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Effective Teaching Strategies to Support Children with Sensory Disabilities

2020

Principal Investigators: Madison Bailey and Dr. Sudha Swaminathan


The purpose of this study was to determine specific teaching strategies and devices that are effective in supporting preschoolers with visual and hearing impairments. Prior research has suggested that children with disabilities may require differentiated teacher support including diverse teaching and environmental planning (Fallon & MacCobb, 2013). Specifically, children with sensory disorders may have difficulty with the visual/tactile nature of toys, the social aspects of peer interactions, or even engaging in typical play environments (Trawick-Smith, 2020).

The study design followed an ethnographic interview model adhering to the Spradley (1979) system of grand tour questions followed by mini-tour questions. Seven educators, ranging from therapists, classroom teachers, and college professors, all with the knowledge and experience appropriate to the study were interviewed. All interviews were conducted through virtual video-recorded communications, transcribed and analyzed as coded memos (Birks et al., 2008).

Analyses yielded critical categories on effective practices for preschoolers with visual and hearing impairments. Across all interviewees, individualized teaching emerged as an important category. Strategies included extensive individualized planning of materials and curricula, with modifications of typical strategies. Environmental planning and set up of the classroom with specific toys and devices offering tactical and sensory support to facilitate play interventions was another critical category. The unique background and experience of the interviewees, coupled with each child’s unique manifestation of the special need, dictated the type of strategies or tools utilized in the classroom. Diverging from these main results was the final category of CVI (cerebral visual impairment) and NVI (neurological impairment) which expanded visual impairments to complications beyond the eye and thereby needing even more individualized attention. Overall, this research provides specific classroom implications and highlights technological accessories to support children with sensory disabilities to thrive within their environment.  

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