Clio has taught education courses at the college level and has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction.
When Katie got her degree in special education, she initially assumed she would be working in a school. However, over the course of her studies, she became very interested in working in specialized settings, such as alternative schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and residential facilities.
Katie learned that it is fairly common for students with disabilities to be educated in these settings. Some children are chronically ill and must receive most of their education in a hospital, where they are also under the care of medical professionals. Others have such substantial behavioral problems that they attend alternative schools separate from their peers.
Katie comes to understand that teaching students with disabilities in specialized settings is very rewarding, but it also comes with challenges. Since she has decided to make this her career, she decides she needs to learn about some of the issues she is likely to face.
Katie discovers that specialized settings are diverse and varied. A hospital, for instance, might be really different from a rehabilitation center. At the same time, students with disabilities and their teachers face some similar issues regardless of the specifics of the setting.
Most students with disabilities who are placed in specialized settings have a wide variety of needs. In addition to the academic needs of all students and the social and emotional needs of all children, they may have medical or behavioral needs. Deciding how to balance and prioritize these different needs is a major issue in specialized settings.
For many teachers and students with disabilities in specialized settings, health and safety are significant concerns. Keeping students safe and physically healthy, Katie finds, sometimes has to take priority over other instructional goals.
Katie finds that most students with disabilities in specialized settings have a lot of different adults in their lives. As a teacher, Katie has to collaborate with doctors, therapists, and a variety of other ancillary service providers; this is time consuming, complex, and crucial to her job success.
Few families enter parenthood with the goal of having a child who will be educated in specialized settings. Katie finds that helping parents understand and cope with their children's needs is another ongoing aspect of this work.
Another thing Katie learns about teaching students with disabilities in specialized settings has to do with resources. She finds that the availability of resources varies tremendously depending on geography as well as the specific nature of the setting.
In general, Katie finds that she needs the same resources as any teacher: books, art materials, math manipulatives, and writing supplies. Many of her students also require additional supplies like fidgets, sensory tools, and assistive technologies. Advocating for appropriate resources is part of the job of most teachers in specialized settings.
Katie quickly learns that her students are very diverse, and there is no one teaching strategy that works for all of them. In general, though, she learns that it is important to get to know her students as whole people, focusing on their individual arrays of strengths and weaknesses.
When her students are medically fragile, she has to ensure that she teaches them in ways that allow them to stay healthy and comfortable. She breaks down major projects into manageable chunks for all of her students, and she tries to work with interdisciplinary projects to keep students active and motivated.
Katie almost always includes a social and emotional component to her teaching. Whenever possible, she incorporates visuals and tactile or kinesthetic activities and games into her instruction. Finally, she keeps her collaborative relationships strong so that she can ensure her teaching is attuned with the goals other service providers are working toward.
Teaching students with disabilities in specialized settings can be very challenging, but it is also a rewarding and important job.
It is important to familiarize yourself with common issues, such as the need to balance a variety of needs, the importance of health and safety, the role of collaboration, and the concerns of your students' families.
It is also crucial to think about the resources you will need and have access to in order to reach your students properly. Finally, think about the teaching strategies you can use to help your students learn and grow.
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