Introduction
It is a challenge to educate students with emotional and behavioral disorders because they require special attention. Students with these disorders have many features that impede their academic learning and social development (Yell, 2006). Students with physical disabilities also encounter challenges in learning and therefore, a favorable learning environment is necessary for their growth. In addition, it is vital to address the education of students with health impairments and traumatic brain injuries. These conditions impede the normal learning of a student and thus all stakeholders should ensure that necessary learning materials and environment is available for the student.
Teaching Strategies
It is important to employ effective teaching methods for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. During group discussions in class work, a teacher should recognize the input of a learner with a behavior disorder. The recognition will motivate the learner making him/her interested in studies. For example, a teacher in class should encourage a student with an emotional disorder that his or her answers are right. The student with an emotional disorder should interact with other normal students. This is an effective strategy for dealing with the disability. Other normal students should learn to stay with the affected student and involve him or her in their activities to deal with the problem.
Many physically disabled students use wheelchairs, therefore in a classroom setting, adequate space is needed to allow easy movement. This environment allows learners with a physical disability to participate normally in class activities. With technological advancement, it is now easier for teachers to provide learning materials in the right format for a student with a physical impairment (Hallahan & Kauffman, 2000). These students do not need to take notes in class because they are easily accessible in soft copies. Thus, technology effectively aids teaching for students with physical disabilities. In addition, students with health impairments may find it difficult to learn in a normal classroom setting especially where other students do not understand the condition. Therefore, it is necessary to inform other regular students of the health condition of a particular student. This health condition could be leukemia, diabetes among others. When students and teachers are aware of a particular condition affecting another student, it becomes easier to provide support services. Support services provide favorable atmosphere for learning for the particular student. A TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) causes indicative effect on the learning of a student. It also affects the social interaction and psychological functioning of the student. Teachers and students should be patient with such a student and reduce their expectations of the student. It is important to exercise patience because the student takes abnormally long time to process information in the mind. Given enough time, the student can effectively learn.
Nurturing self-esteem and self-determination
Students with disabilities suffer from low self-esteem and have a poor self-determination. These students require support from other normal students, teachers and parents to improve their self-esteem and advocacy skills. To nurture self-esteem, teachers should give these students adequate time to complete their assignments and reduce the amount of work. When a student completes their tasks, they are high in spirits resulting in higher self-esteems. Encouraging students with disabilities to solve their problems and make their own decisions builds determination in the students (Hallahan & Kauffman, 2000). For example, teachers should interact with students having difficulties at school and ask them to provide measures to deal with the problem. This interaction eventually builds a student’s esteem and self-advocacy in school.
Students with disabilities often feel over-protected by parents and teachers. This over-protection lowers self-esteem in these students leading to withdrawal. It is important to distinguish between being over protective and preventing a student with a disability from engaging in a risky situation. A student with a disability should also learn from the environment. Letting go however dangerous a situation might look is vital in developing self-determination in students with disabilities (Yell, 2006). In addition, these students should express their wants such as what to wear, eat or and when they require help. This freedom enables students with disabilities to improve their argumentative skills when interacting with others. This in turn enhances the self-esteem for these students.
Dealing with regular students
Regular students can be an obstacle to effective learning of disabled students. It is necessary to teach these normal students to accommodate other students with disabilities. To do this, it is important to inform students about the particular condition in a student. A clear understanding of the condition is necessary including measures to take in case of an emergency. In addition, regular students should learn that disability is not inability and thus should not isolate students with disabilities from activities they can effectively do.
Further, it is important to teach regular students not to dominate group discussions in class activities. They should understand that disabled students also have a place in the discussion. Teaching regular students to avoid dominating groups enables them to respond appropriately to disabled students. Educational programs to regular students are necessary in ensuring proper understanding of various disabilities and strategies in dealing with them (Hallahan & Kauffman, 2000). Demonstrations are also necessary to enable students learn how they can assist a disable student in an emergency.
Policies, procedures and programs
There are several policies, procedures and programs for the education of students with disabilities locally. In the local school district, each classroom has enough space to accommodate students with physical disabilities and use wheelchairs or clutches. This policy ensures effective learning for the student with a disability because of the enough space provided. In addition, each teacher uses teaching aids to deliver effectively information to students. These teaching aids are especially important to students with disabilities and ensure effective learning. The teaching aids include computers and projectors that make learning for students with disabilities easier. There are programs in the school that provide adequate time for the students with disabilities to learn because they take extra time.
The implementation of these procedures is specific to each student according to his or her disability. Students with physical disabilities require enough space to move with their wheelchairs therefore, these students are fit in classes of normal students. They only require enough space for their instruments. Students TBI have special classes because they take considerable time in processing information. In addition, students with emotional and behavioral disabilities use more learning aids in their classroom to understand their environment. These stimulating materials enable the education of emotionally disturbed students. Furthermore, students with emotional disorders have to partake in games and interact with other students. This program enables the students to overcome their behavioral disorders as they interact with others.
References
Hallahan, D. P., & Kauffman, J.M. (2000). Exceptional Learners: Introduction to Special
Education, 8th edition. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Yell, M. (2006). The Law and Special Education (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:
Pearson Education, Inc.
