1. Choose classroom themes that celebrate diversity
2. Celebrate similarities and differences with charts and artwork
3. Help students verbally share the things that make them special
4. Teach students that it is alright to ask questions (though respectfully) if they have queries or do not understand one another (this prevents misunderstanding) 
5. Have open conversations about stereotypes and biases
6. Express positive interest in diverse cultures
7. Respect and empathise with all who are different from us 
8. Set a good example ourselves as educators
   Hope you will have a fruitful experience not just via the lectures but more so via your tutor and the rest of your fellow Tutorial group mates with the sharing of experiences. Do let me know if you need further input. Thank you. 
   Elizabeth (Dr) 

• Set rules together – A positive classroom where students are free to be themselves does not mean there aren’t any ground rules in place. Students should feel safe and respected, and a framework around that will help them do so. Encourage them to think for themselves, ask the children what kind of rules there should be. This includes setting up rules surrounding communication.
• Turn problems into teachable moments – Too many times we see problems as a setback of some sort. Instead, we should be viewing these as teachable moments as something to build upon. Try to take a positive spin and get students interested in taking the steps to solve it. This not only develops problem-solving skills but also teamworking skills that are so vital in the classroom.
• Change the setup – The way the classroom is arranged will have a massive impact on the way students work. There is no real rule on how your classroom should be set up, as this will vary depending on the age group, subject, space available and type of project being worked on. However, students should not feel segregated and should be able to work with others easily. Try changing this up halfway through the year for something different. Promote diversity and multiculturalism within your classroom décor too.
• Chat with each student individually – Find the time to have a casual chat with your students individually to see how they’re doing. If you find they are struggling with something in particular, whether it be a certain subject or personal strains with other students, then work out together how the problem can be solved. Also, use this opportunity to get some feedback from the student about being at school. What do they like the most? What do they not like, and how does it make them feel?
• Give out “jobs” – Giving students responsibilities in the classroom not only makes them part of the day-to-day running of the classroom, but it generally helps boost self-esteem knowing they have been trusted with a specific task. This can be handing out papers, being the door holder, watering the classroom plants, etc. Change it up every week to give every student the opportunity to try every task.

• ensure that students experience success in their learning so they stay engaged in education
• identify vulnerable students before their entry into the secondary school, and as they transition between classes in a secondary school
• proactively address any likely threats to students’ wellbeing and academic progress such as putting in place learning and pastoral care support for students
• have processes in place to monitor the wellbeing and progress of all students, (especially vulnerable students)
• continue to offer support to students throughout the year (not just in the initial weeks)
• ensure that support is available for students 
• make plans for the sustainable wellbeing and progress for students 
• adopt a responsive and solutions-oriented approach to working through issues of students not adjusting to their new school.

1. Show them the benefits of your idea.
   If possible, show how the child, the school, and the teacher herself will benefit.
2. Be prepared for contradictions and objections.
   Think of issues or concerns that your colleague might raise and prepare effective responses.
3. Be willing to be agreeable… even if you don't agree!
   Say, "I can see your point, but if we make a few compromises and adjustments, we can make this work."
4. Admit mistakes or miscalculations.
   Be willing to say, "Well, I hadn't thought about that…" This approach makes you seem more trustworthy and flexible.
5. Ask her to consider your recommendations and agree to continue the discussion at a later time.
   If you insist on an "immediate answer," she may feel intimidated or defensive.

Mary: I appreciate your extra efforts with Alex. He really seems to enjoy your class and raved about the museum field trip.
Max: I know he likes history and he participates often in class, but his exam grades are really poor.
Mary: I wonder what we could do about that. I looked at his last exam and he did really well on the multiple choice items and the true/false. It was the essay section that pulled him down.
Max: Yeah. And that's too bad. I know that he knows the material because of his comments in class.
Mary: So I guess that he knows the stuff—and can explain it verbally—but just can't get it down on paper. That seems to be the problem…
Max: Wait a minute. What if I give him the essay section orally? I could meet him at lunch on the day of the test and he could explain his response to me. Would that work?
Mary: BRILLANT! Wish I had thought of that…

• Physical - multiple sclerosis, allergies and asthma, juvenile arthritis, leukemia, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy.
• Developmental - Down syndrome, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, aphasia or dysphasia, auditory processing disorder, visual processing disorder.
• Behavioral/emotional - obsessive compulsive disorder, dissociation, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder, bipolar.
• Sensory-impaired - hearing impaired, visually impaired.

1. Alternative seating arrangements. This is a great way to support children with disabilities. You can have them sit near you or a peer buddy, in a quiet area of the classroom, or provide an alternative seating option that will help them focus in class.
2. Rearrange the layout of the classroom. Simply move furniture to help children with special needs move more easily around the classroom.
3. Limit visual clutter on walls. This can help reduce distractions for children with autism or ADHD.
4. Play soft music throughout the day. This helps with sensory stimulation.
5. Adapt furniture. Hopefully, your classroom has furniture that is easily adjustable. Use heavy, stable furniture and equipment that cannot be easily knocked over.
6. Use pegs to adapt handles on doors, shelving, coat racks, backpack areas, and puzzles. This helps children with a cognitive and/or developmental delay or a physical impairment gain confidence.

• failing to give close attention to details or making careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
• difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
• not seeming to listen when spoken to directly
• not following through on instructions and failing to finish school work, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behaviour or failure to understand instructions)
• difficulty organising tasks and activities
• avoiding, disliking, or being reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)
• losing things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g., toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools)
• being easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
• being forgetful in daily activities

• fidgeting with hands or feet or squirming in seat
• leaving their seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected
• running around or climbing excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)
• difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
• being ‘on the go’ or often acting as if ‘driven by a motor’
• talking excessively
• blurting out answers before questions have been completed
• difficulty awaiting turn
• interrupting or intruding on others (e.g., butting into conversations or games)

• lack of babbling or pointing by age one
• lack of any single words by 16 months age
• lack of response to name being called
• poor eye contact
• excessive need for quiet and order
• lack of smiling or responsiveness to others

• weakness in making friends or relating to peers
• lack of ability to engage in conversation
• repetitive actions
• repetitive or strange language patterns
• obsession-like preoccupation with objects or conversational subjects

• Difficulty pronouncing and rhyming words: children of all abilities can sometimes mispronounce words; however, parents should take note when a child has frequent and lingering trouble figuring out vowel sounds or when they switch syllables when saying a word such as “butterfly,” pronouncing it as “flutter-by” instead. Also children with potential dyslexia may not easily be able to recognize or rhyme words at an early age, even very simple ones like “cat” and “bat.”
• Slow, inaccurate reading skills: young children with dyslexia are often not able to sound out unknown words on their own, and therefore may guess at words based on context or skip the word altogether. Because they are slower to develop their reading skills, parents may notice reluctance, hesitation, or anxiety about reading.
• Poor spelling skills: although it is common for all children to confuse “b” and “d,” as well as other letters, this confusion tends to disappear at an early age for normal readers and linger for a longer time with children who may be dyslexic. Children with dyslexia have great difficulty with spelling. Errors can be of several types, such as leaving out a vowel or consonant letter, or omitting whole syllables in their spelling.”

1. Organization. One of the core skills that will help a teacher every day in the classroom is the ability to be highly organised. The confidence of students with special needs should stem from the structure of an orderly atmosphere provided by the teacher.
2. Creativity. Everyone has a different learning style. The best teachers are able to adapt their lessons in creative ways to highlight the learning strengths of each individual child. The teacher would be able to include all children in the learning process, which may involve teaching the same material in four or five different ways. In order to be prepared, a teacher must call upon new teaching techniques on a regular basis. This benefits all of the students as each will be able to capitalise on his or her own learning strengths while developing skills in other areas. For example, a student who learns best visually will also develop his or her own auditory and kinesthetic learning styles in a creative classroom.
3. Highly intuitive. Some students may find difficulty in properly expressing what they are feeling, due to their communication skill level. They may act out or withdraw because they are feeling confused, frustrated, or even overwhelmed. The effective teacher needs to have intuitive skills to sense underlying issues behind a child’s behaviour, along with helping them as situations occur.
4. Calming nature. The intensity of the classroom environment may also create stress. This is often magnified in a classroom where children may be having behavioural and learning issues. A great teacher will have a calm nature to their countenance that helps reduce the level of stress in the room. Creating a safe classroom is characterised by maintaining a calm atmosphere and is a crucial skill for teachers to master.
5. Detail-oriented. One specific aspect of being a well-organised teacher is having the ability to pay close attention to detail. The teacher needs to consistently assess students through formal and informal methods, where details make a difference. 
6. Deadline-oriented. Sticking to a clear schedule helps students stay calm by creating expectations through a daily routine. 
7. Adaptability. Teachers must be adaptable as you never know what may happen in the classroom. Students may have outbursts, meltdowns, and disruptions. A teacher has to be able to maintain order, keep to a schedule, and be flexible as all of these situations may arise. Modeling adaptability is important because students with special needs often need to learn how to adapt to their surroundings based on their disability. A teacher who demonstrates this effectively teaches the child how to do so in different situations.
8. Even tempered. All classroom environments can be stressful, especially if it is one where there may be frequent disruptions. The teacher must be even-tempered and must have excellent coping techniques.
9. Good sense of humour. The teacher should be able to recognise the appropriate times to have a good laugh and help shift the atmosphere of the classroom to a more cheerful one. A
10. See potential in students! The top nine traits on this list are all very important but none are as important as being able to see the potential in students with special needs, and believing in them. Then students will also start to believe in themselves. 

• Identifying Personal Strengths
• Interpersonal Skills
• Cultivating Communication Skills
• Building Self-Advocacy
• Developing Self-Determination
• Identifying and Overcoming Challenges
• Personal Goal Setting
• Exploring Career Options

1. Accommodations: what you can do to make learning easier for students with ADHD.
2. Instruction: the methods you use in teaching.
3. Intervention: How you prevent behaviours that disrupt concentration or distract other students.

1. All students are engaged in meaningful work that supports their instructional goals!
2. Learner objectives, activities, and rules are positively stated and clearly posted.
3. A variety of instructional strategies, materials, technology, and groupings are being used.
4. Students with special needs are not stigmatised by adult supports, and student-to-student interactions are evident.
5. Assignments are purposeful, involve meaningful work, and maintain rigour.
6. The classroom arrangement supports positive behaviour and learning. Students can access materials with adequate room for small groups and quick transitions.

• Differentiate instruction by using flexible grouping, providing activities that appeal to various learning-style preferences, giving students choices, and creating alternative activities and assessments

• Think "universal design" when planning instruction. "The central premise of Universal Design for Learning is that a curriculum should include alternatives to make it accessible and appropriate for individuals with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities, and disabilities in widely varied learning contexts" (CAST, 2004, 3). Incorporate three qualities of universal design when planning instruction:
• 1. Multiple means of representing content (visual and oral strategies),
• 2. Multiple means of students' expression of content (writing, illustrating, speaking), and
• 3. Flexible means of engagement as students learn (videos, software, and role-playing).

• Provide opportunities for students to work in small groups and in pairs. If cooperative learning strategies are used, five conditions must be present: (a) The task must be authentic, worthwhile, and appropriate for students working in groups; (b) Small-group learning must be the goal; (c) Cooperative behaviour should be taught to and used by students; (d) Group work should be structured so that students depend on one another to complete a task successfully; (e) Students should be held individually accountable 
  
  
• Use graphic organisers to assist students with organising information in meaningful ways. For example, Bender (2002) suggests providing students with lesson outlines as note-taking tools.
  
  
• Use the instructional sequence of "I do" (teacher model), "We do" (group practice), and "You do" (individual practice). Provide supports or scaffolds to students as they are learning new material and withdraw them when they are able to perform the task on their own (Bender, 2002).
  
  
• Employ active learning strategies such as "think, pair, share" to promote recall and understanding of new learning. This strategy allows students to reflect individually on a question, pair up with a partner to share and compare answers, and finally give the best answer. 
  
  
• Teach learning strategies along with content material. Strategy instruction may be defined simply as instruction in how to learn and perform (Lenz, Deshler, & Kissam, 2004). "Learning strategies help students learn and perform by providing them with a specific set of steps for: (a) approaching new and difficult tasks, (b) guiding thoughts and actions, (c) completing tasks in a timely and successful manner, and (d) thinking strategically (Lenz et al., 2004, p. 261). Learning strategies may include organising materials, memorising information, taking notes, reading text, and taking tests.
  
  
• Use ongoing informal and formal assessments to help inform instruction and monitor student progress.
  
  

• More advanced medical technologies that make early diagnosis more feasible
• A more widely understood definition of Special needs by parents and teachers
• People are more savvy and able to better articulate and advocate for their loved ones

• Assessments - While students with special needs may become proficient readers and writers, they should not be limited to this to show what they know. Posters, models, performances, and drawings can show what they have learned in a way that reflects their personal strengths. When it comes to tests, there are other ways to show mastery than a multiple choice test. Rubrics are a great way to create assessment tools for students to show they have mastered the material.  A portfolio may be another way to assess students. Depending on the level of the student, you could ask them to sort or group pictures according to specific criteria, name pictures, or have them answer questions orally.
• Assistive Technology - Technology can be especially helpful with special needs students. Access to computers, screen readers, and voice recognition software can help many students with special needs use technology more effectively. Other educational software programs—such as talking dictionaries and talking word processing applications—provide opportunities for students to improve their spelling, reading and writing. 
• Collaborative Activities - Students learn best from their peers and many jobs require an ability to be a contributing member of a team. Time and time again it has been proven that the lower functioning group improves when working with more academically capable students. Collaboration is a skill that must be discussed before the lesson, so each group member has a clear idea of their role. It helps to give some focus questions ahead such as: Did everyone get a chance to speak and contribute? The teacher must monitor the groups to ensure that they are functioning appropriately.   
• Cooperative Learning - Students working in cooperative groups have the benefit being exposed to the various learning strategies of others. Cooperative groups can be a comfortable place to have a voice in a small group setting and receive support from peers.
• Explicit Modelling - Some activities such as note-taking, making connections among ideas, asking questions, project planning, and time-management may have to be taught, because special needs students are not able to make the connections on their own. This may require step by step procedures to be explained.
• Feedback - Students with special needs often have difficulty monitoring their own progress. Giving feedback will help students to reflect on their own work.
• Graphic Organisers - Organising information is often a problem for students with special needs. Learning disabled students are often visual learners who respond well to information represented in graphic form. Concept maps, Venn diagrams, Cause-and-effect charts, Story Maps, T-charts, and Timelines can assist students to incorporate new knowledge. Multimedia such as pictures, charts, graphs, audio, and video can also be beneficial.
• Levelled Reading Materials - Providing reading materials on a particular topic, but written at different levels will allow a student with a reading disability to learn about the same topic as the rest of the class.
• Modified Directions - It is not uncommon for students to misunderstand the instructions for an assignment. Keep the directions clear and concise 
• Multi-sensory Approach - Most new content is delivered verbally, but students have strengths in different areas. They may be great illustrators, innovative builders and and able to gather information visually on the internet. By using multi-sensory techniques to introduce new material, more of your students will retain it. 
• Peer Tutoring - Having a peer helper can be mutually beneficial. Students with special needs can receive intensive one-on-one assistance and the peer tutor learns about different learning styles, modelling positive behaviour and empathy. Peer helpers can also assist with creating study tools, editing written assignments and with collaborative activities.
• Prior Knowledge - Linking newly presented knowledge to previous understanding is very important for students who have special needs. Know-Want to Know-Learn (KWL charts), discussions and questioning can help students use what they already know to understand new information.
• Visual component - Students with reading problems find pictures and symbols easier to understand. Flashcards and pictures are useful to teach sight vocabulary, safety signs and new concepts.