Special Education Classroom: Effective Strategies and Productive Learning Environment

Special education addresses the individual differences and requirements of students with special educational needs. As a teacher or trainer, working with students with special educational needs, requires specific skills and strategies to create and deliver effective programs of work for them. The Special Education Course serves as an introduction to the field of special education. The course begins by outlining core elements of special education, including the change in educational legalisation in recent years. The responsibilities of teachers and trainers are also detailed, along with the individual educational plan (IEP). The course describes the most frequent disabilities encountered in the mainstream classroom: learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disabilities, behavioural disorders, and physical disabilities and sensory impairments. The course provides key information about each of these disabilities and describes practical strategies on how to assist and teach students with these disabilities.
Objectives – Learning Outcomes:
- Describe the fundamentals of special education;
- Identify the main types of disabilities encountered in the mainstream classroom;
- Describe the main types of disabilities encountered in the mainstream classroom;
- Generate a basic individual education plan for a student with special educational needs;
- List practical strategies for assisting and teaching students with special educational needs;
- Develop a greater knowledge and understanding of working with students with special educational needs;
- Provide information about assessing the specific needs of these students and the best techniques to use in the classroom;
- Acquire different skills and techniques than regular elementary and secondary school teaching;
- Apply education assessment techniques by learning the appropriate uses of standardized tests and grading options for the special needs students;
- Learn how to diagnose learning and behavioral problems in students;
- Ascertain differential instruction, classroom intervention techniques and curriculum development for special needs students.
Methodology:
Special needs students need a balance between structure and outlets for creativity. Policymakers consider a broad spectrum of special-needs students’ disabilities, ranging from mild learning disabilities to severe mental handicaps. Students with learning disabilities need extra help to retain material and often benefit from more one-on-one instruction, which is the intended goal of a special education program. A student is placed into a special education program after a specialist monitors what skills the student lacks. Then, a special education teacher creates an Individualised Educational Program for the child (IEP), which outlines specific skills that the student should develop. It is believed, that a curriculum should be catered to the specific needs of each student. Thus, it is usually actively deliberated between the teacher, the student, and his or her family. It seems that schools need to find a balance between structure and creativity, between integration into the structured curriculum and a curriculum individualised to the needs of a student in special education.

The methodological approach during the course includes: Lecture Method; Reading Information Method; Audio-Visual Presentation; Demonstration; Observation; Interviewing; Brainstorming; Mental Imagery; Synthesis; Small Group Discussions; Problem-Solving Activities; Buzz Sessions; Role-Playing; Simulations.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The course fee required is fixed at 70 EUR per course day and depends on the duration of the course, chosen by the participants: 5, 7 or 10 days course. We don't require "package price"(course fee +accommodation+meals) like some other course providers, as usually this type of price is much higher than the real expenses. Furthermore, in the case of "package price" participants are restricted regarding their accommodation preferences.

The participants will have an option to choose their own accommodation regarding their budget and other preferences. We shall advise them and assist in any possible manner in order to find the best option.

I am always at your disposal for any further information.

Kindest Regards,
Kina Dimitrova
kina_dimitrova@hotmail.com