How to Support Children with Intellectual Disabilities in the Classroom
Across the globe, nearly 240 million children live with some form of disability – roughly one in every ten. For many, accessing meaningful education remains a daily struggle due to limited special education support, social exclusion, and a lack of adaptive resources.
At Unity College in Johannesburg – a school dedicated to empowering children with intellectual disabilities – we know that inclusive education must go beyond access. It must be purposeful, individualised, and deeply rooted in empathy. With more than three decades of experience teaching pupils with intellectual disabilities across various cognitive levels, we’ve seen what works – and what still needs urgent attention.
Supporting Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Mainstream Classrooms
While some pupils benefit from full-time placement in special needs environments like ours at Unity College, others find themselves navigating mainstream classrooms without sufficient support structures. This often leads to frustration for both teachers and pupils and can result in pupils being referred back into special schools unnecessarily.
One key barrier is the absence of differentiated instruction for special needs within traditional classrooms. Many teachers simply haven’t been given adequate training or resources on how to teach children with cognitive impairments effectively.
So, what can educators do?
Best Classroom Strategies for Special Education Teachers
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but there are proven strategies that help create an inclusive classroom where all pupils feel supported:
- Break tasks into smaller steps: Large assignments may overwhelm pupils with processing delays. Breaking them into clear stages helps create achievable goals.
- Use multi-sensory teaching techniques: Lessons that incorporate visuals, movement or tactile objects allow different learning pathways to engage.
- Provide routine and structure: Predictable schedules reduce anxiety and build confidence through repetition.
- Offer extra time without pressure: Timed tasks often disadvantage pupils who need more time to process instructions or formulate responses.
- Simplify language without diluting meaning: Use concrete examples rather than abstract concepts when explaining new material.
- Empower non-speaking pupils with an effective communication system: Implement Makaton as a language system to support communication, language development and literacy in non-speaking pupils.
Building an Inclusive Learning Environment
Unity College was designed specifically around inclusive education for special needs. Our small class sizes (typically under 10) allow teachers and teacher assistants to tailor each pupil’s Individual Development Plan (IDP). These plans ensure realistic academic goals while embedding vital life skills such as communication strategies, self-regulation techniques, and functional literacy development.
But inclusion is as much about culture as it is about curriculum.
An inclusive learning environment starts when every child feels safe being themselves. Encouraging peer relationships between neurodiverse pupils builds empathy on both sides while reducing stigma around differences. At Unity College, we model this through collaborative group therapy sessions such as occupational therapy, music therapy or speech therapy, which promote shared expression across ability levels.
The Role of Specialised Schools Like Unity College
Supporting children with intellectual disabilities means looking beyond diagnosis and toward possibility with patience, creativity, and belief in their inherent worth.
Learn more about how Unity College supports children with intellectual disabilities.