3+Teaching+Students+with+Special+Needs


 * Teaching Students with Special Needs**
 * Content Mastery Classroom:** The Content Mastery Classroom was created several years ago in Texas, and was used primarily to replace the resource room in schools. The CMC is a classroom in which students may go if they need help on an assignment, catching up on work, studying for a test or having extra time to take a test. Most CMC classes have both a regular education and special education teacher present each willing to provide help for any student in need. This also allows special ed students to be exposed to a regular classroom setting but still be provided the support and attention of a special ed teacher. It is important for you to be in contact with the CMC teachers at all times if you have a student who regularly attends the classroom. This is because the CMC teacher must be enlightened upon what you are requiring of the student on projects and tests. The best way to help a CMC classroom succeed is through communication.


 * Inclusion:** Students with special needs being exposed to general classrooms is becoming a common and uniform occurrence throughout some school districts. In most cases, a special needs student in a regular education classroom will have an ed tech to assist them. Regular meetings between the regular ed teacher and ed tech are crucial to the success of the child in question. These meetings will provide opportunities for the ed tech to [|modify work and assignments] for the special needs student. In order for the student to not receive too much attention from the ed tech thus drawing the stares and labels of their classmates, Dr. Grace recommends using the ed tech as a "teacher's assistant." The ed tech will effectively help EVERY student in the classroom with their first and foremost priority being the special needs student. This prevents the student from feeling isolated.


 * Students with Emotional or Behavioral Problems:** Students with severe emotional and behavioral problems have difficulty regulating their behaviors within the classroom. It may also be helpful if you were to speak with the parents, school counselor, special education teacher and previous teachers to discover better ways to control and teach these students. Some students may have had a behavior intervention plan laid out beforehand, becoming very familiar with this plan is extremely important for you to keep the peace in the classroom. Be sure to overlook minor outbursts, reinforce their good behavior and eliminate stressors within the classroom, this may help prevent the frequency of student outbursts. It is also important for you to begin to be able to recognize cues that may be leading up to a student outburst so you can assess the situation and handle it before the problem gets too out of control.


 * Students with Serious Social Deficits:** Students who are lacking normal social skills are typically being diagnosed as having Autism Spectrum Disorder. ASD is a clustering of disorders that have familiar features. While most students with Autism when young appear extremely bright with a great learning capacity, they still lack an ability to communicate. Symptoms of an ASD include difficulties socializing, communicating both verbally and nonverbally, and a habit of repeating behaviors and words. While most of these students can thrive in education classes, it is still extremely important for you to understand their problems and use strategies to help them cope. Some strategies include: using visual cues and models instead of speaking the lesson the whole time, do not give auditory and visual tasks at the same time (many students with an ASD have trouble looking and listening at the same time.) Use social stories to help ASD student prepare for new lessons, and keep instructions brief.


 * Students with ADHD:** Most students with ADHD will exhibit behaviors that include: distractibility, short attention span, impulsiveness, an inability to organize and a high level of movement. When these behaviors are mild, students for the most part are able to retain an average grade and compensate for all of their shortcomings. When the symptoms are extreme, it becomes very difficult for an ADHD student to adjust to the lifestyles of a classroom. It is extremely important for you to remember that these movements and outbursts are not intentional. You must keep a positive and relaxed approach when dealing with an ADHD student and keep rules and routines simple. To get a better gauge on how to deal with these students, talk to previous teachers they have had and ask them to tell you what worked for them in the past. Make your directions clear and to the point and in some cases, write out the steps of the assignment for the student. Frequently remind the student that speed is not the key in doing work but accuracy is. Be sure, to focus on the positive characteristics of the student and to stray away from any form of argument or power struggle.


 * Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing:** When dealing with students who have a hearing disorder, first be sure to consult with a teacher who specializes in auditory disabilities to help you learn about the student's disorder and how to better teach through it. When teaching a student who is hearing impaired, it is of the utmost importance to make sure that you are facing the student at all times. (It also helps to place the student in the front of the class.) This will give the hearing-impaired student an opportunity to read your lips as you speak. Although lip reading is effective, students who are hearing impaired will still miss a plethora of information. That is why you must be prepared to repeat information and provide the student with a written backup of the lesson. During classroom discussions, it may also be necessary for you to repeat questions and statements made by other students. Make sure to check for understanding frequently by posing questions to the student and when watching a video, make sure the subtitles are on. The student who is hard of hearing may also be assigned an interpreter. (This interpreter should NOT act as a teacher's aid but instead be focusing on the child in question.)


 * Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired:** Students who are blind or visually impaired usually are able to function to the maximum in regular education classrooms. But you must be willing to meet the student halfway. Some suggestions to helping a visually impaired student succeed include: reading aloud instructions, allowing the student to use a tape recorder during lectures or create handouts in big bold print, use a plethora of hands-on activities with oral descriptions, allow the students to walk up to the chalkboard or models when they deem it necessary, seat students with the impairment with their back against the window to decrease glare on the boards and assist the students with peer interaction.


 * Students Living in Extreme Poverty:** Within schools, there are becoming an increasing number of students who live in poverty. The greatest ingredient to help these students succeed is a strong and trusting relationship with a teacher. Creating a stress-free and safe environment also helps. When dealing with such students, you must be sure to be respectful of them. Responding without criticism and creating an interactive environment are keys in helping students living in poverty succeed. You must also be sure to never humiliate or overreact to one of these students no matter how defiant or nonchalant to you they may be. When conducting a class with students who come from poverty, be sure to always have extra supplies at the ready. These types of students may have a plethora of problems at home interfering with their school work, be sure to help them with their anxieties and do your best to create a stress-free zone. Encourage the student, and provide them with a good amount of positive reinforcement. Dr. Grace, a former teacher and principal, says many people do not take the time to talk to students about these problems. Dr. Grace referred to some of her old strategies in dealing with impoverished students by saying when the student did not complete the work due to a problem at home, she would find out when the student had a free block and would ask them to come in and complete the work. You must find ways to accommodate students within their schedules.


 * Students with Limited English Proficiency:** Within classrooms, students who do not speak English as their first language are becoming more and more prominent. Some of these students struggle so much with their English abilities that they need to take bilingual classes where the assignments and directions are presented to them in their first language. In order to help students with such a problem, you must first discover the extent of the student's speech capabilities so you can modify your expectations accordingly. Try and be creative when interacting with these types of students by using different facial expressions, hand gestures and models to help them grasp the understanding. Use demonstrations, videos and visual aides to assist you whenever possible.


 * No Child Left Behind:** The No Child Left Behind act requires a plethora of intense testing for students of all capabilities. While the testing won’t be a problem for some students, others, especially special needs students, may become severely stressed by the testing. For special needs students doing the testing you will need to be knowledgeable of recommendations and special provisions provided for these students including: small groups, frequent breaks and different formats of testing. Relaxation techniques during the testing may also positively benefit special needs students.  NCLB is based on the belief that setting high standards and having measurable goals will improve a student's ability. NCLB requires schools to create assessments on basic skills to be given to every student in certain grades.