TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM

MODULE 3

V. SESSION 5: SPECIAL EDUCATION

A. Desired Learning Outcomes

Beginning Teacher Indicators (BTIs) Proficient Teacher Indicators

(PTIs)

Use strategies responsive to learners with Design, adapt and implement teaching strategies
disabilities/ giftedness and talents that are responsive to learners with disabilities,
giftedness and talents

B. Objectives
a. Identify the characteristics of learners with special needs.
b. Apply teaching strategies that will respond to learners’ special learning needs.
c. Develop a modified instructional design adapting the special learning needs and styles of learners with
disabilities/giftedness and talents
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A. Pre-Test
Write words or phrases in the graphic organizer below to represent your understanding of Special
Education.
 Who are the clients? Why this particular program?

Children with emotional, Creating alternative environments

behavioral, or cognitive for unconventional learners
SPECIAL
impairments or with
intellectual, hearing, vision, EDUCATION
speech, or learning
disabilities; gifted children
with advanced academic
abilities; and children with
orthopedic or neurological How is SPED implemented?
impairments. It is implemented by the
preparation of teaching
procedures and materials, and
other interventions designed to
address the needs of a child with
learning differences, disabilities,
and giftedness

D.Glossary of Terms

E. Key Concepts
1. Vision Impairment
a. Physical Signs- Crossed eyes, eyes that turn out, eyes that flutter from side to side or up and down, or
eyes that do not seem to focus are physical signs that a child has vision problems
b. Clumsiness- Poor vision might be the cause when a child is constantly running into things or falling
down. He might have trouble realizing how close or far away objects really are. Sometimes young children
who do not walk well actually have problems with their vision.
c. Behavior- Some children who have vision problems appear to have a short attention span. Other children
might blink frequently or squint whenever they read or watch television. Often children are sensitive to
bright light or might sit close to the television or hold books that they are reading close to their face.
Likewise, younger children with visual impairments might hold toys very close to their face.
d. Poor Eye-Hand Coordination- Signs of poor eye-hand coordination might include difficulty throwing or
catching a ball, tying shoes or copying schoolwork from the blackboard. Poor handwriting is often another
sign of poor eye-hand coordination. Children who suffer from lazy eyes, crossed or wandering eyes can
have problems with coordination, balance and depth perception, primarily because they learn to use only
one eye at a time.
e. Poor Academic Performance- A child might not read well, or might use her finger to follow along when
she is reading so that she doesn’t lose her place. Some children also have trouble remembering what they
read. Children with vision problems can find it difficult to write as well or might have problems with math
and other subjects.
2. Deaf or Hard Of Hearing
a. Speech Delays- Children with poor hearing might be unable to communicate because they cannot
understand or imitate spoken language. When diagnosed and addressed early, children with early childhood
speech delays generally catch up to their peers.
b. Communication Difficulties- Children with mild to moderate hearing impairment may develop speech
and language at roughly the same time as their peers.
c. Selective Hearing- Hearing-impaired children are often unable to hear their names when called, and
their behavior can be mistakenly labeled as inattention or behavioral misconduct.
d. Behavioral Characteristics- Hearing-impaired children might appear dizzy or disoriented because the
nerves in the ears also control balance. Academic problems and irritability are also common symptoms of
hearing loss in children.
e. Differential Diagnosis
f. Behavioral and emotional disturbances can cause speech delays and social difficulties, which might
be mistaken for challenges with hearing or sensory processing.
3. Mental Health Conditions
a. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
b. Autism Spectrum Disorder ( ASD)
c. Pervasive Developmental Delay –Not Otherwise Specified ( PDD-NOS)
d. Anxiety/Panic Disorder
e. Bipolar Disorder
f. Depression
g. Schizophrenia
4. Intellectual Disability7
a. Intellectual disability in reading
b. Intellectual disability in math
c. Intellectual disability in writing
d. Intellectual disability with motor skills
e. Intellectual disability with language
5. Physical Disability
Physical disabilities can be the result of congenital birth issues, accidental injury, or illness. One physical
condition might be considered disabling to one person but not the next. The key aspect in defining physical
disability is not whether a person has a specific condition but how that physical condition impacts his or
her daily life.
Characteristics of Learners with Giftedness and Talents
a. The Gifted Child exhibits intensity and curiosity sooner than the average child. They respond to events
with stronger emotion, sensitivity and passion than the average child.
b. When they are interested in something, they pursue it with passion! They seek out information to discover
as much about it as possible.
c. The gifted child has an excellent memory, which may account for their ability to remember details,
spelling words, or math problems with ease.
d. Younger gifted children can watch television or work at the computer for longer periods of time, and sit
quietly and listen to a story for longer than their peers.
e. These children need to be challenged. They have a thirst for information, and general education classes
frustrate them, as they don’t like repeating or practicing things they already know.
f. They are often perfectionists, highly organized, and expect to do well at everything.
g. Gifted children often speak at an early age and have an impressive vocabulary. They learn to read sooner
than most, often before kindergarten.
h. They can be sensitive to sound, clothes tags, or wrinkles in socks. They are perceptive to facial
expressions, body language, and often have a good sense of humor.
i. They are voracious in their search for answers, including reading and internet research, and tend to ask a
lot of questions.
j. These children are methodical thinkers, have definite opinions, and are very motivated when curious
about a topic. They work well on their own. Because their intelligence is highly developed, they are not
interested in typical activities of their chronological peers. Rather, they prefer the company of older children
or adults.
Strategies and Approaches in Dealing with Learners with Special Needs
a. Maintain an organized classroom and limit distractions.
a. maintaining a healthy balance of structure and unstructured processes is important.
b. using checklists and help students keep their notebooks
c. change their work area while completing homework or studying
d. assign tasks that involve moving around the room.
e. schedule breaks throughout the day and seat students with special needs in an area of the classroom that
limits distractions
b. Use music and voice inflection. When transitioning to an activity, use a short song to finish up one task
and move to another. Many of us have sung the “clean up” while cleaning up before the next activity; use
a similar approach in the classroom. Students with special needs might also respond well to varied voice
inflection and tone, so use a mixture of loud, soft, and whisper sounds. Using proper pronunciation and
sometimes slightly exaggerating proper speech will help a child model the same principles.
c. Break down instructions into smaller, manageable tasks. Students with special needs often have
difficulty understanding long-winded or several instructions at once. For children with learning disabilities,
it is best to use simple, concrete sentences. You might have to break down a step into a few smaller steps
to ensure your students with special needs understand what you are asking. You might even want to put the
directions both in print and saying them verbally. Ask your students with special needs to repeat the
directions and ask them to demonstrate that they understand. Do not give further instructions until a student
has completed the previous task.
d. Use multi-sensory strategies. As all children learn in different ways, it is important to make every lesson
as multi-sensory as possible. Students with learning disabilities might have difficulty in one area, while
they might excel in another. For example, use both visual and auditory cues. Create opportunities for tactile
experiences. You might need to use physical cues, such as a light touch, when a student might get distracted
or inattentive. Get creative with your lesson plans, and students with special needs will appreciate the
opportunity to use their imaginations or try something new; use a balance of structure and familiar lessons
with original content.
e. Give students with special needs opportunities for success. Children with learning disabilities often
feel like they do not succeed in certain areas, but structuring lessons that lead to successful results is a way
to keep them motivated. Provide immediate reinforcement for accomplishments, be consistent with rules
and discipline, correct errors and reward students when they make these corrections themselves, explain
behavioral expectations, and teach and demonstrate appropriate behaviors rather than just expecting
students with special needs to pick them up

F. Activities and Assessment

Read the situations below and identify the disabilities evident in the learner. Choose from the types
of disabilities enumerated inside the box.

• Vision Impairment
• Deaf or hard of hearing
• Mental health conditions
• Intellectual disability
• Physical disability

1. You have observed that one of your students Anabel does not pay attention to what you are illustrating
on the board. You noticed that she squints and blinks frequently as she stares at the writings on the board.
Deaf or hard of hearing
2. In a number of instances, you have called Albert but he does not seem to respond to you. He manifested
some level of inattentiveness or misbehaviour. Mental health conditions
3. Anton’s grades in all the learning areas were exceptionally impressive. However, he got 77 in
Mathematics. You have observed him struggle with numbers.Let us find out if your answers are correct by
referring to the key below. Intellectual disability. Intellectual disability
Watch the video about giftedness through the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Je0cl1Qaus
List down the characteristics of the gifted learners shown in the video. While the video is being played
you will point out the characteristics of each child being described. Use the chart below to organize
your ideas.
Name of the Gifted Child Characteristics/ Giftedness
Hyperactivity
Have a great sense of humor

Interview a mentor who is an expert in the field of special education and discuss with him or her specific
strategies that may be employed in dealing with learners with disabilities and giftedness. You will then be
enhancing this interview by having further readings on the said topic.
You may interview a teacher handling the last sections or those teaching remedial reading or SPED teachers
themselves. Coaches, trainers, advisers of gifted learners may also be your interviewees.
You may use the interview questions given or you may formulate your own depending on the subject of
your interview. The interview feedback form will guide and help you in noting down important points of
discussion.
Using the points you that you have gathered from the discussions in this session and from the
interview, you will now enumerate activities that you can use in order to address the needs of a
particular learner in your class who has a learning disability or giftedness.
You may use the graphic organizer below.
G. Reflection
You have accomplished the task with great proficiency and it is commendable. Looking back at the
discussions and activities, write your reflections on the following:
What concepts about special education had a great impact on you?
When SPED program provides students with identified disabilities specialized instruction designed to meet
their unique learning needs, giving them the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.
What is your professional obligation towards these learners with disabilities and giftedness?
-You have to provide them instruction according to their specific academic, social, and psychological needs.
-To provide effective instruction and support which facilitates the participation of learners in a regular
classroom.
What is your personal commitment in helping your learners with special needs?
As a teacher. Let’s extend our helping hands to those learners who are in need by giving them extra time in
teaching and learning process that treats them as a real family.
E. Post-Test
Let us test how far have you gone in understanding special education by having the post-test. Write
key concepts or ideas for each heading