How to Develop Special Education Programs

Every child, regardless of health and ability, should have the opportunity to gain an education. Practitioners of special education should recognize that each individual student learns in his or her own individual way. This is especially true for the handicapped student. These steps will aid you in the challenging and rewarding process of developing a successful special education program.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Evaluate individual students to determine the student's level of development and learning style.
2. Select appropriate performance areas. These areas will depend on the child's diagnosis, age, severity of the handicap, and expectations of the parent and child.
3. Establish annual goals for individual students. The success of the special education program rests on the setting and achieving of proper and comprehensive goals.
4. Construct short-term objectives. Planning and completing specific tasks will lead to the achievement of the larger goals for the students and program.
5. Revise the program as needed. Gather relevant data on individual progress so that the program can be adjusted to meet the special education needs of the student.

Tips & Warnings

• Get out of the classroom. Just because their handicaps might make field trips challenging, the students in the special education program shouldn't be deprived of the opportunity to go on a learning adventure.
• Don't forget that children in special education programs are not there because they are "poor" learners, but because they learn in ways different from other students. This is what makes their education "special."