students arrange additional tutoring sessions to help them learn.

When teaching students with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), teachers should be aware that these students are intelligent, yet are prone to characteristics, such as impatience, boredom and restlessness. They may also have problems with managing time and setting priorities. Teachers should pay extra attention to nonverbal signs of frustration and confusion from these students.

In addition, teachers with ADD students can make academic accommodations to help them learn more efficiently. For example, a teacher could provide additional study guides; give assignments both in writing and orally; use visual aids; and provide a distraction-free environment for exams.

Many special education students have physical disabilities, such as blindness, deafness or other motor impairments. These students may need to use canes, wheelchairs, braces or crutches. Teachers should make sure that these students are familiar with accessible routes around the classroom and campus, as well as emergency exits. Often, these students are self-conscious about their disabilities. Teachers should make every effort to make the student feel "normal" and assist only of the student is obviously having some sort of difficulty.

For students with hearing impairments, teacher may need to use additional methods of communication, such as writing out a message. The teacher should make sure to get the student's attention before speaking or communicating a message to him, and maintain eye contact throughout the communication. The teacher should also allow the student to sit in front of the classroom and encourage him to participate as much as possible. If showing a film, a teacher should make sure that it has closed-captioning. Teachers can also arrange for interpreters to translate the lessons into sign language.

Students with visual impairments, ranging from low vision to blindness, learn to communicate by improving their other senses. These students are likely to have trouble reading, gathering information and participating in extra-curricular activities. They may use a cane, a guide dog, or nothing at all to help them with mobility. A guide dog is a trained working animal that should never be touched, spoken to, or played with without the permission of the owner.

Blind students rely on Braille and tape recorded information for classes. Students with low vision may need enlarged materials, audio tapes, or Closed Circuit Television Systems (CCTV) that enlarge material a person is reading. It takes at least twelve to eighteen weeks for reading materials to be placed onto tape and nine months or longer to be converted into Braille, so having a syllabus available and textbooks selected before the student registers for classes is recommended.

For visually impaired students, teachers are encouraged to allow for extended time on tests; encourage volunteer note takers; and allow students to use computer, tape recorder and other devices during class.

Some special education students may suffer from psychological disabilities, such as manic depression, which can have varying effects depending on the severity of the disability and the treatment the student is receiving. When working with these students, teachers should maintain high but realistic expectations and also encourage open communication. In addition, teacher should be familiar with campus resources to which they can make referrals when appropriate.