ABC's of Teaching Special Needs Students
by Heather Skipworth Craven

Adapt - Make adjustments in environment, curriculum, and objectives that will fit the specific needs of your student(s).

Build - Building a relationship of trust, rapport, and understanding with your students and parents is an invaluable part of your program.

Communicate - Communicate with parents, physicians, and other support staff. Access resource agencies and support groups.

Development - Development of a progrm that is tailored to a student's specific isues is vital and is an on-going process.

Environment - Structure your classroom environment whenever possible to fit the needs and characteristics of a student's disorder.

Flexibility - Flexibility is a must. Structure and clear expectations are essential, but should not be rigid.

Great Expectations - Special needs students require modifications, but we can still have great expectations and goals for them.

Hands On - Hands on materials, methods, and experiences are wonderful tools for working with our exceptional students.

Independence - One of the most important goals we should have for our students is to achieve the best level of independence and self-sufficiency possible.

Journaling - When in doubt...document! Keep accurate journals of students' characteristics, behaviors, and progress as informational and measurement tools.

Knowledge - Educate yourself as well as your other students about a special needs student's disability.

Life Skills - This is an important component of a special needs student depending upon the level of their disorder.

Measurement - Use regular evaluation methods to measure the progress and determine the effectiveness of your interventions.

Noteworthy - Paying attention to those strengths and attributes that are unique to our students is important. All too often we get so absorbed in the disability that we fail to see the contributions special needs students have to offer.

Objectives - Objectives should be specific, clear, observable, and measureable.

Planning - Plannng needs to be an ongoing process, assessing and evaluating whether the student's needs are being met appropriately.

Question - Questioning excercises the right to advocate for special needs students. Question methods, treatment, and plans that do not seem to be an adequate fit.

Remediation - Remediation should be a process of adjustment, designed and customized to address the student's specific needs.

Strategies - Devise a careful plan of action to achieve a specific goal with regards to special needs students. Each student is different and requires different strategies.

Trust - Building a relationship based upon mutual respect and trust between student, teacher, and parent is a strong predictor of success.

Understanding - Development of an empathetic ability to perceive our students' and their families' nature or situation enables us to be more sensitive to their needs.

Variety - Explore a variety of techniques to meet special needs. Research the latest interventions and strategies.

Work Together - Work together with your support staff. The most effective programs are ones which all professionals regularly communicate and exchange ideas.

eXpectation - Make your expectations attainable, but those that will encourage your special needs students to put forth their best efforts.

Yearly Milestones - Celebrate milestones and goals achieved each step of the way throughout the school year.

Zeal - Kep an energy and enthusiasm about your program and meeting the needs of ALL your students!