URDANETA CITY

UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Lesson 9: Teaching Strategies in Handling Students with Communication Disorder

Educators should create an environment of acceptance and understanding in the

classroom, and encourage peers to accept the student with speech impairment.
Practice and maintain easy and effective communication skills by modeling good
listening skills and by facilitating participation of all students in classroom
discussions and activities. If a student requires a sign language interpreter or the
use of augmentative communication, provide adequate space and time to
accommodate these forms of communication.

Some students with severe communication disorders will have deficits with the
analytical skills required to read and write. Individual instruction may be
necessary to remediate these deficits, but should be provided discreetly to avoid
embarrassment and possible resistance. Teachers should constantly model the
correct production of sound. Maintain eye contact with the student, then tell her
to watch the movements of your mouth when providing direct instruction. Ask
her to copy these movements when she produces the sounds.

More specific teaching strategies for students with communication disorders

include:

 Allowing more time for a student to complete activities, assignments and

tests.
 Having a student sit near you to easily meet her learning needs.
 Discussing possible areas of difficulty and working with the student to
implement accommodations.
 Always asking before providing assistance, and using positive reinforcement
when the student completes an activity independently.
 Using peer assistance when appropriate.
 Modifying activities or exercises so assignments can be completed by the
student, but providing the same or similar academic objectives.
 Creating tests that are appropriate for the student with speech impairment
(for example, written instead of oral or vice versa.)
 Providing scribes for test taking if a student needs assistance.
 Making sure the student understands test instructions completely and
providing additional assistance if needed.
 Remember, patience is extremely necessary in teaching students with
speech impairments. Accepting and accommodating an individual’s speech
will benefit educators, classmates, and of course, the student herself by
sharpening listening skills and promoting learning and understanding. After
all, everyone’s voice deserves to be heard

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | ucu.ctehs@gmail.com
 URDANETA CITY
UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

General Strategies
1. Treat the student with a disability as you would any other student.
2. Bring to the student's attention science role models with disabilities with a
similar disability to that of the student. Point out that this individual got ahead by
a combination of effort and by asking for help when needed.
3. Students with communication disorders should be encouraged to discuss their
functional difficulties and needs in private during the first week of classes and to
talk about ways to compensate.
4. When it appears that a student needs help, ask if you can help. Accept a "No
Thank You" graciously.
5. Encourage classmates to accept the student with communicative problems.
6. Be a good speech model. This will indicate to all that good communication is
desirable.
7. An atmosphere conducive to easy and good interactive communication should
be established and maintained in the classroom.
8. Consult a Speech Language expert concerning each child with a communicative
disorder in your class and work with him/her throughout the class.
9. Keep up-to-date on the student's accomplishments in therapy.
10. Give students with speech impairments opportunity to speak in class.
11. Give them time to express themselves, do not interrupt or try to fill in gaps for
them.
12. Speak to them naturally.

Teacher Presentation
1. Maintain contact with student.
2. Allow students to tape lectures.
3. Provide an interpreter (signed English or American Sign Language) to those who
require another form of communication.
4. Encourage and assist in facilitation of participation in activities and discussions.
5. Be patient.
6. Be a good listener.

Laboratory
1. Allow more time for the student to complete activities.
2. Place the student within reasonable distance from the instructor to meet their
needs.
3. Anticipate areas of difficulty in access and involve the student in doing the
same. Together, work out alternate procedures while trying not to disengage the
student from the activity.
4. For students who cannot use the computer because of other physical
limitations in their hands or arms, explore avenues for obtaining adaptive access
software (including Unicorn keyboards), special switches, Power Pads, eye
controlled input systems, touch screens, footmice, and other special equipment.

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | ucu.ctehs@gmail.com
 URDANETA CITY
UNIVERSITY
Owned and operated by the City Government of Urdaneta COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

5. If appropriate, provide assistance, but also provide positive reinforcement

when the student shows the ability to do something unaided.
6. Use a peer-buddy system when appropriate.
7. Lastly, consider alternate activities/exercises that can be utilized with less
difficulty for the student, but has the same or similar learning objectives.

Group Interaction and Discussion

1. Encourage classmates to accept the student with communicative problems.
2. An atmosphere conducive to easy and good interactive communication should
be established and maintained in the classroom.
3. Encourage and assist in the facilitation of participation in activities and
discussions.
4. Allow more time for the student to complete activities.
5. Allow for multiple means of presentation and expression.

Field Experiences
1. Discuss with the student any needs, problems or alternatives he/she
anticipates in the field learning environment.
2. Consider alternate activities/exercises that can be utilized with less difficulty for
the student, but has the same or similar learning objectives.
3. Make special advance arrangements with curators during passive visiting field
trips.
4. When information gathering involves a physical action that the impaired
student cannot perform, try a different experience yielding the same information.
5. In the field, provide assistance, but also provide positive reinforcement when
the student shows the ability to do something unaided.

Remember, patience is extremely necessary in teaching students with speech

impairments. Accepting and accommodating an individual’s speech will benefit
educators, classmates, and of course, the student herself by sharpening listening
skills and promoting learning and understanding. After all, everyone’s voice
deserves to be heard.

(075) 600 - 1507

San Vicente West, Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
Bright future starts here ucu.edu.ph | ucu.ctehs@gmail.com