Teaching children with disabilities is a very difficult and demanding job. The rewards, however, can be greater than the gold in the mines of Solomon, but without support, making success happen is very difficult and almost insurmountable. It does not mean, however, these students cannot learn, find success or achieve at the same levels as their fellow students.
be greater than the gold in the mines of Solomon, but without support, making success happen is very difficult and almost insurmountable. It does not mean, however, these students cannot learn, find success or achieve at the same levels as their fellow students.
Firstly, many rumours and myths about students with disabilities must be disproven. A student with a learning disability may be incredibly bright and possibly gifted but lacks ability to process information. This specific learning disability is actually one of the easiest and simplest of all learning disabilities to facilitate learning. For instance, reading information such as a test or passage to a student or allowing them to use a calculator on a mathematics assessment is examples of simple accommodations to help a student with disabilities.
Of course, not all students have learning disabilities. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing or visually impaired also have a disability, but this does not mean the student is not capable of learning or achieving at a level of their non-disabled fellow students. Whether developmental, accidental or because of a degenerative issue, students who are hard of hearing or visually impaired frequently have intelligence quotients, IQ's, similar to their hearing and seeing counterparts. Again, all that is required are some simple but necessary accommodations. A certified interpreter in either sign language or Braille is not only necessary for the student to be successful, but frequently becomes a beneficial part of the classroom experience for the other students in the class. Young students in particular, with their innate curiosity and abilities to absorb new information, may, by proxy, learn sign language or Braille.
Moving on the spectrum of disabled students finds students who may have disabilities that fall along the autism spectrum. High functioning autistic students, students who have a specific type of autism called Asperger’s Syndrome, have a very limited sphere of interests and limited understanding of cultural and societal norms, but are frequently brilliant in their own idioms and interests. Wise teachers, therefore, tap into this deep interest to help bridge understandings of classroom material and developing appropriate behaviours for outside the classroom. Students with more severe autism and autistic tendencies may need more assistance in fundamental skills such as hygiene, interpersonal relations and other assorted life skills to help them become productive and functional members of society.
Some students, sadly, lack necessary cognitive abilities outside of the most fundamental of communication and therefore can neither learn to read nor write. While certain degrees of education are out of reach, this does not mean the student cannot be taught a trade or learn a skill necessary to survive. These particular students, once they complete formal education, enter a training program or spend their days at specialised employment centres where they are allowed to work. Certified professionals assist these students in their daily lives only to the degree the student needs assistance. Many may lack understanding of currency exchange or bill pay, while even more may need assistance with even more basic skills such as using the bathroom.
Regardless of the student, all students have the ability to be successful in some way. While some students who have disabilities may never earn an Albany high school diploma for example, many more will earn diplomas and even attend college and professional schools all because teachers took time to accommodate their needs.
Firstly, many rumours and myths about students with disabilities must be disproven. A student with a learning disability may be incredibly bright and possibly gifted but lacks ability to process information. This specific learning disability is actually one of the easiest and simplest of all learning disabilities to facilitate learning. For instance, reading information such as a test or passage to a student or allowing them to use a calculator on a mathematics assessment is examples of simple accommodations to help a student with disabilities.
Of course, not all students have learning disabilities. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing or visually impaired also have a disability, but this does not mean the student is not capable of learning or achieving at a level of their non-disabled fellow students. Whether developmental, accidental or because of a degenerative issue, students who are hard of hearing or visually impaired frequently have intelligence quotients, IQ's, similar to their hearing and seeing counterparts. Again, all that is required are some simple but necessary accommodations. A certified interpreter in either sign language or Braille is not only necessary for the student to be successful, but frequently becomes a beneficial part of the classroom experience for the other students in the class. Young students in particular, with their innate curiosity and abilities to absorb new information, may, by proxy, learn sign language or Braille.
Moving on the spectrum of disabled students finds students who may have disabilities that fall along the autism spectrum. High functioning autistic students, students who have a specific type of autism called Asperger’s Syndrome, have a very limited sphere of interests and limited understanding of cultural and societal norms, but are frequently brilliant in their own idioms and interests. Wise teachers, therefore, tap into this deep interest to help bridge understandings of classroom material and developing appropriate behaviours for outside the classroom. Students with more severe autism and autistic tendencies may need more assistance in fundamental skills such as hygiene, interpersonal relations and other assorted life skills to help them become productive and functional members of society.
Some students, sadly, lack necessary cognitive abilities outside of the most fundamental of communication and therefore can neither learn to read nor write. While certain degrees of education are out of reach, this does not mean the student cannot be taught a trade or learn a skill necessary to survive. These particular students, once they complete formal education, enter a training program or spend their days at specialised employment centres where they are allowed to work. Certified professionals assist these students in their daily lives only to the degree the student needs assistance. Many may lack understanding of currency exchange or bill pay, while even more may need assistance with even more basic skills such as using the bathroom.
Regardless of the student, all students have the ability to be successful in some way. While some students who have disabilities may never earn an Albany high school diploma for example, many more will earn diplomas and even attend college and professional schools all because teachers took time to accommodate their needs.
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