Introduction
An inclusive elementary classroom has relevant facilities in promoting the integration of students with disabilities with normal students. Students who require special needs receive limited social attention from the other students. The placement of students with disabilities within the general classroom does not guarantee their growth and development in the classroom. In order to promote inclusive academic success to all students, the classroom follows a planned intervention strategy with both education and social-emotional programs for all students (McLeskey & Rosenberg, 2010). The elements promote the inclusion of students with disabilities promoting social inclusion. For instance, the implementation of a responsive classroom setting helps to promote a caring and trusting climate for all students to understand social and academic skills.
In addition, educational professionals and parents collaborate under the group activities promoting social inclusion and academic success. The classroom arrangement and interactions include the following practices morning meetings, creation of special rules and regulations, positive teacher language, academic choice, and appropriate classroom organization. The students with disabilities are mixed with other students to enhance interactive learning in the classroom. According to Boyle, Topping, Jindal-Snape, and Norwich (2012), the use of research-based strategies offers relevant instructions and practices relevant in promoting inclusive elementary school performance. The research-based strategies have been appropriate in promoting the dissemination of instructions to unsolved problems in the classrooms. It also provides relevant content for guiding the learning experience for all students due to the past evidence and experience. The research-based strategies have been appropriate in teaching the words, concepts, and procedures needed to resolve problems (Sanderson, Heckaman, Ernest, Johnson, & Raab, 2013). The expertise is required to devote their time resources in the teaching practice in order to gain effective knowledge and insights on the elementary school teachings. It also provides the classroom instructions necessary to understand the significance of the practice.
Emotional Disturbance (Emotional Behavior Disorder)
The condition defines emotional and behavioral disorders that affect the abilities of students to learn well in the classrooms. Students suffering from emotional disturbance are characterized by the following aspects affecting their educational performance. They are unable to learn, inability to build good interpersonal relationships with other persons, unacceptable feelings and behaviors, depression, and the development of fear (Kiuhara & Witzel, 2014). Such students may not be able to interact with other students or even perform well in the classrooms. Three strategies that can be used for students with emotional disturbance include the identification of the specific behaviors that need changes, development of short and long-term goals, the modification of the behavior plans to promote the relevant outcome (Friend, 2013). The modification of the behavioral plans is appropriate in encouraging the students to act in a preferred manner. Personally, I would use the modification of the behavior plan as it encourages the affected students to change their adverse behaviors. However, the strategy is limited to the lack of full control of the students on behavioral patterns.
Other Health Impairment
Another health impairment identifies the lack of strength and vitality to respond to the environmental stimuli causing minimal alertness to the educational environment. This includes chronic health problems such as diabetes, fever, and sickle cell anemia. This leads to adverse effects on the students’ academic performance. Students with other health impairments are characterized by being easily distracted, failure to complete assignments, avoiding activities that call for mental efforts, difficulty being attentive, inability to organize classwork and materials (Love, 2014). Three teaching strategies to handle other health impairment includes allowing more time to the students, posting daily and weekly schedules with a clear division of the various activities, and consistency with the schedules the strategy of consistent of scheduling of the classroom activities is more appropriate in controlling the effects caused by other health impairment condition (Allen & Cowdery, 2014). Personally, I would the consistent scheduling technique to create my own goals and objectives. However, it faces the limitations of increased time and resources for designing the daily and weekly schedules for the affected students. Also, the accommodation of technology such as computers would minimize the adverse effects of other health impairment conditions among the students (Odom, Buysse, & Soukakou, 2011).
Specific Learning Disability
The condition describes a disorder that involves the psychological process necessary in understanding the use of languages that would cause imperfect thinking and concentration. Some related conditions include minimal brain operations, developmental aphasia, and perceptual disabilities (Sharma, Loreman, & Forlin, 2012). Students with a specific learning disability are characterized by the inability to listen, reason well, and perform simple mathematic calculations. Three strategies to handle specific learning disabilities include the use of direct instructions, the use of simultaneous multi-sensory approaches, and the learning strategy instructions (McLeskey & Rosenberg, 2010). Personally, I support the learning strategy instructions as it supports adequate feedbacks and close interactions with the students. However, the learning strategy instructions require much commitment from the teachers to meet the learner’s needs.
Speech-Language Impairment
The condition defines communication disorder that includes impaired articulation, voice impairment, or stuttering that leads to adverse student academic performance. Students with speech-language impairment are characterized by the absence of good voice and pitch, incorrect production of sounds, and regular breakdown in their communication (McLeskey, Landers, Williamson, & Hoppey, 2012). Three strategies for dealing with speech-language impairment include therapeutic programs, improved resource teaching programs, and integration of parental support to reduce communication difficulties. I believe therapeutic programs in collaboration with changing the curriculum to meet the needs of the children with SLI are useful. However, there is a limitation of literacy development among the children.
Conclusion
In summary, the reports would help teachers in dealing with students with various disabilities. Since it suggests appropriate strategies that can be used in managing the adverse effects of the various conditions among the students. For instance, it proposes the modification of the behavioral plans is appropriate in encouraging the students in order to deal with the adverse effects of emotional disturbance. In addition, the implementation of the research bases strategies in the inclusive classroom guides in the allocation of resources for the teaching practices. The allocation of the teaching resources offers relevant knowledge and insights on how to support elementary inclusive school performance. For instance, it provides for the relevant classroom instructions beneficial in understanding the teaching practices of the students with special needs.
References
Allen, E., & Cowdery, G. (2014). The exceptional child: Inclusion in early childhood education. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Boyle, C., Topping, K., Jindal-Snape, D., & Norwich, B. (2012). The importance of peer support for teaching staff when including children with special educational needs. School Psychology International, 33(2), 167-184.
Friend, M. (2013). Special education: Contemporary perspectives for school professionals. London, UK: Pearson Higher Ed.
Kiuhara, S. A., & Witzel, B. S. (2014). Focus on inclusive education: Math literacy strategies for students with learning difficulties. Childhood Education, 90(3), 234-238.
Love, N. (2014). Teaching everyone: an introduction to inclusive education. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 61(3), 317-318.
McLeskey, J., Landers, E., Williamson, P., & Hoppey, D. (2012). Are we moving toward educating students with disabilities in less restrictive settings?. The Journal of Special Education, 46(3), 131-140.
McLeskey, J.,& Rosenberg, M. S.(2010). Inclusion: Effective practices for all students, 2nd edition. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Sanderson, S., Heckaman, K. A., Ernest, J. M., Johnson, S., & Raab, S. (2013). Strategies for maintaining appropriate behavior in inclusive physical education settings. Strategies, 26(1), 20-25.
Sharma, U., Loreman, T., & Forlin, C. (2012). Measuring teacher efficacy to implement inclusive practices. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 12(1), 12-21.
Odom, S. L., Buysse, V., & Soukakou, E. (2011). Inclusion for young children with disabilities a quarter century of research perspectives. Journal of Early Intervention, 33(4), 344-356.