There’s no denying that our world has drastically changed—all thanks to the inevitable integration of technology and development. Now, we are more globally connected and have better means of living life. In addition, many industries have become highly successful, engaging, and great to work in. An example of this lies in the field of special education.
For children with special needs and disabilities, these changes have led to new and improved models of support, preparatory and disciplinary approaches, and tactics for enhancing relationships among students, faculty, and families.
Even more important is that these trends and progressions have made it easier for students with special needs to enjoy the learning process and give their best. To help make sense of the new changes, here are some of the best and most current trends in special education:
- Personalized Classrooms
Teachers have long understood the impact of fragrances, climate, and color on student behavior. Building on this understanding, special educators today create soothing sensory spaces to calm easily overstimulated kids. And to assist kids in relaxing and creating a peaceful learning atmosphere, classrooms now contain blue hues and oil aromas and cover harsh fluorescent bulbs with a blue film.
Furthermore, if you’re keen on learning more about effectively providing education to children with special needs, an advanced degree can equip you with the proper knowledge. An online Special Education Teacher Masters can teach you the necessary tools and strategies to serve special education learners.
- LAMP
A method known as LAMP, or Language Acquisition via Motor Planning, links motor and neurological learning to facilitate communication for kids with autism and other associated illnesses. Students who do not talk or have impaired verbal skills find these ideas extremely beneficial. LAMP principles combined with technology enable a rising population of students with autism to speak clearly and achieve greater academic success. Moreover, many technologies, including learning apps, use LAMP.
- Assistive Technology
The resources required for academic success are improving for students with physical limitations. The same is valid for students who may suffer from one or both learning impairments. Any learner can benefit from assistive technology for a variety of problems. The technology can be as basic as substituting an e-reader for a printed book or as sophisticated as a computer that interprets the student’s eye movements as orders.
While there is little doubt that assistive technology improves learning for regular students, it can also be claimed that children in special education benefit from knowing what would not be possible without technology.
- Parental Involvement
Teachers may be the first to inform a family of their suspicions that a kid has special needs or unmet needs or to confirm those thoughts. Many parents embrace the chance to learn more about their child’s problems and what the institution does to help them overcome them.
The information a teacher gives can help fill in the blanks and provide solutions to a long-standing puzzle when parents know something is wrong. Parents should be involved in the planning process, kept informed of developments, and communicated with frequently by educators. Moreover, parental involvement ensures continuity between home and school-based instruction. It is not merely beneficial.
- Classroom Integration
Those days are gone when special students were sent to district classrooms or perhaps even to locations inside a school. Nowadays, special education kids frequently spend at least some of the day sitting next to their regular education peers. The time spent in a “regular” classroom depends on the specific condition. Still, special education students are now present in classrooms at higher rates than in the past, allowing them access to the same educational opportunities as their peers.
- VR and AR
Technologies like VR and AR are already employed in various fields, including education.
Physical locations no longer matter as much as they once did because of virtual reality technology. Nowadays, learning can take place in the virtually limitless virtual realm. Indeed, interactive learning activities that encourage active learning in children with special needs can be conducted in virtual learning environments (VLE).
Furthermore, using a virtual learning environment (VLE) is not just good for gamifying the learning process. It also allows learners to practice how they’d respond in various social settings, which is not always attainable with offline learning.
- Open Educational Resources
The last special education trend on our list is – Open Educational Resources (OER). These are essential for enhancing availability for students with special needs. In addition, low-income families with homeschooled special needs children might gain a lot from using these services.
Nevertheless, there are also negative aspects or, more accurately, disadvantages of employing OER. The greatest of these is that the content itself is consistent and cannot be customized because of the formats utilized for it. Specifically, PDF files are difficult to display to some pupils and are unsuitable for screen readers. Thus, it is crucial to have access to OER that is available in more adaptable and flexible codecs (e.g., EPUB).
Conclusion
One area of education that has historically seen a lot of advancement and adaptation of discoveries and research is the field of special education. The aforementioned trends carry great weight, making it easier for children with special needs to receive academic assistance at all levels. If you’re an educator of special children, thoroughly understand these trends and try your best to help your students seek superior education. Furthermore, stay active in your research for the latest trends in special education. Knowing what is on the horizon will help you in your pursuit.
