Special Education and Inclusion

 

1.      . ANDREAS, AGED 12 (Diagnosis - SEBD)

Teachers are always shouting at me. I don’t care. I hate English anyway — I can’t do it. I just want to have a laugh with my friends.

1.    .   MARKUS, SECONDARY TEACHER, tells about  Jozef, Aged 11 (Diagnosis – ADHD)

Jozef is like a spinning top. He's always calling out, whirling around the classroom, not finishing activities, interrupting other students, and taking their things. I get a headache and he really annoys other students.

2.     ELENA, AGED 11 (Diagnosis – Dyslexia)

I hate English lessons. The teacher says I'm lazy, but I'm trying really hard. I just hate reading aloud, and copying from the board takes ages.

1.      What needs (e.g., communication, academic, behavioural, social, and emotional) does each student have?

While ADHD and SEBD may not seem like big problems, they can require more care than they seem. Although ADHD is referred to as a difference today, it can be an important obstacle to school life and learning. These children need activities that are different from normal activities. For example, instead of wasting their energy by running or shouting in the classroom where it does not take long to focus, they can throw off their energy with play activities. Since seeing a teacher who understands them will also relax them emotionally, establishing correct communication with the child and suggesting special activities will provide this confidence.

For students with dyslexia, learning is slower and more difficult. Taking notes on the board or reading a text aloud in class can reduce their self-confidence and motivation in the classroom because they confuse the texts while reading and writing. The student may be offended by the lesson or the teacher. For this reason, preparing special texts for him and not forcing him to read aloud will make him feel more comfortable in the classroom. For students with special needs, the most important need is always a teacher who can understand them. Thus, they do not break away from the classroom and the lesson.

 

2.      What are some of the benefits and opportunities of educating these students in your classroom? How can you ensure these positive outcomes?

Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to having private students in the classroom. But with the right classroom management, its positive aspects can increase. For example, taking a mixed education with private students together contributes a lot to the social life of the students. They learn how to behave towards people with special needs and grow up to be tolerant and understanding children. It is in the hands of the teacher to provide this environment of tolerance. The teacher should communicate the difference between the two groups, both by showing and without marginalizing. Students should see the dissimilar as a new discovery, not as a contradiction, but as a different color and try to understand each other. The teacher should explain these differences in a nice way with various activities. It's boring for everyone to look alike, just like different hair colors or some straight hair and some curly hair. They should be able to explain to children that difference and diversity are beautiful and that they develop us. However, if these conditions are met, the presence of special students in the classroom can result in positive results.