Online Schooling: Educating Children with Special Needs

TOI-Online / Aug 31, 2022, 15:02 IST

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Online Schooling: Educating Children with Special Needs

In India, about 3000 special schools are available for the disabled children, out of which nearly 900 institutions are for the hearing impaired, 400 for the visually impaired, 1000 for the mentally challenged and the remaining 700 are for the children with physical disabilities. But in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic, special needs education has taken the most brutal hit.In response to these emerging challenges, online schooling has become a popular alternative among parents.
Children with Special Needs: Teaching DOs & DON’Ts
DOs

Use a consistent Routine: Consistency is not to be mistaken for monotony. You can be creative and flexible with the learning material, but having a regular routine that sets certain expectations from students can be helpful to their education.
Use Visuals: Creatives such as visual calendar marking activities they’d be engaging in, video recordings, visual cue cards of lesson plans, can help special needs students understand the order of the activities ahead of them for the following semester.
Use Response Cards: Unlike the traditional roll call system or raising their hands, use a response cards system to offer each student the chance to respond to a particular question or activity.
Target communication and individual participation: Set an agenda for the morning meeting as to what communication goals or verbal exchanges would the class be practicing that day. Make sure these verbal exchanges are something they can practice multiple times, so every special needs student knows how to do it.

DON'Ts

Assuming the child cannot participate: This rule also goes for teaching kids otherwise, but especially in the case of students with special needs, don’t assume their limitations to be something fixed and unchanging. For instance, if a special needs student is struggling to focus or has behavioral concerns, instead of assuming that he/she cannot participate, create short term activities that do not require a long focus period.
Separating the special needs child from other students: We aren’t talking about physical segregation, but social separation. While it is best to seat the special needs student close to the teacher, make sure he/she is in the middle or at the front so they can engage with the students around them.
Losing patience: Even the best of educators can lose confidence in their skills when dealing with the challenges posed by special needs students. But remember, children with special needs don’t navigate the world around them, as you or other kids would. Be patient. Everyday is different, so make sure to not carry the assumptions and hang-ups of yesterday onto the next day.
Generalizing Special Needs: Special education may get used as an umbrella term inclusive of varied abilities and disabilities, every special needs student is different including their interests, ages, and likes and dislikes. It may be challenging but make sure to curate an Individualized Education Program based on individual needs of special needs students.

Students with special needs often have attention and behavior deficits creating the need for an engaging learning environment that entails specialized coaching and use of sensory cues that keep them focused on the ongoing task. The need for an Individualized Education Program is all the more crucial. EdTech platforms are emerging alternatives to traditional schooling, where the education and academic learning experience is personalized to meet individual requirements.

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