Resources for teaching adults with special needs?

Question

As a requirement for one of my courses, I will be giving a presentation for a group of 20 adults with special needs next week. I'm looking for some resources where I can learn about the best ways to modify the presentation so the participants learn as much as possible from it and still enjoy it. If anyone can suggest books/websites/journal articles, or if you have some personal experience, I'd really appreciate some help! Thanks!

Answer 1

I worked in the field for 10 years.  It would help to know the extent of their needs, and what your presentation is about.  My suggestion is to treat the group as any 'normal' group of people, and do not assume they will not understand, you know?  You may be surprised and not need to modify anything.  You will get a feel as you go, and you can modify, if needed, as you go along.  In my experience, you will earn more respect if you treat this group as any other, and forget the special needs.  Good luck!

Answer 2

I have taught students whose first language is not English, and I have also taught students (including adults) with developmental special needs.  There is a lot of overlap with both these groups as far as good teaching practice.  Don't just talk - always illustrate your point in another way, whether by showing pictures, slides, PowerPoint, or real objects.  Demonstrate every concept.  Give the students an opportunity to participate in some fashion, whether it is role playing or having them demonstrate a key concept.  If a key piece of information can be stated in a "slogan" that the students can chant, that's another way of helping them to remember.  If there is a way to include kinesthetics (movement) with your lesson, that's another good way to help the students both to remember the material and to stay focused on the presentation.  Keep it reasonably short, and don't try to cover too much information at one sitting.  

I am a little worried about the practicality of your topic, though.   Do your students live independently?  If they live in a licensed group home, the staff (in all the states I am familiar with) are mandated to administer all medication, both prescription and OTC.  There are lots of regulations regarding where the medications are to be stored (locked up and inaccessible to the residents), as well as mandatory recording of each dose given (date, time, by whom, etc. etc.)   If your students do live independently and are expected to manage their own medications, I would hope, for the sake of safety, that someone is overseeing them and at least setting up the dosages for them in a daily medication box (if they aren't coming packaged from the pharmacy like that.)  It's so easy for any of us to make a mistake and take the pills at the wrong time, or confuse them, or forget that we just took them and then take another dose..... As the sister of a woman with Down syndrome, if she lived independently (which she does not - she's in a group home) I would want someone to teach her all the specifics about her medications in her home, in the actual environment in which she would be taking them, rather than learning about it as part of a group in her day program or work program.

I can see teaching concepts like, "Why do people need to take medications sometimes?"  "What people are allowed to give you medications, and what people should you never take medications from?"  But be very careful in what you choose to present.  There are so many potential disasters (and lawsuits) around medication that most programs (schools, recreation centers, adult day programs, residential programs, etc.) don't even give an aspirin or Advil without having written consent.  Which is another issue for you to consider - do your students have the right to make their own decisions involving their health care, or do they have conservators?  If so, the conservator would also be involved in decisions which may include medications.

I hope I haven't discouraged you, because it's great that you want to do a meaningful presentation for adults with special needs.  But there are a lot of considerations when you are working with this type of group, and you may want to modify the topic itself somewhat, in addition to modifying the way you present it.

Answer 3

Use minimal language and back up your language with lots of visuall support to ensure understanding. Explain with pictures and words what is expected in the task. Use a visual timetable to explain to them what is happening now and what will be happening next. This will reduce anxieties and enable the child to feel relaxed enough to learn. Examples of visual support will be found on the net. P.E.Cs is an excellent visua resource.

Answer 4

Picture, pictures pictures and if you wish more pictures.

Do not get too technical, keep it interesting, not just to you but to your audience. Type in MAKATON on your search engine for some ideas.