By Atikah,Kay and Que

Physical disability

Hearing impairment
Visual impairment Emotional or behaviour disorder e.g ADD/ ADHD

General Learning Disability (Average IQ = 100) Borderline Mild GLD Mild GLD Moderate GLD Severe/profound GLD

IQ IQ IQ IQ

70-79 50-69 35- 49 >35

Specific Learning Disability IQ average but RA/MA/SA @ 2%

 Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorder Including Asperger Syndrome Assessed Syndromes Specific Speech /Language Disorder

Who are they? The term children with special needs is used to describe the children whose needs fall outside the established normal range. The needs may be global or in a particular area or domain, that is, physical, behavioural, cognitive, social/ emotional etc.

Other terms used to describe these children include: Children with exceptionalities, Children with challenges and Children with disabilities

The most basic requirement should be that all teachers are knowledgeable about the different types of disabilities they are likely to encounter in the classroom.

a learning disability and an intellectual disability in the same. - a child with cerebral palsy also has an intellectual disability

 Acknowledge the challenge that this poses for subject teachers Identify current best practice in the school Raise awareness and provide information Explore legislation and the implications for schools Explore strategies that can be used by subject teachers Encourage teachers to plan at subject department level Establish a task group to develop a whole school policy Ensure that the school has a staff member trained in learning support/resource

Provide the use of a study carrel when necessary.

Seat student in area free from distractions.

Eliminate all unnecessary materials from student desk to reduce distractions.

You may have to allow the student frequent breaks.

Keep an extra supply of pencils, pens, books and paper in the classroom.

Use a checklist to help student get organized.

Have an agreed upon cue for student to leave the classroom.

Reduce visual distractions in the classroom.

Space short work periods with breaks.

Allow extra time for homework completion.

Reduce amount of work from usual assignment.

Provide additional time to complete assignment.

Inform student with several reminders, several minutes apart, before changing from one activity to the next.

Provide a specific place for turning in assignments.

Modify expectations based on students needs. Break assignments into segments of shorter tasks. Give alternative assignments rather than long written assignments. Provide a model of end product. Provide written and verbal direction with visuals if possible. Break long assignments into small sequential steps, monitoring each step. Highlight to alert student attention to key points within the written direction of the assignment.. Check that all homework assignments are written correctly in some kind of an agenda/homework book. Sign it and have parents sign it as well. Number and sequence steps in a task. Provide outlines, study guides, copies of overhead notes.

Provide a quiet setting for test taking, allow tests to be scribed if necessary and allowing for oral responses.

Avoid time test.

Change percentage of work required for passing grade.

Exempt student from district wide testing if possible.

Allow as much time as needed to complete.

Permit retaking the test.

Divide test into small sections.

Grade spelling separately from content.

Provide monitored breaks from test.

Avoid confrontations and power struggles. Provide an appropriate peer role model. Modify rules that may discriminate against student with neurological disorder. Develop a system or code that will let the student know when behavior is not appropriate. Ignore attention seeking behaviors that are not disruptive to the classroom. Arrange a designated safe place that student can go to. Develop a code of conduct for the classroom and visually display it in an appropriate place where all students can see it, review it frequently. Develop a behavior intervention plan that is realistic and easily applied. Provide immediate rein forcers and feedback.

Children with special education needs in the classroom will perform best if: The student to teacher ratio is smaller There is an IEP for each student with special education support There is sufficient space for children to learn comfortably There is a comprehensive intervention team including: school/clinical/counseling psychologists, guidance counselor, speech therapist, occupational therapists, physical therapists, behaviour therapists, special educators