Religious Education for Special Needs Children

When faced with a special needs student in your CCD classroom it can be rather daunting. What do you do? What can you expect? How do you teach this child? Etc. These questions and many more inundate your mind when you are told that a special needs child will be coming to your class.

I used to be a special education teacher in the public schools and I use this knowledge to teach any special needs student that is in my classroom. What I do is just a modification of the regular curriculum. Each student is different and the program should reflect the child's individual and unique needs. Remember, a program that is appropriate for one child may be inappropriate for another.

Be sure to gather information from the parents about the child before they come to class. This information can help identify what changes need to be made in the religious education environment. Some children may need to be in a separate structured program, others may need an aide (or the parent) that has been trained to help so the child can participate in the regular program. Some children just need a few accommodations and modifications to the classroom and program. Remember that each child is different and their needs are different as well.