Different Ways of Dealing With Children With Sensory Disabilities in the Classroom

Children with sensory disabilities, which are usually characterized by vision or hearing impairment, have a great need for adequate support in the classroom. According to the University of Northern Colorado's National Center for Severe and Sensory Disabilities, less than 50 percent of students with low-incidence disabilities, including those with sensory disabilities, earn their high school diploma. Although aides and devices can help kids learn, teachers are ultimately responsible for ensuring that students have the support they need.

Children with Mild Sensory Impairments

• For children with mild hearing or vision impairments, a good first step is to make sure that the child's seat and the lighting in the classroom are adequate for the child to see and hear what's going on. Students with a slight vision impairment may need to be closer to visual aids, or to look at items up close after they are shown to the entire class. Students with a slight hearing impairment may need to be closer to the speaker or to be able to see the speaker's face clearly while he is speaking.

Children with a Moderate to Severe Visual Impairment

• Children with visual impairments rely on auditory and tactile input in the classroom, so a teacher who makes extensive use of visual aids and demonstrations will put children with impaired vision at a disadvantage. It may be easy for a teacher to rely mostly on spoken instruction, but children with a visual impairment can be helped greatly by more hands-on activities. For example, instead of -- or in addition to -- showing a class pictures of an animal, a teacher may give the class models or figurines to touch and play with, have kids build their own clay models and have kids act out that animal's behavior.

Children with a Moderate to Severe Hearing Impairment

• When addressing a room that includes a child with a hearing impairment, teachers should be aware of their orientation, never speaking while their back is turned to the room and never obstructing their face with hands or visual aids. Make sure you always have the child's attention before speaking, and although it may feel odd at first, using more gestures and facial expressions and acting things out while you are talking about them can be helpful. Children with hearing impairments also benefit greatly from hands-on and role-play activities and tend to do well in large group instruction, where they can watch other children do the things they are expected to do.

Children with Dual Sensory Impairments

• Because children with both vision and hearing impairments must rely on tactile and experiential knowledge to learn, individual and small-group instruction is crucial for them. Trust and safety are also important considerations for these children, as they will not be able to learn if they do not feel secure. Consistency and routine opportunities for experiential, hands-on learning should be the focus of an educational strategy for children with dual sensory impairments.