Teaching Students with Impairment: The Reflection

 

Teaching Students with Impairment: The Reflection

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

The attitudes of the teacher play a vital role in influencing the level of disability they face to accommodate in the classroom (Campbell, Gilmore, & Cuskelly, 2003). Unlike physical disabilities that are visible, cognitive, psychological, and emotional disabilities cannot be seen if a teacher does not examine the child closely. Those disabilities are serious issues that have a direct implication on the learning process of the child because the teacher should understand that students with disabilities will have various challenges in learning independently which may require specialized instructions (Branstetter, 2020).

As a teacher, I believe that cognitive, psychological, and emotional impairments are serious issues among students. I feel that students with cognitive impairment need extra attention in the classroom because they will be experiencing declining mental abilities to think and memorize the lesson they learn. Their learning ability would be slower and there would be chances of getting more distracted (Cleveland Clinic, 2022). Moreover, they would have poor judgmental skills and short attention spans and may develop impulsive behavior (Special Olympics, 2020). I feel that cognitive disabilities in students are due to psychological and emotional disabilities in which they are suffering from mental health problems. Such students will usually have anxiety, depression, and autism spectrum conditions (NDSS, 2022) that result in the loss of their cognitive skills and stereotypical behaviors. They will feel social withdrawal due to their serious emotional disabilities.

To curb such disabilities, I realized that the teacher needs to help such students boost their emotional health by promoting diversity in the classroom so that they feel supported and included in the classroom. According to Wells, Fox, and Cobo (2016), students gain the confidence to learn through diversity. On the other hand, I feel that inclusive instructions and inclusive policy should be a priority in the classroom and the teacher should use appropriate teaching materials and instructions based on their needs (Campbell, Gilmore, & Cuskelly, 2003). I should replace my old strategies with specialized instructions so that I can be able to meet the educational needs of the learners. To do so, firstly, I need to change my perception and attitude toward them and eradicate stereotypical views so that I would be able to create a positive, structured environment. To do so, I need to develop an affectionate and friendly relationship with students with a high level of understanding of individuality and be their mentor. Secondly, using some extra motivational strategies in the classroom will help them overcome such disabilities because it enables them to cultivate a harmonious spirit of learning (Resilient Educator, 2018). Moreover, I need to opt for some constructive interventions to promote positivity in the classroom, especially for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. As their mentor, I should support the mentally challenged students through intensive care and should appropriately react to their behavior and attitudes (Thomas, n.d.). Finally, adjusting the task through structured objectives with need-based time extension should be given higher priority.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – The Challenging Disorder 

I find obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) the most challenging disorder among other disorders because I have seen and experienced the consequences of this disorder with my daughter who became the victim of constant bullying last year in her school. She studies in one of the schools in the capital city in another district, away from me. I have seen her having chronic depression with unwanted thoughts and sensations (obsessions). I was shocked when her doctor discussed her mental health disorder with me. As soon as I heard about it, I called her at home but found that she had become aggressive with obsessions. I found that she is having “unwanted thoughts” even to give up her life because she is filled with anxiety (International OCD Foundation, n.d.). Seeing my daughter suffering, I realized that there would be many such students in the school who without the notice of the teacher become victims every day. More than that, some students might be studying with such issues in the classroom. I realized that I need to find such students and help them overcome the issues because it not only affects their study but also their life. From the experience I had with my daughter, I realized that it is not something that can be overcome just by trying harder and it is out of the student’s control (Model Farms High School, n.d.). Firstly, I need to get support from the school counselor and the medical experts for such issues to help students overcome them. Secondly, in the classroom, I need to create a supportive situation whereby such students are emotionally supported. I realized that they should be made sociable right in the classroom. Such students are to be given tasks in chunks with ample encouragement and support from the teacher and their peers. I also feel that I need to involve parents and discuss the possible side effects of such disorder so that they remain sensitive at home too. I should be sensitive in the classroom at all times and should allow such student behavior that I feel is to be stopped. I should be also concerned about the seating plan to avoid distractions and the noisy environment and should help students to respond to any unusual behavior that may occur. (WeAreTeachers, 2021).

To conclude, the most important thing that I learned is that I always need to be proactive in the class in identifying any disabilities. I was a teacher who should seriously provide some kind of purposeful alternative strategies or methods in terms of assessment, environment, and educational plans to help students with disabilities (Lumen, n.d.).

 

References

Branstetter, R. (2020). How Teachers Can Help Students with Special Needs Navigate Distance Learning. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_teachers_can_help_students_with_special_needs_navigate_distance_learning

Campbell, J., Gilmore, L., & Cuskelly, M. (2003, December). Changing student teachers’ attitudes towards disability and inclusion.  Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 8(4), 369-379. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/4305/1/4305.pdf

Cleveland Clinic. (2022). Mild Cognitive Impairment. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17990-mild-cognitive-impairment

International OCD Foundation. (n.d.). What is OCD? https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/

Lumen. (n.d.). Module 5: Students with Special Educational Needs. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/educationalpsychology/chapter/responsibilities-of-teachers-for-students-with-disabilities/#:~:text=The%20first%20expectation%20is%20to,plans%20for%20students%20with%20disabilities.

Model Farms High School. (n.d.). Social / Emotional · Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. http://web1.modelfarms-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/disabilities.php?page=obsessive-compulsive-disorder

NDSS. (2022). Vision and Down Syndrome. https://www.ndss.org/resources/vision-down-syndrome/

Resilient Educator. (2018). Tips for Teachers and Classroom Resources. The SHARE Team. https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/5-tips-for-handling-ebd-kids-emotional-behavior-disorder-in-an-inclusive-classroom/

Special Olympics. (2020). Down Syndrome. https://www.specialolympics.org/about/intellectual-disabilities/down-syndrome

Thomas, L. (n.d.). Supporting Children with Mental Health Disorders. https://www.news-medical.net/health/Supporting-Children-with-Mental-Health-Disorders.aspx

WeAreTeachers. (2021). How to Support Students with OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). https://www.weareteachers.com/students-with-ocd/

Wells, A. S., Fox, L., and Cobo, D. C. (2016). How Racially Diverse Schools and Classrooms Can Benefit All Students? The Century Foundation. https://tcf.org/content/report/how-racially-diverse-schools-and-classrooms-can-benefit-all-students/?session=1