Special needs education is tailored to suit the requirements of students with physical or mental disabilities. To cater to the specific needs of these children, teachers go through rigorous training in order to impart education with extra attention and care. Special needs students can benefit greatly from these methods which improve their potential to learn different things, including academic knowledge and extra-curricular activities.

The idea of special needs education may seem very intimidating at first due to the lack of awareness surrounding this concept. To enlighten you with the key aspects surrounding special needs education, this article is carefully curated with all the details you need to know.

How Does Special Needs Education Work?

Most people assume that special needs education is based on teaching kids with physical or mental disabilities in a different classroom separated from the rest of the students. However, this is the scenario of older times as the dynamics have changed significantly in current times with modern techniques and new methods of teaching.
Moreover, special needs education can take place in a regular classroom with the rest of the kids who are not a part of a special needs program. For example, a child experiencing a delay in grasping concepts can spend his day in a regular classroom with an exception of spending a few hours in a different room where a tutor would conduct one-to-one sessions to help them with reading and understanding academic subjects.

On the other hand, a child having behavioral issues may be considered for a different school that puts a special focus on developing their behavior as well as fulfilling their mental and emotional needs.

When it comes to special needs education, there is no particular environment setup you should expect, as it varies according to the needs of every child and the atmosphere and methods being implemented in the school. Hence, your child may experience a different environment than other kids in a special needs education system.

The specialists who work on children's development will make use of different approaches to tackle the child's weaknesses while bringing out their good qualities by determining their strengths. The school conducts regular meetings with the parents to share feedback as well as discuss different factors that contribute to the child's progress concerning the environment at home. Moreover, these special services are offered free of cost by the school systems.

What Makes a Child Eligible For Special Needs Education?

Special needs education takes responsibility for improving various abilities and behaviors within students between the ages of 3 and 21. After a complete evaluation and a comprehensive interview process, children can be admitted to special needs programs based on the issues they are facing at a standard school system. The school accommodates qualifying students with special arrangements like a wheelchair or a special seat for those suffering from physical challenges. Similarly, they make use of specialized learning methods like audio or visual media for students experiencing learning challenges such as dyslexia.

The schools often cater to the students experiencing the following learning or behavioral issues.

·       Dyscalculia

·       Auditory processing disorder

·       Speech delay

·       Dyslexia

·       Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD)

·       Dysgraphia

·       Autism

·       Visual processing issues

·       Dyspraxia

The schools make use of assistive technology to help students overcome their challenges. A student experiencing trouble in writing may be provided with a special keyboard or a laptop to jot down their notes. Similarly, a child indicating autistic personality traits shall be given special attention to help them speak and interact with other children at school. Accommodations may include a seating arrangement in the front row of the classroom where the student could focus on the lecture without any distractions. For students having difficulty speaking fluently, well-trained tutors will conduct speech therapy sessions that will enable them to improve their ability to speak properly.