How Should Teachers Include Students with Special Needs?

Picture this:  A teacher is giving out a $100 dollar bill to every student in the class except…YOU! Imagine not being able to receive the same thing as everybody else. That is how some students with special needs may feel if they are not included in the same things as other students. I think it is important for teachers in all grade levels to include students with special needs. “Special needs” is a rather vague term to use. A special need could be a student with autism, a student who is physically disabled or a student who is at a lower reading level than others. Regardless of the special need, I believe a teacher should do their best to accommodate the student and make them feel like they belong.  For example, a student who is in a wheelchair may not be able to take part in dodge ball at recess but would be able to participate if they played a game inside the classroom such as a board game. 

Depending on the special need of the student, the teacher should adapt the classroom to make it more welcoming. Take for instance, a student who has difficulty reading. The student may read a couple of reading levels below the other students and it may be inappropriate to have students read out loud. Another instance to help a student with special needs feel included is to partner them with another student in class. There is hundreds and thousands of ways to accommodate a special needs student in the classroom. The key to doing so is decided on a case-by-case basis. It all depends on the situation and what the teacher feels is the necessary path to making the student with special needs feel like they are the same as others.