Teaching a disabled child is always more difficult than teaching a child with normal capabilities. The disabled, or especially abled child, will have a unique nature, and different requirements, which you will need to give special attention to. This can be both frustrating and inspiring. We give you some basic suggestions to go about imparting education to a child with disability.
You should aim to present the material in many ways – orally, visually, and kinesthetically. You can provide tapes of the material to those with hearing disability, and can get them translated to Braille for those whose sight is impaired. Constantly challenge a child’s creativity with puzzles, logic games, jigsaws, anagrams, etc. The trick is not to keep it 100% academic, but to use a variety of other methods, which, because they are interesting, will draw the attention of the children and will keep them interested.
You will need to pay special attention to the needs of the disabled child. For example, those with problems in sight should sit in the front, close to the blackboard and to other study material. Use a board that does not reflect light, and write in big bold letters. Do give priority to the child’s needs, and if he needs more time to complete an assignment, grant him that time. Encourage the use of calculators for large sums, make them familiar with computers. Do hold regular meetings where you can sit down with the children and discuss issues. The disabled children can talk about what is bothering them, what changes they would like to see in the curriculum, and what other things they might need.
A good suggestion is to provide motivation to the especially abled children by bringing in someone who has overcome his disability, to talk about his experience. Students feel encouraged by sessions like these, and are spurred on to do better. It’s important not to undermine the child’s capability, or difference, just because he is disabled. Instead, encourage the child to embrace his uniqueness, and his depth of character.
If you are teaching a mixed class, always encourage good behavior, and make sure that the disabled child is not the brunt of jokes. Any one making fun of the child should be severely punished. Often, children can be very mean, do stress firmly that the disabled child is not to be made fun of, for his special ability.
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