Students with special needs have different learning disabilities, which often prevents them from grasping the concepts presented in the classroom. One of the common disabilities is non-verbal learning disabilities. Most nonverbal students do not have the required social skills and abstract thinking; as a result, incorporating explicit instruction will help them pick social cues, although they may still face problems comprehending the abstract concepts presented. According to the presented scenario, Amanda is a non-verbal student who has significant intellectual deficits. Despite such deficits, Amanda has some receptive language skills and can use her arms, fingers, and eyes to track objects in her lines. However, perfecting these skills will help Amanda attain her academic performance. As a result, the following accommodation will be provided in the classroom.
Although Amanda can make eye contact and track objects, one strategy that can increase her visual tracking is using visual cues. This can be achieved by, for instance, drawing something on paper and showing her the side to which the object is likely to move (Sykes, 2021). Doing this will enable her to learn how to differentiate one object from the other. Nonverbal students also experience problems responding to auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli. One of the strategies that can be incorporated to address this problem is by using learning strategies that incorporate other senses such as smell, taste, and proprioception (Halle et al., 2016). Integrating medical devices and assistive technology will also help enhance the hearing and visual skills of a non-verbal student.
Every student needs to have social or communication skills since it helps them seek clarification when they do not understand or interact effectively with their peers. However, since most nonverbal students do not have these skills, incorporating different accommodations is key. Including social stories and role-playing can help address this need. In role-playing, a teacher and a student engage in doing various activities in turn (Halle et al., 2016). These strategies help the non-verbal student learn important ways to do certain things when the teacher does it repeatedly. In conclusion, non-verbal students need to receive quality education just like their verbal peers. As a result, teachers must strive to identify these needs and incorporate the strategies geared towards addressing them.
References
Halle, S., Ninness, C., Ninness, S. K., & Lawson, D. (2016). Teaching social skills to students with autism: A video modeling social stories approach. Behavior and Social Issues, 25(1), 42-54.
Sykes, H. (2021). Eye Gaze Technology for Nonverbal Students with Cortical Visual Impairment (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
