Classrooms are full of diversity. They’re where kids learn to interact with people who are different from themselves, including children with functional needs — also known as special needs. Education experts can develop teaching strategies that demonstrate how to interact with one another respectfully. Adding new ideas to your classroom can help kids form lifelong friendships while also providing them with the education they need.
1. Assign Group Work
Students often work on projects together. These opportunities enable them to learn from one another and practice effective communication. Group work is also essential in classrooms with neurodiversity.
Your students can collaborate on age-appropriate work to build trust with each other and break down social barriers. They’ll also develop shared responsibility. Focusing on the task at hand can help reduce students’ nervousness around each other, as they have a structured way to interact during group work time.
2. Use Learning Aids with Everyone
Educational tools are necessary to help many kids with disabilities. If they’re the only young people using those classroom resources, the rest of your students might look at them differently. Teachers can use learning aids with the whole class to normalize them.
Tools like text-to-speech software or visual schedules will help everyone stay on task without making students with special needs feel like they’re under a spotlight. Normalizing learning aids also teaches children to overcome stigmas. The new equipment becomes normalized, and students will understand why the learning aids help their friends learn, fostering empathy while removing stigmas.
3. Incorporate Play-Based Activities
Studying flashcards and reciting facts aren’t the only ways for young minds to learn. Play-based activities can help as well. They’re especially beneficial for anyone learning about having classmates with special needs. Play-based activities provide learning opportunities for children who may be nonverbal or have varying physical abilities.
Instead of feeling pressured to verbally communicate during class, a young student might thrive because the play-based activity welcomes their self-expression. Playing together is a low-pressure way to learn and have fun. Your students will become accustomed to interacting with their classmates with disabilities if they have low-stakes opportunities to socialize through educational activities.
4. Teach About Stereotypes
When young people feel negatively about something, it may feel like a universal truth. They don’t know why likes and dislikes develop unless you give them the tools to understand how their minds work. Young students can learn about stereotypes to understand the origins of their uncomfortable feelings about classmates with special needs.
Teachers can explain that everyone learns in a unique way. Everyone has different preferences, too. Some kids may prefer sensory-friendly activities while others don’t. There’s nothing wrong with either option. If children learn to accept that people are different, they can make friends with anyone in their lives. You’ll motivate your students to interact with each other by opening their minds to the existence of stereotypes.
5. Model Inclusive Behavior
Some teaching strategies for special needs students don’t require textbooks. You can also instruct your students with your own behavior. Teachers are role models because students mirror their attitudes and behaviors after daily interactions. If you demonstrate how to have a positive attitude when facing something new, your students will understand how to do the same.
Educators should remember that students may not see inclusive behavior at home. You can model respectful interactions by noting why you’re avoiding specific words that some students use toward their classmates with special needs. Simple moments can change your classroom dynamic because kids learn a great deal from their teachers as role models.
6. Point Out Similarities
The world is full of mysteries to young minds. When kids encounter something different, they may feel fearful because they aren’t sure how to navigate the experience. You can point out similarities among your students to encourage them to work through their feelings. When classmates have distance between them, you might talk about how everyone shares similar hobbies or favorite foods. Once kids realize they have things in common, they’ll build connections that create genuine friendships.
How Enabling Devices Can Help
Transforming a classroom into a supportive and welcoming environment requires creativity. Teachers may need to look beyond traditional school supplies so every young mind can thrive. Enabling Devices has solutions that help kids learn and have fun with their friends.
Teachers might use wireless switches to make iPads more accessible to children with limited mobility. Wall communicators ensure that every student can clearly articulate what they mean when answering questions during class. The Enabling Devices spinning light show device opens new possibilities with light-focused sensory activities.
Comforting toys also help students when they feel overstimulated. A weighted bulldog plush could ground a child who needs to hold on to something while working through an emotion. Teachers could supply their classrooms with weighted lap pads or roll-up piano keys to engage each child’s senses when they’re having a hard day. The equipment will soothe their minds so they’re ready to continue learning with minimal routine disruption.
Adding Enabling Devices equipment to classrooms ensures every child has what they need to interact with lessons and have fun. Teachers can help students with different abilities interact by normalizing assistive devices that make learning fun and accessible to everyone. Both are essential to having a positive educational experience for everyone.
Choosing the Best Classroom Tools
Finding the best supplies for kids with disabilities shouldn’t feel difficult. Busy teachers can make the best choice for their classroom by looking for companies that meet specific criteria, such as:
- Brands that make products that support each child’s independence while nurturing their sensory needs.
- Companies known for making durable equipment that withstands frequent use.
- Businesses that make a variety of equipment designed for various sensory needs.
- Tools that are easy for neurodiverse and neurotypical students to use.
- Classroom supplies that come in a variety of price ranges.
The best brands invest in their products, providing kids with long-lasting tools to thrive in educational environments. You can also discuss which tools other teachers may have used before to turn exclusion into inclusion.
Tips for Successful Implementation
Making changes in the classroom takes time. Educators can ease their students into a more inclusive everyday environment by taking specific steps forward.
Get the Parents Involved
Children may adapt to their changing classroom more readily if they hear the same messages at school and at home. You could send parents letters explaining how your classroom is adapting to become more inclusive to classmates with special needs.
Parents can help by using the same inclusive language at home or remaining open to questions their kids might have about things like learning differences. While you can’t guarantee parental participation, parents will appreciate understanding what’s happening in the classroom if or when their kids come home with questions.
Introduce Changes Slowly
Starting a new grade can feel overwhelming for kids. If they’ve had time to get used to how your classroom works and then everything changes, the disruption may hinder their educational progress. Young minds crave order to feel calm, especially when they have sensory processing challenges.
You should introduce teaching strategies for special needs students slowly. Start with one idea, such as integrating visual aids into group activities. Your students will still benefit from slow change because any inclusivity effort makes your classroom more welcoming to everyone.
Avoid Singling Anyone Out
Some people may have good intentions, but accidentally make students with special needs feel ostracized. If you imply that everything’s changing for one or two specific kids, the others might dislike those students because change is hard to accept. Instead, try focusing conversations around the benefits of your new classroom tools. If everyone talks about how the learning aids are helpful rather than the students themselves, no one will feel uncomfortable.
Welcome Conversations With Students
Kids are full of questions. Even if teachers take their time explaining classroom updates, new resources or modeled behaviors, their students might still want answers. They also may not feel free to discuss their questions at home, depending on their family environment.
You should prepare for those moments by welcoming conversations. Let your students know that they can approach you privately with whatever’s on their minds. Everyone will be better off if they don’t feel like they have to suppress their questions.
Normalize Having Classmates With Special Needs
Creating a welcoming school environment for students with disabilities requires dedication. You can gently change your classroom atmosphere by modeling inclusive behaviors, investing in supportive resources and talking with students about how they feel. Kids with special needs will know they belong in the classroom as much as anyone else because they’re able to make friends while accomplishing learning objectives.
