Teaching Children with Disabilities in Regular Classes

Approximately 49 million Americans have some kind of disability. Many are children. Many are in our churches. Many more should be as we reach out to share God's love and minister in Christ's name!

Some may be in your Children's Sunday School. You may at some time have a child with a learning disability, a mental disability, a physical disability, or with multiple disabilities. Whatever disability a child may have, she deserves to experience God's love and our best teaching.

People who have disabilities learn in the same ways as anyone else, but their learning pace may vary significantly from other persons, and they may need much repetition. There are no completely unique teaching methods, but teaching adaptations can be made to facilitate the learning experiences of the disabled person.

Here are some general principles for adaptation:

• Know the child well: strengths, weaknesses, abilities, preferred methods of learning. Ask yourself if the child will enjoy a particular learning activity? Will they be frustrated? Is there something at which the child is especially good?
• Know the original purpose of the activity. Decide if that purpose is appropriate for this child.
• Consider your space and resources. Do you have what you need?
• Consider the time it will take for the child to complete the activity. Will it take longer for this child? Are there preliminary steps that could be done in advance? Could the learning experience be enhance or enriched in some way?
• Think of adaptation as an adjustment, not a complete overhaul.
• Use common sense.
• Become knowledgeable about various teaching techniques.
• Be affirming and encouraging.
• Allow children to do everything they can possibly do for themselves.

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