Educational Approaches in Special Education

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Educational Approaches in Special Education

Educational approaches entail the methods that are used for teaching. The curriculum developed for various students depends on the different needs of each category of students. The curriculum to be developed for students with disabilities must meet certain three conditions. Therefore, it should answer the following questions to ensure effective learning and teaching of students with severe and multiple disabilities (Heward, 2005). First, what skills does it want to teach? Secondly, what are the instructional methods to be used in teaching? Finally, where should the instructions take place? Answers to these questions will ensure effective learning for such students.

The main curriculum areas include functionality, age appropriateness, communication, literacy, recreation and leisure, making choices, access to the general education curriculum, selecting, and prioritizing instructional targets (Heward, 2005).

Instructional methods involve the techniques employed to teach students with severe and multiple disabilities. Such students have inadequate skills as well as learning problems, thus, the methods for instruction should be well-planned and systematically executed. In addition, the methods should be monitored continuously to ensure effectiveness. The first method involves the use of partial participation. In partial participation, the student can be required to perform certain selected parts of the task taught in class (Heward, 2005).

Secondly, a positive behavioral support method can be used. This involves helping the students in a lesser aggressive and disruptive way, and this is done by assisting them to learn positively in society. The method begins by carrying out a functional assessment of any manifested problem behaviors such as failing to comply, acting out, aggression and self-injury (Heward, 2005). Therefore, learning activities should be changed. In addition, environmental modifications can also be made on the curriculum.

The third and most effective method is the use of small group participation. Teachers should provide the students with basic skills required for the group such as proper sitting posture and maintenance of eye contact. Besides, students should be encouraged to develop learning skills that enable them to watch and praise other members of the group who perform the required task. Each members participation should be short to make the instruction method interesting and to encourage participation (Heward, 2005). The method adopted should be one that results in a high rate of response. Choral response or response cards can be used to enhance this in every instructional trial made during the group participation.

There are various benefits of teaching students with learning disabilities in a local school. This involves teaching them and other students who have normal learning abilities. This provides them with the basics of how they will spend their lives after school. When they are segregated in their own school, they can still feel separated even when outside their learning institutions. The reason for this is because no one can understand them very well. On the other hand, they cannot also understand the rest of the community members.

Therefore, learning with non-disabled students provides these students with severe and multiple disabilities to demonstrate that they can also work in an integrated environment and perform the same activities. This would enable their peers to think positively about them. Their parents can also be assured of their future functioning in integrated environments, thus allowing them to develop self-reliant and independent skills. As a result, they can prepare themselves to face the challenges of life on their own, without excessive protection.

In conclusion, students with severe and multiple should not be segregated from other students, but they should be taught together with other able students in local schools. Therefore, appropriate instructional methods should be used to incorporate the needs of the students with severe and multiple disabilities.

Reference

Heward, W. (2005). Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall Publishers.

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