Enhancing the Educational Experience of Special Needs Students

What is Special Needs?

• The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines special needs as: mental, emotional, or physical problems in a child that require a special setting for education.

• Term covers many different diagnoses

Why is it important to me?

• All students deserve and are required to be provided by law a “free, appropriate public education.”

• All teachers are required to accommodate and differentiate their classroom and instruction so that all students receive a quality education.

How can this be achieved?

• IEP – Individualized Education Program: an individual program designed to help the school and educators meet the needs of the individual child.

• AT – Assistive Technology: "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off-the-shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities" (U.S. Congress, 1988).

Assistive Technologies - ADHD

• Math – electronic math worksheet software and talking calculators. (additude.com)

• Reading – audio books and optical character recognition devices

• Writing – word processors and speech recognition programs

Assistive Strategies for Hearing Impaired

• Keep the door close to keep hallway noise from coming into the classroom

• Maintain quiet during lecture times• Allow only 1 student to speak at a time• Write assignments on the board

Assistive Strategies for mild disabilities

• Allow students to use word processors• Provide organized study guides• After a lesson or student demonstration clarify the main

ideas

Conclusion

• All students deserve an education and we as educators must ensure that each of our students receive that education. Students can be aided through the use of IEP’s, Assistive Technologies, or sometimes simply classroom modifications or strategies.

Bibliography• The Best Software and Gadgets for ADHD Students. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://

www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/6585.html• Assistive Technology Categories. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://www.edb.utexas.edu/atlab/Categories/index.php • Assistive Technology for Students with Mild Disabilities: Update 2002. ERIC Digest. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://

www.ericdigests.org/2003-1/assistive.htm• Assistive Technology: Resource Roundup. (2013). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/article/assistive-

technology-resources• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/iep.html • (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/special needs• Federal Laws that Help those with Special Needs. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from

http://www.mychildwithoutlimits.org/plan/special-needs-planning/federal-laws-that-help-those-with-special-needs/ • Accommodations for Students with Hearing Loss - Success For Kids With Hearing Loss. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from

http://successforkidswithhearingloss.com/relationship-hl-listen-learn/accommodations/ • Understanding Individualized Education Programs. (2014). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from

https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/ieps/understanding-individualized-education-programs#item1