Classroom Adaptation of Children With Special Educational Needs and Their Social Integration

Abstract

The special educational requirements bring to our attention a wide repertoire of aspects regarding the needs, capacity and culture of the students who fall into a special category. As teachers, we all go through various experiences throughout our teaching career. We go through an experience and a stress generated by the distrust that we do everything we can to meet the demands of education, that we design lessons according to the standards in force and that the lessons will be understood by students and will be appreciated. All this worry becomes even more pressing when there are children who need special attention, children who need an educational alternative. In these conditions, a methodological support is needed, a school curriculum specialized in counselling on the different existing issues, a support that is first deepened from a theoretical point of view, and then applied successfully in practice. This article is a theoretical approach to adapting students with special educational needs to primary school. The hypothesis from which we can start in this study refers to Classroom adaptation in the teaching-learning process of pupils with hypoacusis and visual deficiency. The objective in this study refers to the adaptation to class of children with special educational needs through the teaching-learning process. The main reason why we should promote regular school attendance by children with special educational needs is to increase and enhance learning opportunities and equal opportunities in school integration, first and foremost in social integration.

Keywords: Students, school integration, social integration, personal development

Introduction

We could start this article with the phrase "no child is identical with another". Some children are attracted to sports activities, some are talented at music, some are more active, more communicative. We could argue the existence of this article as an additional guide for teachers working in mainstream schools with pupils with special educational needs. Although the phrase mentioned above is so well known, we still believe that many teachers rarely think about this aspect.

From a social point of view, we accept the idea that after graduation, every pupil must actively participate in social life, but this fact must start from the school desks. We cannot talk about social integration disregarding school integration. The difficulties that appear first in the process of school integration and then during social integration are of an attitudinal nature, because these difficulties are not generated by the special needs of the pupils but by the way of perceiving this process (Gherguț & Frumos, 2019).

Throughout time, the community has developed different perceptions towards different people, and most of the time these perceptions have been negative in the form of rejection, marginalization and perhaps often to the point of excluding them from social life. Nowadays we approach the concept of normalization of people with disabilities. It is a new vision, we can say, and this concept leads to the promotion of the idea of an inclusive society that focuses on the phenomenon of human diversity.

Professor Radu (1978) stated that learning is an individualized process, which takes place within a group with different features. Differentiation in the conception of some authors is defined as a way of teaching through which the teacher uses the adaptation of the curriculum and of the teaching methods according to the pupils’ individual needs (Tomlinson, 2014).

The zone of proximal development plays an important role here, as this theory supports inclusive education and establishes the pupil’s level of development (potential). Within ZPD (Vygotsky, 1978), the child is helped by a specialist to develop his / her skills in a socially active way by interacting with other people.

Problem Statment

We believe that the greatest challenge for a teacher who has a child with special educational needs in the classroom is to cope with the diversity within the classroom. In this sense, several rules have been identified that support the teacher. These are (McConkey et al., 2002):

1. Communication

During the teaching process, the teacher holds the key to communication. We cannot claim that pupils communicate with each other if the teacher does not communicate with them. Communication involves a way in which certain messages are conveyed, in various forms: a work instruction, a question, a comment or an appreciation from the teacher. The teacher's communication with pupils highlights the information that the teacher transmits to the pupils in various behavioral forms. Sometimes, the teacher guides the children's behavior through communication, other times new things are explained to them, they are evaluated and verified from the taught subject. Communication, obviously, does not refer only to verbal language. There are several ways to communicate: certain gestures, facial expressions, communication through symbols and images, written communication, sign language (for people with hearing impairments).

Referring to the teaching-learning activity, communication must be as coherent as possible. As the pupils are different, the teacher has the responsibility to carefully communicate through various channels the contents of the taught subject, so that the transmitted message reaches each pupil. Under these conditions, the teacher must adopt certain behaviours in class:

- to stand (as long as possible) in order to be seen by all pupils;

- to communicate clearly and use simple words in sentences;

- to use essential methods to attract the attention of the pupils who are less attentive or who engage in another activity during the teaching process;

- to combine sign language with verbal language, so that pupils can understand the message more easily;

- to repeat the essential information and to check if the pupils understood by asking questions and at the same time by encouraging pupils to ask questions when they did not understand the message;

- to learn sign language if there are pupils with hearing impairments in the classroom;

- to use as many images as possible accompanied by verbal or written language.

It is important for the teacher to learn to use a particular liking created or adopted by him through which he manages to attract pupils' attention during the presentation of new information and to provide feedback highlighting the pupil's performance.

2. Classroom management

Physical space (classroom) is very important in the integration of children with special educational needs in mainstream education. Under these conditions, pupils with special needs should be placed in the classroom as close as possible to the teacher. If there are children in the class with motor deficiencies or visual impairments, it is advisable to organize the furniture as efficiently as possible, because we need as much natural light as possible and an unobstructed passage space. Images and pictures on the walls should be at the level of the children's eyes and in large fonts to make the message easy to understand. It is advisable to display on the walls of the classroom the materials that the pupils worked on (drawings, paintings etc.) (Barth & Florescu, 2016).

3. Designing lessons

When we think about designing a lesson, we need to keep in mind what the pupils need to remember. Thus, individual plans can help us to adapt the lessons according to the interests of the pupils. Children understand a lesson much easier when theory is combined with practice. In this way, the teacher has the opportunity to actively involve all the children in a lesson.

Another instrument used in class refers to worksheets. These can be designed specifically to meet the needs of each pupil, taking into account the special needs of the child. Having particular worksheets, we must understand that the activity or task to be solved is personalized.

We should adapt the lessons to the child's needs, the teacher trying not to cover the contents of a lesson with a large volume of information. Alternative activities for children with special educational needs should not be missing from individual plans.

4. Individual plans

When we talk about individual plans, we must start from the premise that each child is unique and has an individuality. Individual plans can be designed for the entire school year as well as for a semester or even a single lesson. It is important to emphasize that the individual plan is meant to complete the lesson plan, which is designed for the whole class.

In designing the individual plan, the teacher can consult with the child's parents to establish together the important elements for the child in the school curriculum. If the pupils are older, they can be consulted themselves in order to design the individual plan. If an individual plan had been developed in the past, the teacher must take into account the child's progress during a semester in order to set goals for the next semester. We notice, therefore, that these individual plans aim at keeping track of the child's progress.

5. Behaviour management

Some children may disturb the class through their behavior, so it is necessary for the teacher to display the managerial talent to control that child's behavior. It is not possible to resort to certain punishments or rewards until the cause of that type of behavior is found and if it is a behavior manifested only on the scale or the same behavior is manifested in the family. The methods by which the teacher can intervene are multiple, but we will mention here only a few (Barth & Florescu, 2016):

- the teacher observes how the child behaves in class and will bring him as close as possible to the teacher’s desk and can place him between two other pupils so as he is prevented from leaving the desk very easily;

- when he behaves exemplarily, he must be rewarded, thus promoting only a certain type of behavior to the detriment of inappropriate behavior;

- providing tasks so that they are always kept busy;

- it is not advisable to use punishment if that child does not understand the connection between the punishment and the manifest behavior, and the threat must be accompanied by the possibility of putting it into practice.

It is important that the teacher stays consistent and maintains his authority. Role-playing games can help to correct a child's behavior. Often children have certain inappropriate behaviors because of emotional issues. They need a specialist and the collaboration with the family is also essential in such situations. All figures and tables should be referred in the text and numbered in the order in which they are mentioned.

Research Questions

Integrated education is based on the fact that all children are together and can work together. Teachers can encourage this so that pupils with special educational needs are not isolated. Integration and inclusion is not just about including a child with special educational skills in a school, but teachers need to explain to the other children the reasons why they have a classmate who behaves differently than the others. By means of the teacher’s behavior, diversity is respected. Children can discover for themselves how they will work together with their classmates. The obstacle of inclusion is the negative attitude, which often comes from parents who will worry about raising standards or grade level given that there is a child with special educational needs there, which can lead, in their opinion to a low class level in terms of academic performance. Teachers can change their parents' opinions by promoting a positive attitude. This can be done by encouraging pupils to play with the pupil with special educational needs, to work together on school assignments. The teacher has the responsibility to create certain situations through which each pupil has the opportunity to learn from another. Thus, pupils with certain skills can help those with lower skills.

We try to answer the following questions in this study:

1. Is school integration and inclusion a key factor in human social integration?

2. Can teachers use various pedagogical methods to ensure that human diversity is respected?

3. Is communication a way for the teacher to convey information to students in various behavioural ways?

4. Is physical space (school class) very important in integrating children with special educational needs into mainstream education?

5. Are worksheets a tool that takes into account the needs of the student with special educational needs?

6. Can the parents establish together with the teachers the important elements of the school curriculum for the child with special educational needs?

Purpose of the Study

The aim of this study is that children with special educational needs need support. we refer first to the support from the educational point of view, so that later they can enjoy a support and a social support. The support offered by the school space can be manifested in various ways. While the pupils in the class solve certain tasks, the teacher can take care of the students with special needs, offering them support in carrying out the task. If possible, it is recommended that the school hire assistants to support the teachers. Older students may have a schedule to help the children with special needs. Collaboration of the school with specialized teachers who can help teachers in mainstream education in establishing appropriate teaching methods.

School has the task of discovering the specific coordinates of each stage. The better the particularities of each stage are known, the easier it will be to develop operational strategies meant to ensure success in the education process.

Research Methods

The hypothesis from which we can start in this study refers to Classroom adaptation in the teaching-learning process of pupils with hypoacusis and visual deficiency.

The objectives proposed in this study refer to:

O1. Methods for adapting students with hearing impairment to the classroom;

O2. Methods for adapting students with hearing impairments in the teaching-learning process;

O3. Methods for adapting the classroom for visually impaired students;

O4. Methods for adapting visually impaired students in the teaching-learning process.

It is essential to understand that it is important to identify children's deficiencies from the first days of school. The class (from school) is a point of reference in the adaption of the child with special educational needs.

a) Hearing impairments

This deficiency is also called hypoacusis. Children who suffer from this type of disability show a certain type of behavior at school, and the teacher should have a discussion with his parents. The causes of this deficiency are many, from hereditary causes to causes due to lack of good nutrition of the mother during pregnancy, certain diseases of the mother during pregnancy or certain unfortunate accidents.

Hearing impaired children will respond better to tasks when the teacher is very close to them or tasks that require a written response. We will hear these children always asking their teacher or colleagues what they need to do. They prefer to work individually, because the noise of teamwork can bother them, not being able to focus on the workload.

What can teachers do? Speaking of classroom adaptation, we can point out the following aspects (McConkey et al., 2002):

- placing the hearing deficient pupil as close as possible to the teacher;

- the teacher will explain the lesson facing the pupils, especially when reading a lesson;

- the teacher will not stand behind a window or a bright light, because the light reflecting from behind can darken the teacher's face so that the hearing-impaired pupil does not notice his facial expressions;

- arranging the furniture within possibilities, so that the pupils can look at each other;

- the teacher must speak loudly and clearly, use simple sentences and use pictures and images in the teaching activity;

- it is recommended that the hearing-impaired pupil be assigned another pupil who can help him with classroom activities.

Children with hearing impairments need silence and peace of mind, as they cannot concentrate on classroom activities especially when they work in groups. If he wears a hearing aid, he must be checked daily to see if the battery is good and if the device is properly attached to the pupil's ear.

b) Visual impairments

Visual impairment is characterized by a poor or partial vision of the child and is also called amblyopia or blindness, depending on the severity of the deficiency. In some cases this problem in children can be corrected with glasses or various auxiliary devices that can help them see better.

The causes can be multiple. We can mention certain diseases contacted by the mother during pregnancy, eye infections, eye injuries or simply if the parents have this problem, there is a high chance that the child will also have vision problems (genetic causes).

What can teachers do in the teaching process? (McConkey et al., 2002):

- identify the place in the classroom from where the pupil sees best on the board;

- light can be a factor of sensitivity for the child's eye, so do not place him near the window; the teacher must make sure that the light does not reflect in the board;

- if the visual impairment is quite high, the teacher must make sure that the pupil knows his way to the classroom by practicing the route he travels daily from the entrance to the school to the classroom;

- the teacher will write on the board using various colors to better highlight the transmitted information and at the same time accompanying it with verbal language;

- pupils can use certain special notebooks with a more pronounced line model;

- the use of devices that magnify the image (lens or magnifying glass);

- through teamwork the pupil can be helped in accomplishing work tasks.

The computer can help visually impaired children, by printing certain texts in large font size, or special programs can be used in order to magnify certain texts or images.

Findings

Speaking of integration as a social result, this is reflected by educational work and by social life taking into account the evolution of some social phenomena. Integration is often seen as a positive phenomenon in educational activity due to social phenomena. The examination of integration emphasizes the role of education and underlines its formative values under certain conditions (Salade, 1998).

From a psychological point of view, integration includes in a wholeness something that becomes a component part of the entirety and acquires specific properties resulting from the interaction with the other component parts (Popescu Neveanu, 1978).

From a psycho-pedagogical point of view, integration is an educational process and is related to education. Integration emphasizes the complexity of the process and highlights its dimensions.

In retaining the essential features of social integration, we keep in mind the following aspects (Salade, 1998, p. 114):

- the compatibility of the individual's situation with the dynamics and value orientation of groups;

- the active character of the phenomenon and the reciprocal interaction between the individual and the group, in the sense of adhering to the same values;

- internalization as a movement of assimilating the external norms and correcting the behavior according to the exigencies and expectations of the group;

- the need for training, practicing this ability in group activities and the inclusion of the individual in work activities with varying degrees of responsibility in order to facilitate and accelerate integration;

- the continuous movement in the sense of ensuring and maintaining a permanent balance between the aspirations of the individual and the conditions offered by the community;

- the positive and final note of integration in comparison to the other components of individual conduct or of the existence of a community.

The orientation-integration relationship is a relation of mutual conditioning. At first, this appears as a linear relationship, in the sense of preparing for integration. However, orientation is influenced by integration, especially when the individual changes his option or requalifies, being influenced by the collective.

Motivation underlies the choice made by each pupil who eliminates the alternatives. The reasons for the professional choice can be material, spiritual, social etc. School is the main laboratory of each pupil in the process of developing a personal project. The choice of the type of school presupposes knowing the specifics of the profiles for which he/she is preparing and the perspectives that these offer at the end of the studies. This preparation involves supporting pupils in knowing the selection criteria and the correct understanding of social needs and professional interests.

It is very important to guide the pupils oriented towards the vocational field and those with learning difficulties. Guiding pupils with special skills to music schools represents an essential part of school guidance and has been in the care of specialists for a long time (Muntean, 2014).

Conclusions

The education of children with special educational needs has undergone major changes in the last four decades. Even though many things have been achieved in the area of special needs education until now, some assessments and changes are still needed. There is also a need for certain methods of collecting political and practical documentation data. Unfortunately, the education of people with disabilities still represents a difficulty, and this problem depends on many factors. There are certain aspects that we must take into account when we talk about the education of people with special educational needs, such as the developed, implemented policies, the practices developed at the level of non-governmental programs, the practices at the level of educational institutions.

There are several strategy directions in what concerns the education of children with special educational needs, namely ensuring the quality of education, because school inclusion is the first step towards social integration, equal rights to education based on diversity and last but not least, the development of economic development programs in which citizens can participate actively.

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