Developmental Disabilities are defined as conditions that create a substantial delay in a child’s development and require intervention from many professional disciplines. Children with developmental disabilities have a wide variety of characteristics including delayed language and speech development, lower IQ, and social and emotional difficulties (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
Intervention Central- https://www.interventioncentral.org/behavioral-interventions/special-needs/teaching-children-developmental-disabilities-classroom-ideas
This website gives very helpful information on various strategies that teachers can use in their classroom to support students with developmental disabilities. Some of these strategies include using visual cues, a predictable daily schedule, and using clear expectations and directions. Mostly importantly, if offers strategies to foster social interactions between the students with developmental disabilities and the other students in the class. Teachers who have students with developmental disabilities in their classroom would benefit from this resource.
Centers for Disease Control-https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/index.html
This website has various links to resources for a wide variety of people to utilize, including families and teachers. It has an overview of common facts about developmental disabilities in general, but also more specific facts about certain disabilities such as Fragile X Syndrome. This website also includes links to helpful resources, as well as videos and podcasts to learn more. Teachers could use this resource to gain a deeper understanding of developmental disabilities and learn about specific resources that are available for those students.
Inclusive Education- https://www.inclusive.tki.org.nz/guides/down-syndrome-and-learning/
This resource offers and in-depth description of how educators can help students with Down Syndrome. It begins with information to help foster a deeper understanding of what it is and the key areas in which those students need support in the classroom. The website has links to additional resources for teachers of children of various ages with Down Syndrome to best support them in the classroom.
Intellectual Disabilities are defined as a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior which covers many every day social and adaptive skills. This disability must have originated before the age of 18. Individuals with intellectual disabilities can had a wide variety of characteristics including low IQ, delayed language development, and social and emotional problems (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
Australian Disability Education and Training- https://www.adcet.edu.au/inclusive-teaching/specific-disabilities/intellectual-disability/
This resource begins with an in-depth overview of what intellectual disabilities are, and the varying degrees of severity that are associated with them. It goes on to further discuss the impact that an intellectual disability can have on different aspects of learning such as communication and processing. Lastly, it gives teaching and assessment strategies that teachers can use to accommodate those students in the classroom. This is a valuable resource for teachers who have students with intellectual disabilities in their classroom.
Parent Center Hub-https://www.parentcenterhub.org/intellectual/
This website gives an overview of what intellectual disabilities are and some of the common causes. It gives a helpful description of some of the common signs and how these disabilities are diagnosed. It also shares important considerations in regards to education and teachers to help foster success in the classroom. Teachers would want to reference this source as a way to gain more knowledge about students with intellectual disabilities and how to best help them in the classroom.
Vanderbilt Teaching Exceptional Children- https://vkc.mc.vanderbilt.edu/assets/files/resources/10_research-based_tips_for_enhancing_literacy_instruction_for_students_with_intellectual_disability.pdf
This resource is focused on how to help students with intellectual disabilities improve their literacy, therefore it would be a very helpful resource for teachers. It gives strategies that teachers can use in both the planning and delivery portion of their lessons. It also touches on goal setting, data collection, and parental involvement, which are all important aspects of supporting students with disabilities in the classroom.
Learning Disabilities are defined as a type of disability that impacts the individual’s ability to learn. This may impact a variety of learning areas including reading, spelling, mathematics, writing, and/or social skills. To achieve at the same level of their classmates, students with learning disabilities will require additional support in the classroom. There are a wide variety of different types of learning disabilities but some common characteristics include delays in language development, reading difficulties, difficulties with written language, social and emotional challenges, and problems with gross and fine motor skills (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
CDC- https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/learning-disorder.html
This resource begins with a brief overview of what learning disabilities are and some common characteristics of people with learning disabilities. It then goes on to explain the various ways that learning disabilities can impact educational performance in different subjects at school. It also offers suggestions for treatments. This would be a helpful resource for teachers who need more information about what learning disabilities are and how they might impact students in their classroom.
International Dyslexia Association- https://dyslexiaida.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/DITC-Handbook.pdf
This resource gives helpful background information for teachers about dyslexia. In addition, it discusses some of the most common signs and symptoms to assist teachers in identifying students who might potentially have dyslexia. Lastly, it offers a wide variety of strategies that teachers can utilize in their classrooms to assist students with dyslexia. This resource is a great practical resource for teachers who need immediate interventions for their classroom to support students who are struggling with dyslexia.
The University of Michigan- http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/professionals/dyslexia-school/strategies-for-teachers
This online resource focuses specifically on strategies that teachers can use to assist students with dyslexia in the classroom, specifically related to reading and writing. It walks teachers through strategies that they can use before, during, and after reading to help support comprehension, which is something that many students with dyslexia struggle with. It concludes with strategies for students with visual deficits. Teachers who are struggling with supporting students with dyslexia would benefit from this resource.
Emotional or Behavioral Disorders are divided into two categories based on their characteristics. Emotional disorders are the internalization of difficulties and challenges which can lead to stress, depression, and anxiety that interfere with daily life. Behavioral disorders are a condition in which a student consistently violates social and school rules, disrupts the classroom, and requires educational action to be successful in the classroom (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
This online resource focuses specifically on strategies for students with emotional problems. It provides educators with strategies such as teaching positive peer relationships and coping strategies to perform better in the classroom. It also gives an overview of the common signs of students with emotional disorders, especially internalizing ones, as these are frequently overlooked which often results in students not getting the help they need. Teachers should utilize this resource if they have students in the classroom with emotional problems or suspect that a student in their class might be struggling with one.
Vanderbilt University- https://vkc.mc.vanderbilt.edu/assets/files/tipsheets/studentschallenges.pdf
This website offers resources for teachers to support students with emotional and behavior disorders in the classroom. It beings with an overview of what they are, and how they can impact learning. It also gives helpful information on how teachers can identify students with E/BD, as these are not often as easily identified as other disorders or disabilities. Lastly, it gives examples of strategies that work for these students such as PBIS. Teachers who need to learn more about E/BD should reference this website to learn more.
University of Florida- https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc260
This resource begins with an overview of what E/BD is, and it explains the responsibility that teachers have to refer students who they think might be affected. It gives strategies for how to structure the classroom environment in a way that will best support those students. It also gives strategies for how to establish positive relationships and resolve conflicts in the classroom. This website gives many helpful strategies that teachers could utilize to support students with E/BD in their classroom.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders are characterized by a pattern of behavior, present in multiple settings, that can result in performance issues in social, educational, or work settings. The symptoms must occur before age 12 and fall into two categories, inattention and hyperactive/impulsive (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
National Institute of Mental Health- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml
This website offers a detailed overview of the many signs and symptoms of ADHD. It discusses the various risk facts that can lead to children developing ADHD. It also gives a detailed discussion of various treatments that are available for those students. Teachers who are not familiar with ADHD could use this resource to learn more and learn ways to help students with ADHD and identify students who they might suspect have ADHD and need more intensive support.
CDC- https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/school-success.html
This website is focused on how to help children with ADHD succeed in school. It begins with helpful classroom strategies such as behavior management systems, and organizational training. It also discusses common accommodations that help students with ADHD such as extra time on assignments, breaks, and the use of technology. Lastly, the website gives tips for communicating with students with ADHD and how to structure assignments to best fit their needs. Teachers should consult this website if they need additional support to help their students with ADHD be successful in the classroom environment.
Murdoch Children's Research Institute-https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/principals/participation/tipsmanagingadhdinclass.pdf
This website beings with very important information on how to use positive language surround students with ADHD. For example, they are curious and energetic, not disruptive. The website also gives helpful strategies for setting up the physical environment of a classroom to help it be conducive for learning for students with ADHD. It also discusses best practices for managing behavior. It concludes with very important information on how to communicate with parents to best support the child at school and at home. This is a great resource for teachers who need additional strategies for helping their students with ADHD.
Autism Spectrum Disorders are defined as a variety (or spectrum) of related disorders that affect a child’s social development and ability to communicate and that include unusual behavior behavioral manifestations such as repetitive motor movements. In the category of ASD are Rett syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified Asperger’s syndrome, and childhood disintegrative disorders (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
ABA Educational Resources-https://www.abaresources.com/social-stories/
Social stories are a commonly used evidence-based intervention for students with ASD. This website discusses some of the benefits of using social stories. It also has free social stories that are divided into various categories that educators could use to assist their students with ASD. Teachers or school staff such as counselors or social workers could utilize this resource to access social stories to use with their students with ASD instead of having to create them from scratch.
National Autistic Society-https://www.autism.org.uk/about/strategies/social-stories-comic-strips.aspx
This website is another resource related to social stories. It gives a more in-depth overview of what they are, how to use them, and why they are beneficial. It also gives a description of how to write your own which could be useful to help teach specific routines or procedures in the classroom. Teachers or other school staff who need to create social stories tailored to specific parts of the school day should consult this website to ensure that the stories they are creating will help their students.
Reading Rockets-https://www.readingrockets.org/article/structured-teaching-strategies-students-autism-spectrum-disorder
This website offers teaching strategies to assist teachers when working with students with ASD. It emphasizes the importance of 5 different elements of teaching which include, physical structure, schedules, work systems, routines and visual strategies, and visual structure of material. The strategies all build on one another to offer tiers of support for students. Teachers who need additional ideas of how to help their students with ASD should utilize this website to ensure that those students are getting the support they need in the classroom.
Communication, Language, and Speech Disorders are all related types of disorder. Communication disorders involve difficulties with receiving, sending, processing, and comprehending verbal, nonverbal, and graphic symbolic information. Speech disorders involve the articulation of speech sounds, fluency, and/or voice. Language disorders involve difficulties with any combination of spoken, written, and or symbol systems used to share ideas and messages (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
The Stuttering Foundation- https://www.stutteringhelp.org/notes-teacher-child-who-stutters-school
This website offers important information about how to help students who stutter in the classroom. It gives strategies for how to help students of various ages as their needs might change as they age. For example, pre-school children might be less aware and self-conscious about their stuttering than elementary school children. The website also gives tips for how to talk to children who stutter in a way that is positive and respectful. Teachers who have a student who stutters should consult this website to learn how to best support them.
Reading Rockets-https://www.readingrockets.org/article/helping-children-communication-disorders-schools
This resource gives an overview of speech and language disorders and how they may receive treatment in the schools. It also explains how a speech disorder may affect literacy and learning. Lastly, it gives suggestions for how teachers can work with speech-language pathologists to support students in the classroom. Teachers who need help knowing how to collaborate with others to best help their students with speech disorders should utilize this website.
Allegheny University- https://sites.allegheny.edu/disabilityservices/students-with-speech-impairments/
This website gives helpful information about what students with speech impairments might struggle with. It gives tips for positive communication, such as not providing words or finishing sentences for students. It also suggests classroom accommodations that would help support those learners. Teachers who are not familiar with strategies to help students with speech impairments should consult this website to learn about how to best help those students be successful in their classroom.
Deafness and hearing loss are defined depending on the degree of loss, the type of loss, and the age when the loss occurred. The range of hearing loss depends on the individual's reception of sounds and can range from slight to severe, depending on the loss measured in decibels. Deafness is when the level of hearing loss exceeds 90 decibels. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing display a wide variety of characteristics including developmental delays especially in reading. The speech and communication of a child might also be impacted (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
Center for Hearing and Communication- https://chchearing.org/tips-for-teachers-of-students-with-hearing-loss/
This website discusses classroom accommodations that can be used for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. These strategies include a wide range of suggestions such as ways to set up the classroom to keep background noise to a minimum and how to speak in a way that will be easier to understand. In addition, it gives suggestions for accommodations such as given written copies of notes and using closed captioning on videos. This website will be very helpful for teachers who have a deaf or hard of hearing student and needs suggestions on how to best support them.
National Deaf Education Center- https://www3.gallaudet.edu/clerc-center/tips-to-go/tips-to-go-bookmarks---supporting-educational-success/accommodating-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-students-in-schools.html
This resource provides teachers with helpful strategies for how to support deaf students in the classroom. It gives ideas for accommodations such as using pictures and graphic organizers and communicating in a way that helps the student understand. In addition, this website offers links to two great additional resources that offer more in-depth information about students with hearing loss and students who are deaf. This is a valuable resource for classroom teachers who need additional support in knowing how to help their students who are hard of hearing or deaf.
Project IDEAL- http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/hearing-impairments/
This resource begins with a definition of hearing impairments and statistics about their prevalence. It then goes on to discuss how hearing impairments can impact students in the classroom and their ability to learn. Lastly, it gives helpful teaching strategies as well as suggestions for assistive technologies that can be used in the classroom to support learners who are hard of hearing or deaf. This resource will help teachers and school staff who are not familiar with hearing impairments to learn about them, and learn how to modify the classroom environment to support them.
Visual Impairments can include blindness and low vision. The technical definition for blindness is when a person has sight that is measured at less than 20/200, which means that they are unable to see with vision correction at 20 feet what a typical person sees at 200 feet. There are varying levels of low vision which exist within the range of 20/70- 20/200. Typical characteristics of children with visual impairments include difficulty accomplishing visual tasks, but they can use visual senses as an avenue for learning (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
Project IDEAL- http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/visual-impairments/
This website offers an in-depth overview of the definition of visual impairment, and how it can impact a student's learning in the classroom. It goes on to offer strategies that teachers can use in the classroom to ensure that students with visual impairments are getting the support they need. The website concludes with a large list of assistive technologies that students can use for additional support. This website is a great starting point for teachers and school staff who need to deepen their understanding of visual impairments and ways in which those students can be supported in the general education classroom.
Teaching Students with Visual Impairments- https://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/accommodations--modifications.html
This website is entirely devoted to accommodations and modifications that will help students with visual impairments succeed in the classroom. Some of the suggested accommodations include using large print or braille, preferential seating, and extended time. The modification that are suggested include modifying assignments and providing alternative assignments as needed. This resource would be very helpful for a teacher who has a student with a visual impairment who needs additional strategies for supporting them in the classroom.
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired- https://www.tsbvi.edu/instructional-resources-items/1911-classroom-strategies-for-regular-education-teachers-who-have-students-with-visual-impairments-1
This resource was developed specifically for regular education classroom teachers to learn how to better support their students with visual impairments. This website addresses a wide variety of suggestions from ways to keep the classroom furniture organized so that students can navigate the room to how much additional time should be given for assignments. It also addresses the mindset that educators should have when working with students with visual impairments and how they should be treated the same as other students as much as possible. This is a great resource for any classroom teacher who needs further knowledge on how to best help students with visual impairments.
Physical and other health impairments encompass a wide variety of students with a wide variety of needs including students with orthopedic impairments, traumatic brain injuries, deafblindess, multiple disabilities, and other health impairments. Due to the wide variety of physical and health impairments that a student might have, their characteristics and abilities will vary greatly and each must be treated as an individual (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
Epilepsy Society- https://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/teaching-children-epilepsy#.Xw8M4S2ZM_U
This website it targeted to teachers who have a student with epilepsy in their classroom. It gives suggestions for how to limit the likelihood that lights and computers will trigger seizures in the classroom. It also discusses when to now if a seizure is serious and requires further medical attention or if the teacher should call 911. The website also discusses how to explain what epilepsy and seizures are to the other students in the classroom so that they will be prepared should the student have one. This website is a great resource for a teacher who needs additional information about how to help a student who has seizures.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation- https://www.aafa.org/managing-asthma-in-school/
This website discusses best practices for helping students manage their asthma in school. Asthma is relatively common, therefore teachers should definitely know how to assist students who have it. This website gives tips for helping to manage it. It also has links to additional resources such as webinars should a teacher need to learn additional information. Teachers who feel as though they need to learn more about students with asthma should consult this website.
National Council for Special Education-https://www.sess.ie/categories/physical-disabilities
This website offers information about how to help students with physical disabilities in general with links to information about specific disabilities including cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, and others. For each disability they provide information about what it is and how it can affect the body. In addition, it also discusses how common it is. This website is a great resource for teachers who are lacking knowledge about physical disabilities and want to learn more about them.
Students who are academically gifted and talented have outstanding talent to perform, or show potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with other of their age. Students who are academically gifted or talented can excel in one area or multiple areas. For example, a student may be gifted in math, but not gifted in writing (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
National Association for Gifted Children- https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/gifted-education-practices/what-it-means-teach-gifted-learners-well
This resource offers a variety of instructional strategies for teachers who have gifted students in their classroom. It gives suggestions for how to challenge them and give them more complex assignments. In addition, the resource shares inappropriate instructional strategies for gifted children such as just giving them more of the same types of assignments to keep them busy. This website would be an extremely valuable resource for a teacher who needs help knowing how to challenge the gifted learners in her classroom.
This website gives six strategies for knowing how to challenge gifted learners in the classroom. It also gives a helpful list of do's and don'ts in the classroom for gifted learners. For example, it is a great idea to group gifted students together for a portion of the day and letting them work together on more complex assignments. It is not a good idea to only challenge gifted students by having them help the other students in the classroom. This website is a great resource for teachers who want to learn more strategies for teaching the gifted students in their classroom.
Edutopia- https://www.edutopia.org/blog/gifted-students-general-ed-classrooms-elissa-brown
This resource gives detailed information for educators about how to differentiate lessons to meet the needs of gifted students. Gifted students often finish their work early and should not just be given more work to do or expected to help the other students. They should be given other tasks to do that are an extension of the learning and challenge them in a meaningful way. This website is a great tool for teachers who feel as though they need additional support in knowing how to best teach their gifted students.
Inclusion, Universal Design for Learning, and Differentiated Instruction are all important aspects of supporting students with exceptionalities in the classroom. Inclusion ensures that students with exceptionalities are being educated in the general education classroom with their same-age peers. UDL helps teachers have guidelines for creating instruction and assessments that are accessible to all learners. Differentiated instruction allows for teachers to modify their instructional strategies and their assignments to be tailored to the individual needs of students in their classroom (Kirk, Gallagher, & Coleman, 2015).
Understood.org- https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/treatments-approaches/educational-strategies/4-benefits-of-inclusive-classrooms
This resource is dedicated to helping teachers understand what inclusion is and what it should look like in the classroom. It beings with an overview of what inclusion is and its history. It then goes on the explain the benefits of inclusion for all students, not just exceptional students. It concludes with 4 more benefits which are that is tailors teaching to all learners, it makes differences less "different", provides support to all students, and creates high expectations for all. This website would be a very useful resource for a teacher who is an inclusion teacher and needs additional support.
Council for Exceptional Children- https://www.cec.sped.org/Publications/CEC-Journals/TEACHING-Exceptional-Children/TEC-Plus/Universal-Design-for-Learning-in-Action-The-Smart-Inclusion-Toolkit
This website gives a detailed overview of what the Universal Design for Learning is and why is it important to incorporate it in a modern- day classroom. It also discusses the ways in which incorporating technology into the classroom can be a very useful tool for meeting the individual needs of different learners. It also gives example of other helpful strategies such as learning stations. This website is a great resource for teachers who want additional information and support about implementing UDL strategies in their classroom.
Colorín Colorado- https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/differentiated-instruction-english-language-learners
This is an excellent resource for teachers who need additional information about how to differentiate instruction for English Language Learners. ELLs are a growing group of students, and as a result it is extremely important that teachers know strategies for how to best help them in the classroom. This website provides many strategies such as providing multiple types of assessments, using flexible grouping, and collaborating with ESL teachers.
Kirk, S., Gallagher, J., & Coleman, M. R. (2015). Educating exceptional children (14th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.