Special needs teachers have special needs too

Patience and innovation are key to successful classroom interaction with students who have special needs.

PETALING JAYA: Mrs Brian’s (not her real name) job is particularly challenging and hectic, and requires copious amounts of patience and innovation.

However the effort is all worth it, she says, when the special needs children with whom she works with are able to understand what she teaches them.

Speaking to FMT, Mrs Brian, who is a special needs teacher at a private school, talked about the unique set of challenges teachers who interact with these children are faced with on a daily basis in the classroom.

“We must understand what their needs and limitations are, and from there, we work to bring out the best in them.

“They have their own limitations, so we need to work within these to bring out their potential.”

She said such teachers needed to be patient and understanding, and realise that teaching is not confined to the classroom alone.

“There are no rules that say a lesson should only take place in a classroom.

“For example, if a particular student enjoys the garden, we can have our ‘classroom’ outdoors,” she said, adding that she would also keep the class environment simple to prevent autistic students or students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from becoming too distracted.

For her, the sense of satisfaction from realising that her students understand her, is priceless, she said.

“Even when they give you a simple nod to tell you they understand what they have learned, it is enough to brighten up our day.”

Number of students are increasing but support is lacking

The issue of special needs children came under the spotlight this week after a 19-year-old with ADHD sued his school and the government after claims that they had failed to provide him with a quality special needs education.

The boy, who also suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, further alleged that the school had failed to protect him from being bullied by other students.

“The school does not have the facilities and system to categorise disabled students based on their learning disabilities,” he said in his statement of claim, adding that autistic students were generally labelled as those with learning difficulties, without a focus on their needs.

Mrs Brian, too, acknowledged the lack of experienced teachers who could handle special needs children, and lamented how many were often not properly trained in this field.

“Students with special needs are increasing, but the support for them is lacking,” she said.

Don’t lose faith in them

Occupational therapist Fany Yim agreed that teachers must possess a high level of patience and understanding when dealing with students with disorders.

“They are different from normal children. For example, when they are crying, as a teacher, one needs to use a fair degree of creativity to stop them from crying.

“Teachers must guide them with some creativity and make them understand that it is okay to feel sad,” she told FMT. -FMT