Every school will have children with disabilities. Because of this, it’s important to learn more about how to accommodate their particular needs. If you fail to do this, parents will pull students out of your school and, depending on the issue, hit you with a lawsuit. Furthermore, you should want to do it. If you were a parent and had a child with special needs, you would want it done for them. So what are some of the top ways you can support students with disabilities? Read on to find out more.
Learn About the Various Kinds of Disabilities
Not all disabilities are equal. More often than not, your students will be on a spectrum of their particular condition. For instance, a person with paraplegia will have different needs than a student with autism. It might be wise to figure out what your students with disabilities struggle with and accommodate each one.
For instance, a student with autism may have trouble looking a teacher in the eyes or may need a fidget spinner to feel calm throughout the day. In that case, they may need one-on-one attention in a separate space.
Change Your Infrastructure
Make sure your school has ramps at the entrances to accommodate students in wheelchairs. Additionally, school bus transportation benefits the community in a myriad of ways. However, to fully benefit your student base, you should have ramps on the buses for students who use wheelchairs and can’t take a car to get to school. You should also have straps to hold them in place.
Even the classrooms can accommodate students. Plants can sometimes have a calming effect on students with disabilities, and soft lighting—rather than harsh fluorescent lighting—is a game changer for mood.
Gather Information
Have a process. Set up meetings with parents and their students so that you can discuss their particular needs and go over these needs with specially trained teachers to best help these students. Once you know the issues, you can offer accommodations, whether they need a quiet, separate room for test taking or the ability to bring fidget items to school. These little changes go a long way in supporting students with disabilities.
