What are some of the best practices for teaching students with special needs?

Students are more than the data in the student record. Build a relationship with students you work with and with their parents. Seeing beyond the data is what will move the student forward.

In my experience, removing barriers to education access is crucial, and I do think the inclusive education approach is vital. Additionally, differentiated instruction as an educational approach is essential, as well as prioritising the various learning needs of each student is a must.

You can’t programme children like AI. Ai doesn’t care whether or not you like it. Children do. AI will work with any input you consider matters. Children won’t. AI should give you answers you think are quite sensible.Children don’t. If you don’t like your students (I actually want to write ‘ if you don’t love your students) and you don’t live what you’re teaching and those two things aren’t mutual - give up now because everyone’s miserable.

1. Find out where they are in the process 2. Watch their approach to learning the material 3. Identify the gaps that are holding them back 4. Work on filling in the gaps with targeted practice 5. Integrate the new material with the information and skills they already have. 6. Congratulate them on a job well done. Teach them a process that allows them to do this on their own, and they will adapt to the subject matter. I will be running a webinar that shows this process on 6/28. The first step in any learning situation is to show the student how to learn, and I haven't seen any indication that this is being done on a day-to-day basis. If you want to see this process, contact me directly.

I think one of the best practices is to truly make student observations rather than quickly trying the cookie-cutter approach. I also think it's important especially for students with challenges such as ADHD/ADD and other learning challenges as a teacher to be cognizant of when they need a quick break to recharge. I have found that if I become more aware of when they truly need a break and provide that brain break how much more productive, progressive, and willing they can become as students.

The response to this is a simple but effective idea. Figure out your goal first then go backwards. I'll be doing this when I differentiate my LPs.

Give all the kids the skills they need. Give them interesting, real problems to tackle, plenty of freedom to tackle them as they see fit, and then get out of their way. All kids want to be successful. Give them the autonomy to figure out how to find their way themselves. You will see miraculous work you never would have imagined.

Start by knowing what your end game for the lesson is. For example, an assignment to create a powerpoint on a topic may have different goals. Is the goal to be able to create a powerpoint? Is it to share content knowledge? If the latter, is the powerpoint the only way sharing that content knowledge can be done? Perhaps the student could create a podcast or a blog instead.

Because every student is so individual and unique, I think it's important to remember that differentiation is important and helps a student to progress to their potential. However, I also believe that in order to differentiate effectively class sizes need to be smaller or the program is truly designed and orientated toward the individual learner using technology to it's fullest.

I left my corporate position & returned to school to earn 9 PA Dept of Ed certifications to advocate for my child from K-12 through her Master’s degree. One of my certifications is special ed, so I had first-hand experience with my own child & my students teaching both ends of the bell curve. Differentiated instruction & accommodations are essential for students to feel they are learning & can reach success. It may involve books on tape, a student notetaker, extended time for tests in a quiet room, fewer multiple-choice options, assistive technology, & more. Whether you are a parent or a teacher, be that student’s cheerleader & help them build their self-esteem no matter their level of education. Don’t forget they all have feelings.

In my experience, it's always great to have a variety of avenues to reach a teaching goal. Start with the most common or basic tactic, but expand to involve a variety of other disciplines, games, etc, and never make a change of tactic feel like a failure. Learning is about curiosity and exploration! Make it evident in your communication and demeanor that the students are smart and capable.

In my (limited) experience, this may be something to take one step at a time. Figure out what your class needs first (reps of various media, giving choices, etc.) then find a reasonable place to put it in an LP.

Teaching students with special needs thrives on universal design. Create a welcoming canvas, where every brushstroke adds inclusivity. Flexibility is the palette, accommodating diverse minds. Offer multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement. In this landscape, barriers dissolve, replaced by paths to empowerment. UDL weaves a tapestry of learning, where all find belonging.

Learning is all about growing, failing and growing some more. Thus, focusing on strengths and growth, rather than negative traits or behaviors, will help move the student growth forward more quickly.

One thing to do with our uniquely challenge students is to be patient, be consistent, and always meet them on their levels. Never make them feel less but continually build them up. Positivitely support their good and bad days. Find out their likes a dislikes that those likes can aide you in the class toning down negative behaviors. Be sure not to cuddle them but be firm enough to keep order. Be an active listener let them express themselves that you may meet their needs. Implementing other tools to keep them focus. Mostly embracing them, that classmates, parents, and staff embrace their unique gifts as you do.

Teaching special needs students blooms with positive behavior support. Cultivate a garden of encouragement. Set clear expectations, a compass for growth. Celebrate achievements, small steps like petals unfurling. Nourish with patience, the roots of understanding. Redirect negative behaviors, like a gentle breeze guiding a sail. In this nurturing landscape, students flourish, and obstacles wither away.

Teaching students with disabilities and additional needs certainly requires a team effort. Any teacher trying to go it alone will burn out. It is especially important to value the Teacher Aides/ Educational Assistants/ Paraprofessionals (regardless of their title). These really are the unsung heroes of our schools. They see and hear so much that Teachers miss because we are teaching/ working with others. They may notice because they are simply in a different view point or have more opportunities to speak 1:1 with a student. They see a student's work in multiple subjects and across contexts. The information and insights they can give us about our students can be pivotal to better understanding behaviour/ motivation and needs.

By fostering a collaborative approach, involving multiple stakeholders, and drawing on the expertise of various professionals, the student with special needs receives comprehensive support that promotes their growth, development, and inclusion within the classroom and broader school community. Collaboration ensures a holistic and tailored approach, maximizing the student's potential for success.

And don’t forget other people who have regular contact with your students. I drive a special education bus for our school district. Even though I have a master’s degree in marriage and family, I am not given any info about my students. I am the first to have contact with each student. What happens on my bus sets the tone for their day at school. For their ride home, it is helpful for us (I have a para educator with me on the bus) to know of significant issues from their day. For example: “Johnny & Eric were at each other all day and should probably not sit close to each other.” David Greene -MFM, Fuller Seminary

Students. Of course, it is vital to collaborate with colleagues, parents, administrators, and other stakeholders. However, we also need to collaborate with our students. Especially as students reach adolescence, I frame them as the experts in their strengths and needs. Once you build a trusting rapport with students, they are usually honest about their reflections, open to feedback, and willing to engage in a dialogue on it. With the IEP, I prepare them to self-advocate and tell them they are the "star" of the team. I have become more intentional about including their voices in the IEP draft (e.g. the strengths section, developing goals, and progress notes).

It is very difficult to adequately provide the needs of special education students with a solo approach. There are so many different team members that bring a unique set of expertise. The general education teacher is the content expert and can provide insight to the curriculum that not all special education teachers have knowledge about. In addition, others on the team may see things from a different standpoint or suggest things that one person might not think of. Collaboration allows the team to provide the best option for students. It is also very important to make sure that parents feel that they are a part of this collaboration and that their input is valued.

Figure out their top learning modality and appeal to that! My students were visual learners and loved music! I taught them PowerPoint , took them to see a free version of the opera Rigoletto in the Village and the movie Rent, and then had them create PowerPoint presentations on Aida and La Traviata. After Tiger Woods became a golf sensation, they created PowerPoint presentations on how to play golf and some of the top players in the LPGA like Michele Wie!!!! These students were rather high functioning; did not have serious learning disabilities!!!!!

Teaching special needs students beckons introspection. Reflect, like a mirror to the soul. Analyze lessons, refine like a sculptor's touch. Seek growth, for stagnation dims the light. Adapt strategies, flexible as a river's course. Embrace humility, for growth flows from self-awareness. In this inner journey, we elevate our practice and empower every learner.

Most important thing beyond all the buzzwords and admin-speak is to create an environment where learning and success is a safe place within which these students are able to thrive.

For classes that are content and vocabulary heavy, it would be beneficial for students to have guided notes and vocabulary packets. This is beneficial because it will allow the students to have notes that have highlighted sections so they know what they should pay attention to. It will allow the teacher to input notes that they know might take students a long time to copy. The packet can also include practice questions that would help the student apply what they learned. This could mean using math equations or asking questions about vocabulary words. This could also be used as an accountability tool, making it a routine for students to bring their note packets to class.

Providing practical experience alongside theoretical concepts can be an effective approach to address the doubts of students with special needs, ensuring a more comprehensive and engaging learning experience.

Using AI for brainstorming can really mix things up in special needs education. It's also possible to assign a role to an AI and examine the activity in a simulated setting.

The best practices in this article are all important for student learning and success, with each strategy interdependent on and supporting the effectiveness of the others. These strategies should be applied to teaching all students. The nuance of how to implement and integrate depends on students' learning styles, situations (mental/physical abilities) and unique life experiences - nature and nurture. Very challenging yet very rewarding!