Why should church and Christian school leaders begin a program designed specifically to help struggling learners? The Great Commission calls for us to reach all people with the Gospel, and this also includes children with special needs. The Christian school is to partner with parents as they teach salvation, academics, and social skills through the light of Scripture. How can administrators look at parents and tell them that their child is too much of a burden? How can teachers tell parents that their most treasured possession—their child—is not worth the extra time that would be required to differentiate their lessons?
With tears in their eyes, parents have shared how they have had to drop off some of their children at the Christian school and their child with special needs at a public school because the Christian school is either unprepared or unwilling to help. Schools must see the need to help families and students with special needs. Administrators must choose to train faculty so that both struggling and gifted learners can learn about God’s love and be equipped to serve Him. As we teach our students about the body of Christ, we cannot choose to exclude any part of the body. Each student deserves a Christian education regardless of background, learning style, or disability.
We can help students who need more than what the general classroom teacher can provide by beginning a resource or special education program. The most prevalent challenges educators will encounter are specific learning disabilities and ADHD. School leaders must be informed and willing to partner with families as they walk the path toward obtaining a formal diagnosis. Once a diagnosis has been established, the school staff must be able to develop a plan to help struggling learners. Someone on the school staff needs to have training in special education. Too little knowledge may cause problems when untrained staff is deciding upon the accommodations and modifications to implement for each student. These decisions must be tailored to each student’s particular needs and their individualized student plan. Success must be the goal in learning; no matter how long it may take, gains will happen.
Some important factors should be considered as a school begins to develop a resource program. Special education will not only help to meet the academic needs of a student, but as those needs are being met, the student can focus more clearly on spiritual truth. When a student sees the barriers of frustration and anger at not being able to meet unattainable goals break down, he is able to form meaningful relationships. His guard will come down. He will be in a place where he can stop feeling the “fight or flight” response, and he will be more open to receiving spiritual truth.
Resource classes should be limited in size to give the kind of instruction that is needed when a student needs specialized help. Christian schools should prioritize serving Christian families with children with special needs. Schools should never have to refuse church members’ families because the resource program has accepted too many families from the community.
The dignity of each child is important. Students need opportunities to maintain contact with their grade-level peers. Students in the general education classroom must learn compassion toward someone who looks or acts differently, and students with special needs must learn social skills. Students may not have someone with special needs in their immediate family, but they may in the future. General education students must learn to show Christ-like love to all people.
Resource programs will not succeed in isolation. Support must come from the top down. The pastor and administrator must openly advocate the benefits of a special education program. General education teachers must be willing to learn more about how to help the struggling learners in their classrooms. Resource teachers and general education teachers must be willing to partner together to foster an atmosphere where students feel loved, respected, and wanted. It is surprising what students can accomplish once barriers are removed.
Resources to consider:
- Take a free course at TMI.vbc.edu. Dr. Lisa Joyner has a free course, Introduction to Special Education. Krista Smith also has a free course entitled, Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities.
- If you are a school administrator, consider helping a designated teacher get training in this growing and needy area. Schools like Veritas Baptist College provide both bachelors and advanced degrees in Special Education completely online.
- Consider a book to spur on more discussion: Integrating Faith and Special Education: A Christian Faith Approach to Special Education Practice (Ben Nworie, available at Amazon).