Teaching strategies for children with intellectual disabilities

Children with intellectual disabilities have various problems in their personal, social, educational life domains that can make the daily life settings difficult for them. Due to social expectations and problems represented by intellectual deficits, it can be hard for them to learn basic concepts in school settings and to blend with society easily. Children with intellectual disability might need to go separate educational settings to learn basic concepts in their own pace with a teacher that is specifically trained in special education yet others might stay in inclusive educational settings to socially adapt and develop cognitive skills in a classroom within their peer group. To increase performance of children with disabilities, educators can follow these steps given below.

1. Educators that have children with intellectual disabilities in their class environment should acknowledge that these children might exhibit inappropriate attitudes and behaviors in a classroom setting, have a difficult time to express their feelings, thoughts, needs and wants through direct communication, to learn new concepts that seems easily understood by other students, and so that to be prepared according to the problems that might arise.
2. Before the semester starts, information about child’s strengths and weaknesses, current levels of functioning in different areas of life domains, the conditions, syndromes and disabilities that child might have, training for health care in needed urgent situations that might show itself and student’s personal program of learning should be assessed and learned through other educators and parents so that effective learning can take place.
3. It should be known that patience is a key concept of teaching to children with intellectual disabilities. Educators should acknowledge that these children might fall behind in learning curve compared to other students and need repetitions. Empathetic skills and patience of a teacher might help child to build confidence to accomplish many tasks that child might have initially think he/she can’t.
4. Task analysis is very important for teaching. Big tasks that are broken down into smaller steps can be achieved by the task analysis gradually. Using different materials and learning techniques to teach is very important for children to learn and have fun while learning a big task.
5. Children with intellectual disabilities might need immediate feedback due to association between behaviors and consequences to be established. Responses should not be delayed so that these associations can build on a stronger level.
6. Keeping track of children’s progress and keeping an eye on children’s performances is very important to know if the teaching strategies used are effective ways for children to learn so that if progress is not attained, different ways of teaching strategies should be used.
7. Peer tutoring can be very efficient to optimize learning experience before and after classroom for children with intellectual disabilities. Repetition can be achieved for both children and social relationships can be built through peer tutoring.

Given strategies and important considerations should be applied in educational settings to increase performance of children with intellectual disabilities. These strategies might give insight for educators and help them to acknowledge needed skills in different areas of teaching. Using the strategies, inclusive environment can be established and children with intellectual disabilities might accomplish their potential.