Issues and Challenges in teaching the children with multiple disabilities.

1. M. Karuppasamy
Asst.Prof., Spl. Edn. Dept.
NIEPMD

2. Multiple Disabilities (more than one of the
above specified disabilities) including deaf
blindness which means a condition in which a
person may have combination of hearing and
visual impairments causing severe
communication, developmental, and
educational problems.
- RPWD Act 2016

3.  Total Population in India - 121 Crores
 Disabled Population - 2.68 Crores - 2.21%
 MD – 21.17 Lakhs - 7.89%
- Disabled Population in India as per
census 2011 (2016 updated)

4. Blindness Low Vision
Leprosy Cured persons Locomotor Disability
Dwarfism Intellectual Disability
Mental Illness Cerebral Palsy
Specific Learning Disabilities Speech and Language disability
Hearing Impairment (Deaf & Hard of Hearing) Muscular Dystrophy
Acid Attack Victim Parkinson’s disease
Multiple Sclerosis Thalassemia
Hemophilia Sickle Cell disease
Autism Spectrum Disorder Chronic Neurological conditions
Multiple Disabilities including Deaf Blindness

5.  Physical + Physical
 Physical + Intellectual
 Physical + Sensory
 Intellectual + Intellectual
 Intellectual + Sensory
 Sensory + Sensory
 Others

6. Classroom Size
Poverty
Family Factors
Technology
Bullying

7. Student Attitudes and Behaviours
No Child Left Behind
Parent Involvement
Student Health
Funding

8.  The Widespread Misperception that
Teaching is Easy
 Non-Instructional Responsibilities
 Lack of Support
 Dealing with Multiple Disabilities
 Handling Critical Situation

9.  Handling Special Needs in Inclusive
Classroom
 Professional Separation / Isolation
 Lack of Support from Parents
 Maintaining Discipline in Classroom
 Budget

10.  Adapting new techniques for learning skills of CwMD
It may be difficult for teachers to make the changes for new styles of teaching
every time. It is difficult for teachers to develop critical thinking, problem
solving skills, curiosity, entrepreneurship and analysis when they are
overloaded.
 Update yourself in Information Communications Technology (ICT)
The teachers have update themselves with reference to the current Technology.
These days students use digital devices for learning, entertainment and
communication purposes. Often, they are more knowledgeable than the adults
in their lives of various social media apps, electronic games and multimedia
entertainment; and all this with their disability.
 Collaboration with peers
The very nature of special educator’s job can be isolating, with many educators
struggling to find time in the school day to confer with colleagues and engage
in pedagogical professional conversations.

11.  Identifying effective ideas
So many ideas are available on the internet, but identifying which
ones are effective is a common problem for many educators. Even
a small mistake will lead to wrong selection, and can be
overwhelmed by an almost infinite amount of ideas, resources and
tools available online.
 Overloaded work
Many special schools have zero rejection policy. Many students are
admitted but teachers are not recruited, and teacher student ratio
is not maintained. Special Educators are overloaded at many
instances. At times it is difficult for Special Educators to deliver
quality education even though they have skills.

12.  Needs support but fewer resources available
As there is increase in the disabled, more support is required.
But very less resources are available for the CwMD in the
integrated and inclusive setup.
 Time is a scarce resource
Analysis of any school’s strengths and challenges will reveal
that time as the biggest challenge, a school is facing and
teachers, who often don’t have time to converse, plan and
research.

13.  Use the student’s strengths – Refer IEP
 Make yourself ready for making modifications
 Ask the School/Parent for the program
supports or modifications
 Partial participation can make the difference
 Learn and use assistive technology

14.  Learn and use accessible textbooks
 Complete the goal - do not give up
 Make necessary behaviour modification for
behaviour issues
 Involve, and make use of therapists (PT, OT,
ST, Psychologist, etc.)
 Plan and execute the student’s transition

15.  Be close to the student to limit negative actions
Place the student nearest you or stay within close proximity to him.
 Have clear expectations from student
Maintain consistency. Use the same steps to get the student on
task and behaving EVERY TIME…i.e., ‘this behaviour ALWAYS
equals this consequence.”
 Select the appropriate time to discipline
It is difficult to train students in front of his or her parents/friends.
Wait and plan for the appropriate time.

16.  Empathize with the student
Working with CwMD is hard, but try to understand them.
 Get support from colleagues
Get help from your colleagues; has anyone have experience in handling
CwMD.
 Use peer tutoring
Identify the good, helping student and ask him to teach CwMD. It will
reduce the burden on you and ease the CwMD’s learning.
 Never give up
No matter the behaviour, don’t give up on trying to reach that
student…the negativity may be a defence for something deeper.

17.  Non availability of Ramp
 Unable to access toilets
 Difficulty in using wheel chairs
 Mobility in the classroom
 Moving within the school
 Lack of adaptation for sports

18.  Remain calm and positive. A CwMD’s Temper Tantrum can disturb you or other
students and spread over the classroom. If you remain calm and positive, you
can interrupt the spread of anxiety and defuse the situation. It models how you
want the student to behave and provides positive reinforcement for good
behaviour. This is required especially when students demonstrate significant
behavioural challenges.
 Try redirection (Aversion) Sometimes, by redirecting a student to an entirely
unrelated will help you to handle a critical situation. Ensure that the new task is
neutral to prevent inadvertent reinforcement of the aggression; you do not want
a student to think, “When I show tantrum, I get to go play”.
 Keep everyone safe. It will sometimes be easier to move others out of
classroom into a safe space. It will help you to handle an out-of-control
student into isolation. Follow the required guidelines for physical restraint of
CwMD.

19.  Present yourself as a helper rather than an enforcer. Ask, “what can I do
to help you?” or “what do you need to get back in control of yourself?” It
might create an opening for verbal intervention; at the very least, it is
unlikely to escalate the situation.
 State the situation clearly and simply. Give clear instructions to the
students. (e.g., “After completing task A, you can start task B, if you
have completed please wait for instructions, we can figure it out and try
something else.”). In any case, limit the amount of chaos by choosing a
single spokesperson and keeping all communications clear, calm, and
confident.
 Keep the parents in the loop. Make the student’s parent to aware of the
activities regularly. It will help you to achieve the IEP goals easily and
efficiently.

20. Thank you!
M. Karuppasamy
karuppasamy7772@gmail.com
9865407772

21.  www.niepmd.tn.nic.in
 www.niepid.nic.in
 www.disabilityaffairs.gov.in
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 https://www.slideshare.net
 https://www.special-education-degree.net/what-are-the-challenges-of-being-a-
special-education-teacher/
 https://www.classcraft.com/blog/features/3-main-challenges-teachers-face/
 https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/10-major-challenges-facing-public-schools
 https://www.teachhub.com/10-ways-deal-difficult-students
 https://nmeda.com/5-biggest-mobility-barriers-for-people-with-disabilities/
 http://info.trinity.nsw.edu.au/blog/what-are-the-main-challenges-facing-teachers
 https://education.seattlepi.com/examples-academic-challenges-college-1289.html
 https://www.brainline.org/article/classroom-managing-severe-behavior-challenges-
midst-crisis
 https://www.readandspell.com/types-of-learning-difficulties