Children with special needs don’t fall in just a general category of simply “Children with special needs”. There are different kinds of disabilities under the umbrella of “special needs”. There is the autism spectrum, speech and language delays, ADHD, severe behaviour issues, and physical and developmental handicaps. But managing a special education classroom and the array of special needs in the classroom, doesn’t have to be hard and stressful. There’s a secret to successfully creating a stress-free and top notch educational classroom for children with special needs.

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The need for structure and a supportive and caring team of adults.

The secret to managing a special education classroom is to have a lot structure and a daily routine. More than any other group, no matter what grade level, children with special needs need to have a classroom structure and routine. Daily reinforcement of the structure creates a positive and caring atmosphere and an environment where the students will feel safe. Children, especially special needs students like predictability. The teacher should be consistent with implementing the daily structure in order to take out confusion from the children.

440672445_aed43eae73_oA team of teachers and aides who know how to handle and effectively connect with students with special needs is also needed for successfully managing a stress-free classroom. One teacher cannot handle a classroom of 10. He or she needs a teacher assistant, and depending on the IEP, if needed, therapists. Children would want to go to school if they know that the people who are taking care of  them are able and treat them with care and respect. Patience and a kind heart is key to working in this type of classroom.

A structure that is consistently implemented and a team who loves what they’re doing are the two secrets to creating a stress-free classroom for children with special needs. These two will help unleash the potential in every student.