Special Needs Education: Understanding and Teaching Students

Introduction to Special Needs Education

Special needs education requires, first and foremost, an understanding of the various needs that individual students with unique circumstances and conditions possess. A special needs classroom is certain to have many different students with varying learning abilities and challenges, and working within this dynamic it can be difficult to develop a curriculum that is at once progressive and challenging yet also appropriate and accessible to each individual student and to the class as a whole. Developing such a curriculum depends on understanding the conditions of the students in the class, so a brief examination of these conditions is in order.

Types of Disabilities in the Special Needs Classroom

The catch-all phrase "mental retardation" is not often used these days, as more specific classifications are generally preferred. However, some cases where developmental issues — other than a significantly reduced intelligence — do not exist may still receive this classification (CDC, 2009). Autism is another recognized disorder that is diagnosed with increasing regularity. Autism spectrum disorders are characterized by social, communicative, and behavioral issues stemming from an apparently different information-processing mechanism than exists in the typical mind (CDC, 2009). This makes empathy and interaction — including learning — difficult for those with autism, though their intelligence may be average or even above average.

Severe disabilities can be mental, physical, or both, and involve an inability to perform one or more essential functions such as movement, communication, and basic self-care (CDC, 2009). Such students will require increased assistance and modification for many activities, along with a high degree of personalized educational tasks and goals. Students with multiple disabilities may have any number and combination of these and other disabilities, and also require individualized plans tailored to their specific circumstances.

Causes of Disabilities and Their Educational Impact

The causes of many of these disorders are still not fully known. The majority of mental and physical disabilities stem from congenital conditions, and though many of these have a known genetic basis, the precise cause of many others remains unknown (CDC, 2009). Accidents both during birth and in early childhood can also result in developmental difficulties that vary in severity and permanence, yet may still necessitate placement in a special needs classroom.

The impact of these disabilities on students should be minimized as much as possible through an effective curriculum, even though the opportunities available to these students are necessarily limited by their conditions. Educational goals represent possibly the most significant area of adjustment, as an emphasis on self-care and other life skills augments traditional academic pursuits. With proper involvement and planning, however, special needs students are fully capable of becoming engaged learners (CDC, 2009).

Conclusion: Toward Effective Special Needs Curricula

Developing effective curricula for teaching students with special needs is never an easy task. Practical concerns such as the number of students being served and budgetary shortfalls can be prohibitive, but both federal legislation and the inherent right to an education that all people possess demand that it be accomplished one way or another. Coming to a clearer understanding of the various types of disorders encountered in the typical special needs classroom, as well as effective ways to mitigate hindrances and help students overcome their disabilities, represents a meaningful first step. But these understandings must ultimately be put to direct practical use.