Students with disabilities have a mental or physical impairment that limits them from performing numerous classroom activities. These students have special needs such as autism, learning disabilities, ADHD, and behavioral and emotional disorders. They require special education services and individualized education plans. Teachers should strive to involve students with disabilities by providing quality assistance to students and ensuring they are included in classroom activities. Teachers should acknowledge the uniqueness of each child and treat them as individuals. They should understand the individual differences among students and change the curriculum and teaching strategies. Understanding individual differences will increase student’s participation, development, and learning and help them reach their potential.
Children with disabilities require specialized approaches to promote meaningful interactions in learning activities and daily lives. Specialized instruction aligns an individual student’s goals and objectives with suitable teaching materials and methods. It enables teachers to determine the level of assistance each child requires, provide tailored assistance, and assess whether the instruction was effective. Some specialized instruction practices for children with disabilities include assessments and implementing individualized practices (Bredekamp, 2011). Effective individualized instructions for children with special needs depend on assessing their needs and progress. The most appropriate assessments early childhood teachers can use are curriculum-based and routine-based assessments. Curriculum-based assessments track a student’s progress along the scale of functional skills. These skills help children with disabilities improve their everyday lives. It develops cognitive, social, communication, and fine and gross motor skills. Routine-based assessments determine which functional skills should be taught. The teacher assesses how the child participates in routines of daily life.
Another specialized instruction practice for children with special needs is individualized instructional strategies. Some individualized instructional approaches teachers can use include developing specific student goals, creating learning opportunities, and providing teacher support. Teachers can identify specific goals for children by conducting assessments. Efficient teachers create learning opportunities by providing students with tools for learning new skills. Teachers can provide support by giving students positive reinforcements when they perform new skills. It will motivate them to try the new skill again and make improvements. One practice for teaching children with disabilities that applies to all children is teaming and collaboration. Collaboration in a classroom is crucial for the success of all children, including those with special needs. Professionals and family members can collaborate to create inclusive classrooms. For example, the family can provide information about a child’s needs and strengths, help assess functional skills, implement intervention practices remotely, and provide crucial information about intervention. Teachers can use these approaches to promote the development of all children, including those with disabilities.
Apart from specialized instruction, the most beneficial information is understanding where individual differences among children come from. Most psychologists believe that development is a product of nature (biology) or nurture (environment) (Bredekamp, 2011). The influence of biology on development refers to the genetic or hereditary contributions. For example, physical growth and motor skills for humans develop in a predictable sequence. Most infants begin to babble, crawl, and walk at approximately the same age, proving that nature affects development. Genetics can affect individual differences. For example, some children begin walking as soon as seven months, while others take as long as 18 months. The environment also plays a crucial role in influencing individual differences. According to the nurture perspective, environmental factors determine who we become. For example, discipline measures will affect a child’s behavior more than genetic contributions. Other environmental factors that affect a child’s development include economic resources, the safety of the community, and the quality of the childcare setting. However, nature and nurture influence each other and determine how we interact in the environment. Verbal children will likely ask more questions and understand more concepts than dumb children. Experiences children have in early childhood and the environment they experience them affect brain development and determine if children will become healthy and productive members of the community. This information will help understand individual differences’ origin and effectively tailor educational plans.
Reference
Bredekamp, S. (2011). Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education: Building a Foundation. 4th ed. Pearson Education Inc.
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