The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) defines Special Education as “specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability,”
The technique of educating kids with special needs in a way that takes into account their unique differences and requirements is known as special education or special needs education. Those students whose requirements are met in the classroom are those with special needs, such as learning difficulties, mental health problems, particular disabilities (physical or developmental), and giftedness. But typically, when someone says “special education,” they’re referring to pupils who have mental health issues, learning difficulties, or other challenges.
To help students with special needs attain a greater level of personal self-sufficiency and academic success, special education is the personally planned and systematically supervised arrangement of instructional techniques, modified tools and materials, accessible environments, and other interventions.
Students who are physically or cognitively challenged benefit specifically from special education classes. Students with disabilities receive high-quality learning in the ideal special education classroom. Even though there is currently a movement in education toward online learning and including students with special needs in regular classes, more severely impaired individuals still require special education sessions. To give the students who need it most more focused, specialized attention, special education classrooms are designed.
Children with unique disabilities gradually accept their varying talents. However, a carefully created program or materials prepared to deal with children with special needs may aid in their development into a successful adult in society. Many relevant and distinctive curricula that specifically address their needs for thinking, comprehending, speech, language, communication, physical, emotional, and behavioral challenges have been established over years of research and analysis. Special Needs Labs assist in lesson planning, skill modification, and behavior strategy implementation to lessen their challenges with higher cognitive functions.
What does SEN labs offer?
Planning for SEN classrooms is more complicated than planning for conventional classrooms.
- Cognitive skills: For some disabled children, concrete sensory or physical experiences are necessary to assist the growth of abstract ideas and concepts. The labs must cater to effectively enhance the approach of students towards cognitive learning.
- Behavioral support: These demands may necessitate a more regulated learning environment with distinct limits for each activity and more room to roam around for the kids who have them. This provides them with a safe space to decompress and have a comfortable distance from others.
- Communication & functionality: Here, a straightforward setting with not much distraction is required. Incorporating sensory stimulation will help to lower anxiety levels. Having a peaceful area to retreat may be beneficial for kids with these issues as well.
- Sensory support: Special consideration for acoustic and lighting requirements may be necessary in classrooms for children with sensory or physical limitations. Additional space and signposting may be required in addition to specialized aids, furnishings, or equipment. This is targeted on assisting the students in independently and unassisted navigating their environment, which is an important factor.
Here are some other strategies that special education teachers can use to benefit all of their students:
- Make students work in groups: Personalizing instruction without cutting into class instruction time can be achieved by dividing the class into smaller groups of two or three students organized by level. For instance, in math class, one group can be practicing fundamentals while a more experienced group might be honing their geometry techniques. Along their educational route, students would be paired together based on similar ability levels and goals.
- Thematic approach: When a single theme is connected to several subject areas, it is called thematic instruction. It has been demonstrated that this type of instruction works very well in special education settings. A “theme” could be anything, such as a current issue, a historical occasion, a topic for writing, or a way to improve reading comprehension. A historical event, for instance, might be connected to every other subject. The theme ought to be eye-grabbing in order to hold the kids’ attention and keep them interested.
- Different classroom centers: Students can also be grouped together successfully in the classroom using centers. Each center would focus on a particular level or area. The instructions and all the instructional materials for the centers would be self-contained. Additionally, they would be partly self-explanatory and self-guided to allow the teacher to move between the various areas and offer the proper instruction. The groups could be led by a parent, volunteer, or teaching assistant. Such centers would be self-explanatory while not completely sacrificing more direct instructor time.
Making a few changes will improve your ability to teach special education pupils. No matter how severe their disabilities are, programs can be set up in a way that accommodates each student’s level of functioning. Thus SEN labs works as the best solutions for educating the special needs kids
Leader Edutech provides schools with SEN lab facility and if you would like to know more about our labs in detail, contact Leader Edutech on +971 4 575 4932 or visit the website www.leaderedutech.com for a broader understanding.
