4 Tips to Tend to Children
with Special Needs
Tending
to a classroom is already hard enough, but for children who have special needs,
you have to be extra vigilant. Being a teacher assistant, you have to make
these students feel comfortable and help with whatever is going in the
classroom. If you don’t know where to start, then let the following tips might
help.
Understand Disability
Being
a teacher assistant, you play an important role in
developing the self-esteem of your children. Developing confidence is important,
especially if the child has special needs.
Help your students develop a healthy self-image. If a student uses a speech device, even extra time, care and
support is needed. If they use a wheelchair, see how they can participate in
physical activities before determining types of activities for the class. Once
you understand their disability, you can help the child with upcoming
challenges and make lesson plans that all students can participate in. This way
you will not only support the children in the class but empower the child with
special needs by providing them with tasks that are challenging and build their
self confidence.
Compassion
When
a project is more complex than regular ones, you have to consider the children
with special needs. Thanks to the challenge, you may often find that children with
special needs are more willing to participate than in usual every day
activities, a change from the norm can be healthy. However, it is important to carefully select
a group task that involves a child with special needs. It is a difficult balancing act; you have a whole class to teach.
Make sure the students show sensitivity
Keeping
an eye on the children with special needs is a part of your role as an integration
aide. Children with disabilities are often bullied more and require close
attention. The situation can be worsened when the students are out of sight of
the teacher. Whilst there are new programs introduced every year to help
students, bullying remains a serious issue and must be a consideration for any
teaching assistant. So, you have to be extra vigilant
and always be on watch. See if a child with special needs is being taken down and come to his or her
rescue. This
is more important than your lesson plans.
Call on Students with Special Needs
This may seem easy,
but children who have disabilities want to participate with the rest of class.
They will use other options. Let them answer;
you can also ask if they want to volunteer or if they are going for an answer
as it is. You need to confirm it from your side because participating in class
is very important with their answer. So let them, it makes their day.
