Transformative Teaching Methods for Supporting Students with Disabilities

Every child has the right to an education and to develop their skills, talents, and abilities to their fullest extent. To assist children in this quest, over the years educators have developed new and different ways of teaching children with diverse needs to ensure they receive the support they need to succeed in their academic journey.

In this article, we will explore some of the transformative teaching methods that have become widely recognized and implemented by teachers and educators to help improve the learning and education needs of students with disabilities.

Assistive Technologies

Advances in technology have enabled schools to take advantage of various assistive technologies to support students with disabilities in their education. Today, devices such as voice recognition software, assistive listening devices, specialized keyboards, screen readers, and text-to-speech tools have become widely available to dramatically assist students with disabilities to achieve their learning goals.

These tools make access to educational materials and resources easier for these students, promoting independent learning and enhancing their ability to fully participate in classroom activities and assignments.

Multi-Sensory Learning

A multi-sensory approach to learning involves engaging multiple senses and parts of the brain when learning. According to this school of thought, known as the whole brain learning theory, engaging multiple senses can greatly facilitate our learning and how to do things.

Multi-sensory learning can include taste, touch, smell, sound and movement and can be particularly beneficial for students who rely on a particular sense more than others such as those with ADHD, dyslexia, autism or other learning disabilities. By using multisensory teaching methods and activities, educators can ensure they reach every child in their classroom. To find out more about the resources available for students with disabilities in South Carolina visit SC academic resources.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

The learning challenges presented for children with disabilities can have a detrimental effect on their confidence and self-esteem. SEL helps students foster a more positive self-image and sense of self-worth by supporting them in developing various skills that can help them better manage their emotions and feelings of distress which they may encounter throughout their education.

This approach to education contains five fundamental elements which include self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making and relationship skills. By going beyond conventional methods of learning, SEL recognizes the value of taking a holistic approach to education that addresses the emotional and social dimensions of a student’s learning and development.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

UDL is key to creating an inclusive system of education that recognizes that students learn in different ways and should therefore be provided with different ways to learn and demonstrate their knowledge. For example, for some children, visual learning is the ideal way for them to learn new information, while for other children, audio cues are more effective.

By encouraging teachers and educators to support students’ learning in diverse ways, UDL offers greater choice and the ability to access and assess the learning requirements of students with special needs, enabling them to enhance their interest, engagement and learning.

As we continue to learn more about the diverse and unique learning needs of students with disabilities, innovations in teaching methods will undoubtedly continue to enhance their educational experiences.