TEACHING LEARNERS WITH

DIFFICULTY IN COMMUNICATION
CHERRY K. PAGADUAN
Dacal-Pukel Elementary School
Teacher III
Department of Education
OBJECTIVES
After the session, the participants will be able to:
1)Understand the different types of
communication disorders.

2)Identify the accommodation for learners

with communication disorders.

3)Apply strategies for teaching learners with

difficulty in communication.
 What is a
Communication Disorder?
COMMUNICATION DISORDER is
an impairment in the ability to
receive, send, process, and
comprehend concepts or verbal,
nonverbal and graphic symbol
systems.
COMMUNICATION DISORDER
• may be evident in the processes
of hearing, language, and or
speech;
• may range in severity from mild
to profound.
 COMMUNICATION DISORDER
• may be developmental or acquired;
• may result in a primary disability or
it may be secondary to other
disabilities.
Communication disorder affects
the delivery of messages and the
relationship among other people.
What might Communication
Disorders look like in the
classroom?
What are the characteristics
of Students with
Communication Disorders?
 Understanding
• Difficulty following instructions.
• Being slow to respond and needing extra processing
time.
• Giving incorrect or off-topic responses to questions
or appearing blank and unable to respond.
• Difficulty learning and understanding new
vocabulary, often requiring several more exposures
when learning new words.
• Difficulty remembering what you tell them.
• They may have become used to not understanding
and do not ask for help.
 Talking / Expressive Language
• Using immature or less sophisticated vocabulary.
• Using non-specific language (thing or stuff).
• Displaying word-finding difficulties: having
trouble retrieving the word they want to use.
• Having trouble explaining things that have
happened to them or telling a story.
• Being difficult to understand, or it might be
difficult to make sense of what they tell you.
• Mistakes in pronunciation of words, particularly
longer or more complex words.
 Behavior and Social Skills
• Displaying poor attention, presenting as not listening or
daydreaming.
• Being disruptive or ‘getting into trouble’.
• Alternatively, being quiet and well behaved – so they fly under the
radar.
• Getting into conflicts with peers but having difficulty describing
the incident.
• Difficulty understanding the rules of a game or understanding
jokes.
• Difficulty negotiating with peers.
• Difficulty making and maintaining friendships.
• Using an inappropriate language style with teachers.
• Struggling to remember names of teachers and peers.
• Difficulty managing and expressing emotions.
• May become frustrated, displaying verbal or physical outbursts.
 Academic Work
• Difficulties with reading and writing.
• May be able to decode and read fluently but struggle
with reading comprehension (making sense of what
they read).
• Completing work incorrectly or not at all or taking
much longer to complete a task than their peers.
• Watching and copying what others do as a strategy to
make sense of what is going on.
• Difficulty with language-based math problems.
• Difficulty understanding math concepts.
• Difficulty learning, remembering, and using new
subject vocabulary.
 Examples of specific speech delays
 may pronounce car as tar or gas as das;
 shop becomes sop and chair becomes tair;
 duck as du or ball as ba (final consonant
deletion)
 duck becomes uck (initial consonant
deletion)
 spoon becomes poon, stop becomes top,
green becomes geen, nest becomes nes
(consonant cluster reduction)
 Examples of specific speech delays

 yellow becomes lellow (assimilation)

 Telephone is tefone (weak syllable
deletion)
 Spaghetti becomes pasketti (metathesis)
 Wabbit for rabbit or wamp for lamp or
lemon becomes yemon (gliding)
 Sun becomes tun, thumb becomes dum
(stopping)
Disturbances in the normal speech fluency are
characterized by one or more of the following:

▪ Sound and syllable repetitions (example: ba – baby)

▪ Sound prolongations (S>>>>sometimes)
▪ Broken words (pauses within a word) (Ta – table)
▪ Audible or silent blocking (filled or unfilled pauses in
speech)
(I like to – go home)
▪ Words pronounced with an excess of physical tension
▪ Monosyllabic whole-word repetitions (“I-I-I see him”)
Can be caused by:

▪ Cleft lip or palate

▪ Cerebral palsy
▪ Autism Spectrum Disorder
▪ Learning Disability https://www.pngfuel.com/free-png/gd
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▪ Intellectual Disability
▪ Or have no other caused
How can we provide support
to the Learners with
Communication Disorders?
APPROACH IN SUPPORTING LEARNERS WITH
COMMUNICATION DISORDER

SPECIALIST

TARGETED

UNIVERSAL
 LEARNERS WITH
DIFFICULTY IN SEEING
How do you perceive darkness
in your lives?
OBJECTIVES
1. Describe the difficulties in seeing: low
vision/partially sighted and blindness.
2. Cite the characteristics of learners with
difficulty in seeing:
a. low vision/partially sighted
b. blindness
3. Discuss the types of accommodations to
support learners with difficulty in seeing.
 DIFFICULTY IN SEEING
▪ refers to a significant functional loss of
vision

▪ that cannot be corrected by

medication, surgical operation, or
ordinary optical lenses such as spectacles
or eyeglasses.
 LOW VISION / PARTIALLY SIGHTED

▪ not totally blind but have visual impairments that

cannot be corrected

to normal with regular eyeglasses or contact

lenses

▪ able to learn using their visual sense

 BLINDNESS
▪ lack of usable vision
▪ receive no stimuli from their visual
▪ depend entirely on input from other
 senses such as touch, hearing, smelling and
tasting.
 Characteristics of
Learners with Difficulty
in Seeing
 CHARACTERISTICS
 sense of touch is very keen
▪ move slowly and carefully due to the fear in bumping into things
objects
▪ tends to move, feel, and touch objects especially when travelling to
ensure that they are in the right path
▪ have the tendency to deviate of their normal posture for fear of being
hurt
▪ their learning capacity is the same as that of the sighted but their rate
of learning is slower due to absence
▪ they can become independent, assertive and adventurous like
sighted children

▪ generally, they have exceptional talents and interest in music,

arts and sports
 CHARACTERISTICS
LOW VISION/PARTIALLY SIGHTED

 have vision between 20/70-20/160 and cannot be

corrected
 use correctional glasses and contact lenses
can use limited vision for functional tasks but need
their tactile and auditory channels for learning
 CHARACTERISTICS OF TOTALLY BLIND

 lack of light perception;

 use tactile and auditory channels for learning
and functional tasks
 use cane for mobility

 learn via Braille and other non-visual

ACCOMMODATIONS
 ACCOMMODATIONS - INSTRUCTIONAL
LOW VISION AND BLIND
 Give descriptive verbal instructions to
direct the learners inside and outside the classroom
 Give clear, concise and specific
directions when giving lectures

 Encourage peer support to help

them in their academic activities
 ACCOMMODATIONS - INSTRUCTIONAL

 Allow them to record the lesson.

 Use adaptive materials
ADAPTIVE MATERIALS
 Use tactile materials to present lesson
 ACCOMMODATIONS - INSTRUCTIONAL
• Expose learners to use assistive technology, audio
and media materials (e.g. recorder, CD, DVD, Braille
note taker,
computer, cellphone, talking calculator,
talking watch)

 Use of applications and software e.g. Talkback,

JAWS, NVIDIA) to enhance lesson
BRAILLE NOTE TAKER
JAWS AND NVIDIA
 ACCOMMODATIONS - INSTRUCTIONAL

For Low Vision

 Provide optical devices

 Observe color contrast

 Avoid cluttered pictures and

illustrations
For both Low Vision and Totally Blind:

 Read or dictate aloud the test

questions.

 Allow extended time when taking

examinations
For Low Vision

 Provide large print version

of the texts

 Allow the learner to use symbols to answer

questionnaire

 Use of magnification and illumination devices

For Low Vision:

 Make use of a thicker and darker pen to

provide better contrast

 Maintain a well-ventilated classroom
 Use portable lamp (fluorescent) when
needed
ACCOMMODATIONS - TESTING

For Totally Blind

 Brailled test
papers/materials and
transcribed answer sheets
(by the SPED teacher)
 TEACHING LEARNERS WITH
DIFFICULTY IN REMEMBERING OR
CONCENTRATING
 OBJECTIVES
After the session, participants will be able to:

1.Identify the characteristics; the appropriate

strategies and activities in teaching learners
with difficulty in remembering or concentrating
2.Determine the accommodations that will support
the learners with difficulty in remembering or
concentrating
TIME TO PLAY to play!
 Name the Pictures as Many as You Can!

▪ The pictures will be shown for 10 seconds. Look at

them and try to remember as many pictures as you
can.
▪ Get a paper and name the pictures by listing them
down for 10 seconds.
▪ Whoever has the most number of pictures
remembered and written wins.
 Questions to Ponder

1.How did you try to recall things shown or flashed in the

activity?

2. Are there times in your life that you forget things or

events that are important to you? What happened when
you forgot those things or events?

3. If you felt this way, how do you think a child would feel if
this happens to them regularly?
Let us Learn More about
Learners with Difficulty
in Remembering or
Concentrating!
 Characteristics of Learners with Difficulty in
Remembering/Concentrating

A.Physical and Motor Characteristics

1.Is slightly lighter in weight than most children of
his own group.
2.Is shorter in height than most children of his own
age group.
3.Walks with stooping shoulders.
4.Walks with uncoordinated swaying of the arms.
5.Tendency to trip or stumble over objects while
walking.
6.Tendency to drop objects and articles.
7. Has difficulty in maintaining balance while
jumping, hopping, and skipping.
8. Has difficulty in using scissors.
9. Has difficulty in using knives for slicing,
paring, and cutting.
10. Finds difficulty in typing shoelaces, ribbons
or sash.
11. Is unable to hold pen or pencil correctly.
12. Has difficulty in tracing circle, square and
triangle.
13. Has difficulty in drawing a circle.
14. Has difficulty in drawing square.
15. Has difficulty in drawing a triangle.
16. Has difficulty in writing letters of the
alphabet.
17. Finds difficulty in writing numbers.
18. Has the following physical deformities:
a. Slanted eyes with coordinated eye muscles
b. Protruding forehead
c. Large protruding tongue
d. Wide face
e. Disproportionately short hands and fingers
f. Broad hands with fingers having square ends
g. Teeth that are peg shaped and chalky
h. Swollen eyelids and eyes that are half-shut
i. Short thick neck
j. Short thick legs
k. Large head
l. Disproportionately small head
m. Dry, course and scaly skin
B. Personal/Social Characteristics
1. Tendency to be alone most of the time.

2. Easily cries.

3. Tendency to get angry at a slight provocation.

4. Lacks concern and attention to events and people

around him.

5. Talks and laughs in an unnecessarily loud voice.

C. Learning Characteristics
1. Has short attention span.
2. Has poor memory.

3. Has difficulty in comprehending

situations in communication.

4. Is easily distracted around him.

5. Has difficulty in finishing work that has

been started.
6. Perseverates or repeats unnecessary
action.
D. Spoken Language
1. Refuses to talk
2. Has the tendency to speak in words or phrases instead.
3. Tendency to talk in sentences with grammatical errors.
4. Has immature or improper vocabulary.
5. Tendency to have articulation problems such
as: a. Omissions
b. Substitutions
c. Additions
d. Distortions
 Accommodations to Support Learners
1. Instructional Accommodation
a. Simplified instruction
b. Flexible time/schedule
c. Multi-sensory activities
d. Use pictures and mnemonics for memory
e. Offer choices
f. Provide adaptive materials to cater
different learning styles (e.g. use
calculator in computing)
g. Token economy system
h. Provide more assistance
 i. Group them in small group
discussion/instruction.
j. Use chants or songs to recall or review
academic concepts in different core subjects.
k. Incorporate arts
l. Involve them in extra-curricular activities such
as: sports, clubs, and scouting.
2. Environmental Accommodation
a. Carefully consider and monitor
seating arrangement in the
classroom.
b. Visual daily schedule
c. Arrangement of non-distracting
material.
d. Structure activities to foster
interaction
e. Develop a procedure for the
learner to ask for help (e.g. cue card, raising
hand).
f. Arrange the classroom environment so
learners have many opportunities to practice
personal care and self-help skills.
3. Test taking/Assessment Accommodations
a. Provide thorough reviews before tests
b. Oral assessment for learners with poor
motor skills.
c. Reduce the number of items/activities but still
measure the needed competencies.
d. Provide flexible time for learners to complete
written works or projects.
e. Give examples on how to answer items in the
test.
f. In constructing the test
questions, follow these simple
reminders:
• Use short and simple sentences to
ensure understanding.
• Increase difficulty of tasks over time.
• Include pictures or illustrations and not
purely text.
 Instructional Strategies Appropriate for LDRC

✔ techniques used to help students become

independent, strategic learners
✔ students independently select the appropriate
ones and use them effectively to accomplish
tasks or meet goals
 1. Modeling
✔learners learn appropriate behaviors by observing and
imitating others
2. Multisensory Method
✔based on the premise that
some learners learn best
when content is presented
in several modalities

✔also known as VAKT

(visual-auditory-
kinesthetic-tactile)
 3. Behavior Modification Technique
Positive Reinforcement
Sensory stimulation may include lights, sounds, music, tastes,
smells – preferred activities, favorite foods and drinks.
Social reinforcers include attention, approval, praise, hugs
 4. Peer Tutoring
✔involves pairing a competent student
with a student who has difficulty in a
particular academic area
✔also used to improve social skills
 5. Projective Techniques
✔may be used by the teacher to encourage students
to project or express their feelings and emotions
✔Creative activities:
⮚ role playing
provide an opportunity for the
learners to express feelings and
⮚ puppetry reduce frustrations with few
constraints
 6. Group Learning
Learners often do better when they are in a group
because behavior difficulties become lesser and learners
motivate each other. Giving them tasks to accomplish
boost their concept of responsibility.
 7. Play-Based Learning

✔use to teach them cognitive skills while

playing
 8. Arts and Crafts Approach
✔an approach that
utilizes available
appropriate low-cost
and craft materials
for the development
of different
teaching-learning
experiences and
activities
BASIC INFORMATION ON
LEARNERS WITH
DIFFICULTY IN HEARING
and DEAF
 Objectives
1. describe the nature, causes and characteristics
of deafness;
2. demonstrate proper classroom management by
utilizing appropriate teaching strategies to
accommodate learners with difficulty in hearing.
 Physical Characteristics

• Has no outer ear

• Has closed ear canal
• Has discharging ears( foul smelling discharge
accompanied by pain,fever or tingling sensation)
• Has chronic catarrhal condition (postnasal drip)
Mild hearing loss or an annoying crackling
sensation in the middle ear
 Learning Characteristics
 Cups hands behind the ear to catch sound
 Cocks ear/tilts head at an angle
 Shows strained expression when listening
 Pays more attention to vibration and vibrating
objects
 Moves closer to the speaker when talked to
 Is less responsive to noise, voice, or music
 Watches face especially the mouth and lips of
the speaker when talked to
 Fails to respond oral questions
 Has poor general learning performance
 Speech and Language Characteristics
• Usually has no speech
• If he has speech, he…

 tends to speak in words rather than in

sentences
 Is particularly poor in spelling
 Is poor in dictation
 Talks with poor rhythm (no
stress,timing,less quantity of syllables)
 WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT THAT IS
SUSPECTED WITH HEARING LOSS?
Simple Tests in identifying learners with
difficulty in hearing
⮚The Voice Test
• Slamming / Banging the door
with difficulty in hearing
• Whisper test
.Clap test (at the back of the head)
ACCOMMODATION TO LEARNERS WITH DIFFICULTY
IN HEARING
1. Promote the acceptance of the learners with
hearing impairment in the home, school, and
community where he belongs.
➢welcome the students in the group
➢explain the students’ condition to the entire class.
➢emphasize that he or she can learn together with
the group
➢accept the student as an individual with abilities
and limitations
2. Be sure that the prescribed hearing aids and other
amplification devices are used.
➢understand and explain to the group that the
hearing aid makes sounds louder but not
necessarily clearer
➢see to it that the SPED teacher checks the student’s
hearing aid or other devices and that they are
working properly
cont. Be sure that the prescribed hearing
aids and other amplification devices are
used.
➢encourage learner to take care of his or
her hearing aid
➢be sure your student has a spare battery
➢tell the SPED teacher or the parents if
the student’s hearing aid is not working
properly
3. Provide preferential seating
➢near the spot where you typically
stay when teaching
➢where he/she can easily watch
your face without straining to look
up
➢away from sources of noise
cont. Provide preferential seating
➢sit the student where light is on your face
and not in the student’s eyes
➢sit the student where he/she can use the
better ear
➢allow the student to transfer to other
seats when necessary
4. Increase visual information.
➢Try to stay in one place while talking to
the group so the student does not have to
lip read a “moving target.”
➢Avoid talking where your back is turned
to the group such as when you are writing
on the chalkboard.
➢Avoid covering the mouth or face when
talking
cont. Increase visual information.
➢Avoid standing in front of windows where
the glare will make it difficult to see your
face.
➢Use visual aids, such as teachers and
illustrations whenever possible.
➢Demonstrate what you want the students
to understand whenever possible
➢Use the chalkboard as much as possible.
5. Modify teaching procedures
➢be sure the student understands what is
said by asking him/her repeat the
information or answer the questions
➢rephrase rather than repeat questions and
instructions whenever necessary
➢repeat or rephrase things said by other
student during group discussion
➢write key words, new words, and other needed
information on the chalkboard
➢introduce new vocabulary words to the student
in advance
➢ask the student to repeat if you can not
understand him/her
➢assign a student as “buddy” to alert the deaf
student to listen and to be sure that he/she
understands the lesson correctly
STUDY-BUDDY
6. Captioning or labeling things inside the
classroom( for familiarization)

7. Vibrating alert devices ( use to signal

fires, doorbells, weather warnings and more)
➢ these devices can be used in the
classroom to alert to schedule bells and
other important announcements
8. Have realistic expectations
➢remember that the student can not
understand and grasp everything all the time
no matter how hard he tries
➢be patient when the student asks for
repetition
➢give the student a break from listening when
he shows signs of fatigue
➢expect the student to follow routine
As a TEACHER…..

Please REMEMBER
THANK YOU