Teaching is not just about instilling academic understanding and practical skills. It is also about building the character of students, including encouraging them to be confident in their own abilities and to speak out on their own behalf. In the context of children with learning disabilities, for whom self-advocacy will be a vital part of accessing appropriate support, special needs programs must consider nurturing confidence as a primary goal.
The importance of confidence in the special needs classroom
Building confidence can be particularly challenging for people with autism, intellectual disabilities and other forms of learning difficulty. This difficulty arises because they often struggle with what other people may consider basic skills. Repeated experiences of difficulty in engaging or excelling in activities that seem straightforward for most people, or that are deemed necessary for functioning in everyday society, including mainstream educational settings, can have a detrimental impact on their self-esteem. This, in turn, contributes to increased rates of depression and anxiety, making it even harder to live a happy and fulfilling life.
If people with learning difficulties want to live more independently, they need to be able to identify their own strengths and weaknesses and to access appropriate support. This often requires them to be self-advocates when making requests from schools, employers, social services and the government. Self-advocacy is impossible without self-confidence, and self-confidence does not just spring into existence from nowhere. It needs to be nurtured over many years, starting in childhood. The special needs classroom is where the foundation is laid for success later in life.
How special needs programs can improve self-confidence
There are many ways that teachers can help nurture the confidence of students with learning difficulties. One is by setting manageable goals. Avoid focusing on lofty aims that sound impressive but are nearly impossible to reach. Break things down into small, attainable steps so that the student can feel as though they are achieving something, and that further progress is possible. On occasions when students do not reach their goals, praise for their effort and for any improvements made, however marginal, is important to building their confidence.
It also helps to consider the different forms that success can take. For some students, it will be completing an academic assignment. For others, it may be participating in a school play. In other cases, just establishing and maintaining friendships can build confidence. Ensure every student has a chance to find their own unique strengths and to celebrate them.
To give students the best chance at success and to, therefore, become more confident, it is important they have the right support. This includes making use of modern assistive technology which can help, for example, if a student has trouble with speech or language. Providing an alternative method of communication that they can use comfortably could have a significant impact on their self-esteem simply by allowing them to feel heard.
Self-confidence is a vital skill for many people with autism, intellectual disabilities and other learning difficulties. It reduces the risk of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems, and it allows individuals to become better self-advocates, able to argue their own position and request support when necessary, all an important part of increasing their autonomy.