Students with special needs are also referred to as students with special challenges. While learning might be easier for students without special challenges, it’s not always the same for students with special needs. Your teaching approach will be determined by the particular difficulties that each child with special needs experiences because every one of them is unique.
Learning disabilities vary among students, some have speaking disabilities, writing disabilities, solving calculations disabilities and thinking disabilities. As a teacher, you should know that since each specially challenged student is unique, you will need to exercise a lot of patience when dealing with each of them and also equip yourself with different teaching methods to aid their learning.
As a teacher to these children, your goal is to maximize their potential through the help of supportive, caring teachers. Also, looking down on the abilities of such students will make them feel less important and less valued.
This is why as a teacher, you are responsible for bringing out the best in these students both academically, emotionally and physically.
Without further ado, here are 10 helpful tips to assist you when dealing with students with special needs.
10 tips to assist students with special needs
1. Use multimodal teaching methods/materials
Multimodal teaching method means using various teaching methods that are appealing and tailored to the interests of students with special needs, to provide him/her the opportunity to successfully experience the activities being done in the classroom.
Examples of multimodal teaching methods include; the use of teaching aids, kinesthetics, visual and audio methods. This provides more diverse experiences for the same learning.
2. Engage with them briefly before extending your time with them
When teaching students like this, you should not expect them to assimilate faster as other students. Take things slowly, then you may later spend more time with them. But trying to make them assimilate faster like every other student will probably end in frustration. Take things slowly, don’t be in a haste.
3. Supervise him/her while performing classroom tasks, until he is capable of doing them alone
Students with special needs are not always independent. As a teacher, it is your responsibility to monitor them during their classroom activities. Take the teaching and explanation process slowly.
4. Always observe constant repetitions
Repetition is key to ensuring that students with special needs remember how to complete classroom tasks, homeworks, rules, regulations and their intended purposes.
5. Make learning easy for them. Don’t make it too complicated
For example, if other students are having 10 class tasks in a day, reduce theirs to 5 or 6 tasks and give him/her the required time to complete them. This will help them to find learning easier and not complicated or too difficult.
6. Take learning beyond the four walls of the classroom
Leverage on the events that happen around them and their relevance, connecting the ideas to what they learnt in class. Find a way to connect what they have learned in the classroom with their day to day experiences.
7. Don’t be too fast on them
Be patient and encourage him/her to respond more quickly.
8. Allow them to take responsibility for their actions
Encourage students with special challenges to discover new challenges while respecting his or her independence (only provide assistance when it is absolutely essential).
9. Use new teaching methods
Rather than emphasizing the assimilation of ideas and theories, it is better to personalize lessons and concentrate curriculum changes on teaching methods and habits.
10. Place him/her close to classmates who can serve as good role models
This will help to foster his relationship, communication and interaction skills.
Conclusion
Although it is really stressful having to work with a boy or girl who has special needs, it is also not impossible.
As teachers, we are dedicated to every students’ education, learning, possessing the information necessary to provide specialized educational attention when necessary and adopting an attitude consistent with that commitment.
In conclusion, all of the uncertainties and questions regarding special educational requirements can be much more clarified by research, constant updating in knowledge, concern for the children, and, most importantly, through the experience we will gain throughout our careers as teachers.