Intellectually Disabled Students: Basic Pointers

Nicholas Clarke

1. Remember that these students have hopes, dreams, and feelings like all your other students. Do not pity them, make fun of them, or fear them. Teach them! They have the right to an education just like everybody else.

2. In many cases you will be able to teach these students the same (or slightly modified versions of) lessons you teach your students without disabilities, but be aware that in some cases usual teaching methods may not be effective due to student ability and/or behaviours.

3. Ask in advance about the following things:

• student ability: as with students without disabilities, there is no point in teaching a lesson which is too easy or too difficult
• student behaviours: what (if anything) disturbs them or frightens them (ie loud noises, being touched, etc.) and adjust your lessons appropriately
• student likes and dislikes: use this knowledge to make your lessons more appealing to the students

4. Classes for students with disabilities are often much smaller than classes for students without disabilities. Use this fact to your advantage when planning and conducting your classes.

5. There is little point in spending lots of time teaching students with very high needs lots and lots of grammar theory. Instead you should focus on speaking, listening, and writing exercises: the more visual and hands-on the better! Indeed, try and get these students out of the classroom if possible. Take them for a walk around the school grounds and tell the students the English for things you see. This way of relating English to these students' physical world and experience can be a very effective teaching method.

6. Spend time with these students outside of class time because in many cases these students have even less contact with foreign people than students without disabilities. If possible visit their classes just to say hello and to chat. Have lunch with them. By doing these things, you will not only develop a close bond with these students but you will also have a lot of fun, and even more importantly, the students will learn a lot from you. They may even teach you something in return.