Chapter 10

Children with Special

Needs
Introduction
• This chapter identifies different categories or types
of special needs and the behavioral indicators of
the presence of such needs in the students. This
chapter also describes the behavior or the
characteristics of these children with special needs,
and highlights the ways by which they are different
from another.
• The following are the specific areas of special
needs: cognitive/academic; social/behavioral;
cognitive and social functioning; physical and
sensory; and advanced cognitive development.
 Nature of the special needs
• Different from the other children
• They've faced special challenges that a normal
individual would not
• Needs special care and intervention
• Difficult to handle
As a teacher...
• Must have a basic academic orientation and
knowledge
• Must be able to know their characteristics
• Must not stereotype the children
 Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties and indicative behaviors
Learning Disabilities
Difficulties in the cognitive processes
Characteristics of cognitive or academics difficulties
• Perceptual difficulty - difficulty in understanding or
remembering through the sense of modality or sense
organ
• Memory difficulty - less capacity of remembering
information either short or long term
• Metacognitive difficulty -difficulty in using effective
learning strategies, monitoring the progress of their
learning goals and other ways directing their own
learning
 Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties and indicative behaviors
• Difficulty in processing oral language- difficulty in
understanding spoken language and remembering
what has been told or spoken
• Reading difficulty- trouble in reading or
comprehending what is read. Dyslexia is one form
of reading difficulty
• Written language difficulty - problems in
handwriting, spelling, or expressing oneself
coherently in a paper. Dysgraphia is one form of
this difficulty
 Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties and indicative behaviors
• Mathematical difficulty - trouble in thinking about
numbers and basic number facts. Dyscalculia is a
one of the form of this difficulty.
• Difficulty with social perception - difficulty in
interpreting social cues and signals from other
people. Difficulty in perceiving or interpreting other
people's feelings or reactions and may result to
inappropriate responses in social situations.
 Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties and indicative behaviors
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD)
Difficulty in focusing and maintaining attention,
and in many case characterize by hyperactive and
impulsive behavior.
Characteristics with ADHD
• Often inattentive - difficulty in focusing and
maintaining attention and direction; short attention
span and cannot focus
• Hyperactive - have extra and high levels of energy,
and have difficulty working quietly.
 Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties and indicative behaviors
• Impulsive - inappropriate behavior, trouble in
waiting their turn, engage in risky behavior without
thinking consequences, doing something without
waiting for instruction
• Difficulty in cognitive processing
• Lagging behind in academic achievement
• Exceptional imagination and creativity
• Classroom behavior problems
• Difficulty interpreting and reasoning about social
situations
 Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties and indicative behaviors
• Greater emotional reactivity in interacting with
peers
• Few friendship; in some cases, rejected by peers
• Poor memory
• Disorganized
• Restlessness, incessant talking and activity
 Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties and indicative behaviors
Speech and Communication Disorder
These are impairments in spoken language or
communication (stuttering, mispronounciation) and
comprehension. The difficulties are articulation
problems, difficulty in understanding the speech of
others.
Characteristics
• Usually have difficulty in reading and writing
• Self-conscious
• Embarassed when talking
• Reluctant to speak
 Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties and indicative behaviors
As a teacher...
• Must encourage regular oral communication
• Should listen patiently and allow them to speak out
their thoughts snd finish their sentences, even if it
takes a long period of time.
• Should train the children not to tease or ridicule
them
 Social and Behavioral Problems and
Behavioral Indicators
Emotional or Behavioral Disorder
These are emotional states that are present which
persist a long time.
Internalized behaviors affect the person himself, and
subsequently develops anxiety, depression, eating
disorder, social withdrawal, or suicidal tendencies.
Characteristics
• Difficulty in interacting with others
• Difficulty in establishing satisfactory interpersonal
relationships
 Social and Behavioral Problems and
Behavioral Indicators
• Poor self-concept
• Frequently absent from school
• Deteriorating academic performance with
increasing age
• Unable to learn
• Showing inappropriate types of behavior or feelings
• Developing physical symptoms or fears associated
with personal or school problems
 Social and Behavioral Problems and
Behavioral Indicators
Autism
Disability marked by impairments in social interaction.
They prefer to be alone and form weak emotional
attachment. They exhibit savant syndrome, where they
have extraordinary ability in one function. They haven't
developed their social skills and their social cognition is
impaired. They have strong attachments to inanimate
objects. They have abnormal movements and
repeating a part of what has been said. Their language
skills are wanting. They have strong, visual-spatial
thinking skills.
 Social and Behavioral Problems and
Behavioral Indicators
Characteristics of Autism
• Engage in repetitive movement activities
• Self-abusive
• Have an unusual response to sensory inputs
• Withdrawn and do not communicate
• Exhibit periodic emotional outburst
• Exhibit abnormal response to objects
 Delays in Cognitive and Social
Functioning and Behavioral Indicators
Mental Retardation
Condition of significantly below average general
intelligence as well as deficits in social and practical
intelligence and adaptive behavior. This is cause by
genetic conditions and envenvironmental factors. Not
necessarily lifelong disability
Characteristics
• Have a desire to belong and fit in at school
• Less general knowledge about the world
• Poor reading and language skills.
 Physical and Sensory Challenges and
Behavioral Indicators
Physical and Health Impairments
These are general physical and medical conditions.
They have limited energy and strength, mental
alertness or little muscle control.
Characteristics
• Learning ability similar to that of nondisabled
• Fewer opportunities to experience and interact
• Low stamina and tendency tontire easily
• Low esteem, insecurity, embarrassment due to
physical limitations
 Physical and Sensory Challenges and
Behavioral Indicators
Visual Impairments
Malfunction of the eyes or optic nerve that prevent
normal vision even with corrective lenses.
Characteristics
• Normal functioning of the other senses
• General learning activity similar to normal
• Fewer opportunities to experience and interact
• Reduced capability to initiate others
 Physical and Sensory Challenges and
Behavioral Indicators
• Inability to observe body language and other
nonverbal cues of people
• Occasional confusion particularly in chaotic situations
• General feeling of uncertainty and anxiety
• Less knowledge about the conventions of written
language
Hearing Loss
Malfunction of the ear that interfere with perception
of sounds.
 Physical and Sensory Challenges and
Behavioral Indicators
Characteristics
• Delayed language development
• Less oral language
• Some ability to read lips
• Proficiency in sign language
• Less developed reading skills
• Less general knowledge
• More limited social skills
 Physical and Sensory Challenges and
Behavioral Indicators
Severe and Multiple Disabilities
Having two or more disabilities and most required higly
specialize services
Characteristics
• Varying degrees of intellectual functioning
• Limited awareness of sorrounding stimuli
• Limited communication skills
• Significant delays in motor development
• Mild or sensory impairments
• Extensive medical needs
Children with Advanced Cognitive
Development and Behavioral
Indicators
Giftedness
High ability or aptitude in different areas (intellectual
ability, aptitude in a specific academic field, visual or
performing arts, or leadership ).
Characteristics
• More advanced than the other
• Learn more quickly, and independent
• More advance and effective cognitive processing and
metacognitive skills
• Greater flexibility in ideas and approaches to tasks.
Children with Advanced Cognitive
Development and Behavioral
Indicators
• Able to do formal operational tasks
• High standards regarding their performance
• Highly motivated to achieve challenging tasks
• Positive self-concept especially academic endeavors
• Above average social development and emotional
adjustments