Teaching Social Studies to Students With Disabilities

Introduction

There are three reasons why it is important to appreciate the challenge of teaching children with various disabilities. First, it is necessary to remember that IDEA 1997 (Congress, 1997) mandates that all children receiving special education be incorporated into mainstream learning programs. Second, mainstreaming children with mild disabilities is easier and more likely to succeed in elementary classes than at any other stage. Finally, the majority of social studies teachers may not be adequately equipped or prepared to meet the needs of children with special needs (Zakas et al., 2013; Snell & Brown, 2014). Considering that classic teacher preparation courses typically include only a single course on special education, such a conclusion is understandable. This paper seeks to explore how social studies teachers can address some of the complications and issues surrounding children with special needs using the resources available to them.

Background and Curriculum Modification

One of the main challenges that teachers in inclusive classrooms face is how to modify the curriculum in order to incorporate children with special needs. All children with special needs respond to curriculum in different ways, depending on the type of disability they experience. For instance, there may be a need for instructional scaffolding, additional time to complete assignments, graphic organizers, and additional practice. Without modification, the standard curriculum as it currently stands may be of little use to learners with special needs, causing them to frequently miss important aspects of their education (Snell & Brown, 2014).

Teachers must adjust their approach and break down barriers in order to accommodate these learners in curriculum delivery. The 1997 IDEA amendments direct that learners with disabilities should be exposed to the same general curriculum as their peers. This legislation makes access to the curriculum and its materials a more critical issue than ever before. If the goal of equal curriculum access is to be met — enabling all students to engage productively with their lessons — teachers need to provide helpful options in both curriculum materials and instructional methods (Bulgren, Sampson Graner & Deshler, 2013). Having well-adapted materials without a functional method of instructional delivery is insufficient. An effective teacher encourages every learner to participate directly in the learning process.

Appropriate Teacher Support

Teachers in elementary school receive minimal support in their engagement with learners with mild disabilities. Cognitive issues associated with mild disability often relate to math and reading, and include spelling, reading comprehension, hand-eye coordination, oral recitation, computation, and visual and spatial orientation. As a result, special education teachers may fail to recognize the importance of addressing these deficits within the social studies curriculum — an attitude that reflects a poor understanding of what takes place in a social studies classroom.

Social studies teachers should seek to be informed about the status and backgrounds of each child with a disability in their care. They should also explore ways in which a child's disability can be addressed (Ciullo, Falcomata & Vaughn, 2015). IDEA 1997 also requires that an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) be written for each learner with a disability, and the teacher in charge should assist in developing the educational goals set out in that plan.

The primary goal of mainstreaming is to allow learners with mild disabilities to mix and interact with peers who do not have disabilities, helping them develop the social skills necessary for healthy interaction. It is also intended to support their emotional growth, enabling them to develop self-control, build relationships more easily, and solve problems more readily. While this approach does not minimize the importance of academic content, it reduces the exclusive emphasis on academic performance (Ciullo et al., 2015; Snell & Brown, 2014). Because the primary aim of social studies is to help learners develop the values, skills, and knowledge needed to participate in a democratic society, social studies provides an ideal setting in which learners with mild disabilities can practice important social skills.

References

Bulgren, J. A., Sampson Graner, P., & Deshler, D. D. (2013). Literacy challenges and opportunities for students with learning disabilities in social studies and history. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 28(1), 17–27.

Ciullo, S., Falcomata, T., & Vaughn, S. (2015). Teaching social studies to upper elementary students with learning disabilities: Graphic organizers and explicit instruction. Learning Disability Quarterly, 38(1), 15–26.

Congress, U.S. (1997). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act amendments of 1997. Washington, DC: U.S. Congress.

Kent, S., Wanzek, J., Swanson, E. A., & Vaughn, S. (2015). Team-based learning for students with high-incidence disabilities in high school social studies classrooms. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 30(1), 3–14.

Snell, M. E., & Brown, F. E. (2014). Instruction of students with severe disabilities. Pearson Higher Ed.

Swanson, E., Wanzek, J., Vaughn, S., Roberts, G., & Fall, A. M. (2015). Improving reading comprehension and social studies knowledge among middle school students with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 81(4).

Zakas, T. L., Browder, D. M., Ahlgrim-Delzell, L., & Heafner, T. (2013). Teaching social studies content to students with autism using a graphic organizer intervention. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 7(9), 1075–1086.