Learning continues beyond the school years. It is a lifelong skill that allows people to adapt to changing expectations and demands of life. What the young child with special needs should learn in an early childhood classroom is very different than what she should learn to handle bills and care for an apartment. Parents should expect their children to be lifelong learners despite special needs.

Learning in Steps

Most children with special needs can learn many things. In most cases, their learning goes beyond what we imagined possible when they were infants, often just struggling for their lives. But it is necessary to structure their learning in small steps.

The child with ADD or ADHD has difficulty zeroing in on the important information and ignoring everything else. The child with a hearing loss may be overwhelmed with unfamiliar words in an explanation. Start slowly, and focus on specific vocabulary, wording, or instructions in small steps.

Learning with Peers

Children want to be a part of “the group.” They want to be accepted. Parents have the same goals for their children — socially and in the area of learning. You will need to work with the staff at your child's school to figure out just what that means.

One part of the goal is to work out a schedule that allows your child to be in the inclusion classroom for as much instruction and as many activities as possible. Equally important is for your child to be in an appropriate learning environment. The challenge is creating a schedule that meets her individual needs: academic readiness, resiliency in transitions, and stamina.

Some children with special needs can function in the inclusion classroom with little or no assistance. Some have only modifications and accommodations outlined in a 504 plan. Other children, however, need special instruction to learn without frustration. Often, this is in the special education classroom.

Expect your child to learn to her highest ability. Plan to give her the necessary services and support to meet that goal. Remember that her ideal learning environment for all instruction may, or may not, be in the inclusion room. The important thing is to assist her in growing and learning.

True Understanding

Remember cramming for a test and forgetting the information by the next day? If a child with special needs crams for a test, she may learn the right things to say and how to approach written work that makes it look like she understands — and yet she does not.

So how can you tell if your child truly understands? If she is in the early grades, have her retell what she has read. In the upper grades, have her summarize the information in her own words. Don't rely on the age-old question: “Do you understand?” You will almost always get a yes answer. No one wants to admit a lack of understanding.