(Giangreco 1993)

Giangreco, Michael F. 1993. “Using Creative Problem-Solving Methods to Include

Students With Severe Disabilities in General Education Classroom Activities.”
Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation 4(2):113–35. doi:
10.1207/s1532768xjepc0402_1.

(Branstetter 2020)

Branstetter, R. 2020. “How teachers can help students with special needs navigate
distance learning.” Greater Good.

Giangreco, Michael F. 1993. “Using Creative Problem-Solving Methods to Include

Students With Severe Disabilities in General Education Classroom Activities.”
Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation 4(2):113–35. doi:
10.1207/s1532768xjepc0402_1.

Teaching children with special needs in elementary school requires a unique set of
strategies and approaches. Here are some tips and resources that can help:

Children with special needs benefit from feeling safe, seen, and supported. Educators
can engender genuine moments of connection, even on Zoom, by building connection
first

Encourage children to talk about how they approach problems and share how you
approach problems in your life (Branstetter 2020).

Variations of the Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem-Solving process can be used to meet

the educational needs of diverse groups of students within the general education
classroom (Giangreco 1993).

- **Break down assignments into smaller tasks**: Breaking down assignments into
smaller, less complex tasks can help children with special needs complete them more
easily[4].
- **Implement group work**: Group work can be an excellent tool for students to
maximize their own and each other's learning abilities. Think-Pair-Share is a good way to
get started[4].

- **Provide extra explanations**: Keep an eye out for difficulty in reading

comprehension or daydreaming. Provide these students with extra explanations, or
request a classmate to serve as a peer tutor for the lesson[4].

- **Use Universal Design for Learning (UDL)**: UDL is a framework to improve and
optimize teaching and learning based on scientific insights into how humans learn. UDL
challenges educators to consider how to intentionally design instruction and assessment
to promote multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression[5].

- **Implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)**: PBIS is a

framework for promoting positive behavior and preventing problem behavior in schools.
All children should know the school- and program-wide behavioral expectations required
to be successful, have opportunities to practice meeting those expectations, and receive
support for and reinforcement of those behaviors by skilled adults trained in evidence-
based practices[5].

- **Keep things simple**: When teaching special needs students, it is important to break
down tasks into small, manageable steps and keep projects short and sweet. The more
complicated things are, the more likely students are to become confused or
frustrated[6].

By using these strategies and resources, educators and parents can help children with
special needs navigate elementary school and achieve their full potential.