The document discusses enhancing the educational experience of special needs students. It defines special needs and explains why providing appropriate accommodations is important. Key ways to achieve this include developing Individualized Education Programs to meet student needs, using assistive technologies, and implementing classroom strategies. Examples provided are electronic aids for ADHD students, audio books for reading, and keeping noise low for hearing impaired students. The conclusion emphasizes that all students deserve an education and educators must ensure accommodations are provided.

1. Enhancing the Educational Experience of
Special Needs Students

2. What is Special Needs?
• The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines special needs as: mental, emotional,
or physical problems in a child that require a special setting for education.
• Term covers many different diagnoses

3. Why is it important to me?
• All students deserve and are required to be provided by law a “free,
appropriate public education.”
• All teachers are required to accommodate and differentiate their classroom
and instruction so that all students receive a quality education.

4. How can this be achieved?
• IEP – Individualized Education Program: an individual program designed to
help the school and educators meet the needs of the individual child.
• AT – Assistive Technology: "any item, piece of equipment, or product
system, whether acquired commercially off-the-shelf, modified, or
customized, that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional
capabilities of individuals with disabilities" (U.S. Congress, 1988).

5. Assistive Technologies - ADHD
• Math – electronic math worksheet software and talking calculators.
(additude.com)
• Reading – audio books and optical character recognition devices
• Writing – word processors and speech recognition programs

6. Assistive Strategies for Hearing Impaired
• Keep the door close to keep hallway noise from coming into the classroom
• Maintain quiet during lecture times
• Allow only 1 student to speak at a time
• Write assignments on the board

7. Assistive Strategies for mild disabilities
• Allow students to use word processors
• Provide organized study guides
• After a lesson or student demonstration clarify the main ideas

8. Conclusion
• All students deserve an education and we as educators must ensure that each
of our students receive that education. Students can be aided through the use
of IEP’s, Assistive Technologies, or sometimes simply classroom
modifications or strategies.

9. Bibliography
• The Best Software and Gadgets for ADHD Students. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/6585.html
• Assistive Technology Categories. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://www.edb.utexas.edu/atlab/Categories/index.php
• Assistive Technology for Students with Mild Disabilities: Update 2002. ERIC Digest. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-
1/assistive.htm
• Assistive Technology: Resource Roundup. (2013). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/article/assistive-technology-resources
• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/iep.html
• (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/special needs
• Federal Laws that Help those with Special Needs. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from http://www.mychildwithoutlimits.org/plan/special-needs-planning/federal-
laws-that-help-those-with-special-needs/
• Accommodations for Students with Hearing Loss - Success For Kids With Hearing Loss. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from
http://successforkidswithhearingloss.com/relationship-hl-listen-learn/accommodations/
• Understanding Individualized Education Programs. (2014). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-
services/ieps/understanding-individualized-education-programs#item1