CHILDREN WHO NEED SPECIAL CONSIDERATION
Who Are The Social Children In Your Classroom?
Every child is special. Each child is a unique person with a temperament, style, and personality all his own. Children develop in individual ways, reaching milestones at varying times and using many approaches.
Today, as they acknowledge and plan for each child's unique developmental needs, teachers are further challenged and enriched by the presence of a variety of children who need special consideration .Increasingly,handicapped children, including those with chronic or terminal illnesses, are being mainstreamed into preschool settings. Particularly in urban areas, there are children from many cultures whose languages are often the most obvious aspect of cultural differences. Finally, the needs of gifted and talented children are also being recognized.
Children with Special Needs
There is an increasingly large body of research and resources about including special needs children in regular programs. Children with a full range of special needs have successfully been mainstreamed into preschool -and public school classes during the past five to ten years.
When a special needs child enters preschool, your first thoughts will probably be about how you ' the child, and his other classmates will adapt. What are the child's physical, cognitive or social skills? Focus on how the child views himself, his temperament, his learning and coping styles. These are the qualities which will help him master tasks and become an integral part of the classroom.
Emphasize the child's strengths. A child confined to a wheelchair or other mobility device may be especially verbal or have strong cognitive skills. A retarded child may be very helpful or have an exceptionally friendly nature. A deaf child may be getting proficient with signing, a skill that can be fun and useful for everyone else to learn.
For some special needs children, entrance into a preschool may be their first encounter with other children their age. They may become aware for the first time of skills or abilities which they lack. In such cases, the self-esteem of the child may be dealt a harsh blow. As a teacher, you can help by working with therapists or other specialists to implement a program appropriate for the child.
Consider the -extent to which the handicapped child and his classmates need preparation before school starts. Discuss this with his parents. They may have strong feelings about how their child should be introduced into a classroom. Parents of special needs children have had to become "specialists" with regard to their child's illness or condition. They or other family members may be available to help you understand more about the child's strengths and needs. They may be willing to come into class to help orient the other children and answer some of their immediate questions. At the same time, parents will become familiar with the classroom, children and, teachers, and can better prepare their own child for the new situation.
When you approach parents about classroom involvement, recognize that their expectations for their special child will influence their response. Some parents may be hesitant because they want their child to gain independence. Others may be intensely focused on their special child and his needs, eager to participate in his initial adjustment to the classroom experience. Acknowledge their feelings as you include them in planning their child's first days in your program.
Make learning about special needs children a part of your curriculum. If you have physically handicapped children, try to find equipment that can, over time, become ordinary to the other children - a wheelchair, walker, special chair, eye glasses, or a hearing aid. You can make dolls for the classroom that depict various handicapping conditions. Add books about handicaps to your collection.
Think about how a child's special needs can be a special learning opportunity for the group. For instance, you may have a child with a severe heart condition who is frequently ill or in the hospital. Use a stethoscope to help children listen to their own and each other's hearts. You might have the child's parents, doctor, or nurse as visitors. You can send greetings, pictures, and photos home or to the hospital. Such experiences need not be limited to a unit on special needs. Carried on throughout the year, they will take their direction from the children's growing knowledge and new questions.
Children From Other Cultures
Other children who need special consideration are those who come from substantially different cultures with communication skills based on their own languages. Many urban and suburban communities are now home to immigrant or refugee children speaking as many as 20 different languages. This can indeed be stressful for both children and teachers.
From a different perspective, however, this situation has many benefits. As you help children from other countries adapt, you can learn about their languages and cultures. Plan for the foreign child to receive appropriate help through closely shared experiences with classmates and adults. Include parents or extended family members in order to learn about the food, holidays, customs, games, and stories of other cultures as the natural outgrowth of having this child in your class. Having the class learn a few words or phrases from the child's language will help him feel valued and safe.
Although they may initially take extra planning, such experiences allow you to tap the rich and varied cultures in your midst. Working with children from other countries gives you the chance to foster an open attitude in your classroom - one that seeks information about the world and respects differences.
Gifted and Talented Children
As our society makes tentative steps toward identifying gifted school-age children, there have been some efforts to look at special skills or talents in even younger children.
In preschool, it is likely that a given child's special abilities are just emerging. Having good observation skills will be important to you at this point. Talk with children about what they enjoy doing and listen carefully to what they say. Watch how they approach a situation or task. Ask parents what particular interests, skills, and talents they have observed at home.
It is important to identify giftedness across the whole spectrum of abilities, avoiding the traditional emphasis on cognition and the arts. Look for special abilities in every child. These may be such things as a particular ease and comfort with language, being able to lead and direct, a special love for books, a talent for relating to others, an affinity for art activities or an unusual ability with fine motor tasks. You can provide young children support in pursuing those activities at which they excel. For some, continued attention to their talents and abilities will lead to pastimes, hobbies and even occupations which can provide lifelong sustenance. Remember, however, that early childhood is a time for exploration of possibilities. Rather than guiding children in particular directions, it is important to provide many opportunities for development in all areas.
Conclusion
Handicapped or gifted children, as well as those from other cultures, often have a particular need for classroom experiences that are based on sound mental health concepts. Their unique characteristics may make developing a positive self-image, learning to express themselves, and acquiring certain skills especially difficult. At the same time, it is important to consider how the special child's strengths or ways of compensating can become the basis for healthy emotional development. Teachers have the responsibility to seek current information, adapt their methods, and plan carefully for these new or different circumstance to the benefit of the special child and his classmates.
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