How to Socially Integrate Students with Special Needs
Know your students., Meet with the team., Regularly review the IEP., Follow the IEP., Document everything., Get the help of other adults., Talk with the student., Talk to the student's loved ones., Plan for variety., Review activities., Reteach...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Know your students.
Knowing begins with reviewing their educational file. In many schools these files are monitored and kept under lock and key to protect individual privacy. Ask the special needs coordinator for access, or arrange to review the file with the Special Education teacher assigned to that student.
Asking around about them helps you to know more about their personality and habits: are they active or calm, clever or struggling, conscientious or careless, obedient or mischievous? -
Step 2: Meet with the team.
In modern educational systems, professional learning communities are utilized to assure every student is afforded every opportunity.
Meet regularly with all professionals tasked with that child's education.
Document these meetings.
A thorough record will be useful for tracking strategies used.
Integrating special needs people of any age into social contexts means meeting with those who care about that person. , Individual Education Plans address weaknesses as well as strengths.
Thoroughly reviewing the IEP assures that the child gets what is needed. If it is on the IEP, experts have decided the best course of action for the child is identified. Don't ignore anything on an IEP.
Often, IEPs suggest processes that might help within social contexts outside the classroom.
The primary concern in a social context is assuring the individual's needs are met with no violation of that individual's rights. , Every learner, even those not identified as having special needs, have rights to an unrestricted education.
By not following an IEP, many educators violate these learners' rights. If a situation arises that prevents adherence to the IEP, notify administrators immediately. Email is best because it creates a record of your attempt to resolve the problem.
Outside the classroom, an IEP may not be available, so follow those practices and procedures which are most familiar to the individual.
Don't impose on them a social context without the support of members who care. , While lesson plans, attendance records, and homework files create a regular record of activities, keeping a register of actions for each special needs accommodation is extremely helpful.
Use shorthand or abbreviations. The idea behind record keeping is not to inundate educators with excessive documentation tasks. Brief is best.
Often personal letters and diary entries can document the social interactions of special needs people in contexts outside the classroom. , Inclusion is a community effort, and the student's team can work together to help make it happen.
Consider aides, tutors, therapists, and paraprofessionals.
Talk to other content area professionals. Collaborate on projects together.
Visit the resource room during plan time. Often you can reinforce an idea just by visiting the child in a different environment.
In the absence of the school context, use community resources.
Most communities have a disabilities services association.
They provide valuable insight as well as opportunities for social interaction for persons with special needs. , Ask them what they are learning, what they are struggling with, and how you can help.
This encourages the student to trust and open up to you.
It also gives you a sense of their priorities.
What are the student's goals? How badly do they want to make friends, and are there any particular people whom they would like to make friends with? Some students are okay with one or two close friends, while others want a wide circle of friends.
A few are okay with having no friends.
Find out how much , They know the child well, so they can offer advice on what helps and doesn't help the student as an individual.
They can also share concerns, ideas, and feedback. , Multiple intelligences, project learning, and cooperative learning structures all provide strategies for delivering content to different learners.
These strategies work outside the classroom too.
Introducing special needs persons to social expectations should be taught the same way. , When possible, videotape, photograph, and write about experiences and review them before dropping a strategy.
Keep a log or diary of what works and doesn't work. Remember that none of the strategies you employ will work for all individuals, so be ready to reteach. , Every new concept should be revisited at least twice. Research shows that students can't retain information that hasn't been presented to them at least three times. The strength of understanding is increased when it is presented more than that and in a variety of ways.
This is also true in social contexts. -
Step 3: Regularly review the IEP.
-
Step 4: Follow the IEP.
-
Step 5: Document everything.
-
Step 6: Get the help of other adults.
-
Step 7: Talk with the student.
-
Step 8: Talk to the student's loved ones.
-
Step 9: Plan for variety.
-
Step 10: Review activities.
-
Step 11: Reteach
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Step 12: and revise.
Detailed Guide
Knowing begins with reviewing their educational file. In many schools these files are monitored and kept under lock and key to protect individual privacy. Ask the special needs coordinator for access, or arrange to review the file with the Special Education teacher assigned to that student.
Asking around about them helps you to know more about their personality and habits: are they active or calm, clever or struggling, conscientious or careless, obedient or mischievous?
In modern educational systems, professional learning communities are utilized to assure every student is afforded every opportunity.
Meet regularly with all professionals tasked with that child's education.
Document these meetings.
A thorough record will be useful for tracking strategies used.
Integrating special needs people of any age into social contexts means meeting with those who care about that person. , Individual Education Plans address weaknesses as well as strengths.
Thoroughly reviewing the IEP assures that the child gets what is needed. If it is on the IEP, experts have decided the best course of action for the child is identified. Don't ignore anything on an IEP.
Often, IEPs suggest processes that might help within social contexts outside the classroom.
The primary concern in a social context is assuring the individual's needs are met with no violation of that individual's rights. , Every learner, even those not identified as having special needs, have rights to an unrestricted education.
By not following an IEP, many educators violate these learners' rights. If a situation arises that prevents adherence to the IEP, notify administrators immediately. Email is best because it creates a record of your attempt to resolve the problem.
Outside the classroom, an IEP may not be available, so follow those practices and procedures which are most familiar to the individual.
Don't impose on them a social context without the support of members who care. , While lesson plans, attendance records, and homework files create a regular record of activities, keeping a register of actions for each special needs accommodation is extremely helpful.
Use shorthand or abbreviations. The idea behind record keeping is not to inundate educators with excessive documentation tasks. Brief is best.
Often personal letters and diary entries can document the social interactions of special needs people in contexts outside the classroom. , Inclusion is a community effort, and the student's team can work together to help make it happen.
Consider aides, tutors, therapists, and paraprofessionals.
Talk to other content area professionals. Collaborate on projects together.
Visit the resource room during plan time. Often you can reinforce an idea just by visiting the child in a different environment.
In the absence of the school context, use community resources.
Most communities have a disabilities services association.
They provide valuable insight as well as opportunities for social interaction for persons with special needs. , Ask them what they are learning, what they are struggling with, and how you can help.
This encourages the student to trust and open up to you.
It also gives you a sense of their priorities.
What are the student's goals? How badly do they want to make friends, and are there any particular people whom they would like to make friends with? Some students are okay with one or two close friends, while others want a wide circle of friends.
A few are okay with having no friends.
Find out how much , They know the child well, so they can offer advice on what helps and doesn't help the student as an individual.
They can also share concerns, ideas, and feedback. , Multiple intelligences, project learning, and cooperative learning structures all provide strategies for delivering content to different learners.
These strategies work outside the classroom too.
Introducing special needs persons to social expectations should be taught the same way. , When possible, videotape, photograph, and write about experiences and review them before dropping a strategy.
Keep a log or diary of what works and doesn't work. Remember that none of the strategies you employ will work for all individuals, so be ready to reteach. , Every new concept should be revisited at least twice. Research shows that students can't retain information that hasn't been presented to them at least three times. The strength of understanding is increased when it is presented more than that and in a variety of ways.
This is also true in social contexts.
About the Author
Heather Russell
Creates helpful guides on DIY projects to inspire and educate readers.
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