ASHTAVAKRA
INSTITUTE OF
REHABILITATION
SCIENCES AND
RESEARCH
Made By:- Kirti Tomar
B.Ed (ID)
1st Year
Submitted To:- Neema Ma’am
STRATEGIES FOR FUNCTIONAL
ACADEMICS: READING, WRITING,
MATH, AND SOCIAL SKILLS
■ Functional academics equip students with
practical skills for daily life. This approach
focuses on reading, writing, math, and social
skills essential for independence and success.
■ Relevance of Functional Academics:-
■ Learning functional academic skills for
children with Mental Retardation is necessary
in order to become independent and
successfully seek employment. Declaration of
UNESCO towards “Education for All” in 2000
AD, includes children with disabilities, this also
addresses learning needs of students with
Mental Retardation. Literacy skills of
individuals with Mental Retardation are not
the same as children with other special needs
due to the limited intellectual capacity.
However, individuals with Mental Retardation
IMPORTANCE OF
FUNCTIONAL
ASSESSMENT
Real-World Applications:-Functional
academics bridge: the gap between
classroom learning and everyday
situations. Students apply skills
directly to life experiences.
Independence:- These skills foster
self reliance. Students gain
confidence in managing personal
affairs and navigating society.
1. Future Success:- Mastering
functional academics prepares
students for employment and
higher education. It builds a
foundation for lifelong learning.
READIN
Provide activities that focus on reading for
G
information and leisure.
Provide activities that require the child to become
more aware of his/her surrounding environment
having the child list the names of all food stores
in the community, or all hospitals and so on will
increase his/her familiarity with the surrounding
environment.
■ Have the child collect food labels and compare
the differences.
■ Allow them look up the names of the children’s
families in the phone book.
■ Use the smaller local guide for this activity.
■ Develop activities that will allow them to
become familiar with menus, bus and train
READING COMPREHENSION
STRATEGIES
Pre-Reading:- Activate prior
knowledge and set purpose
for reading Preview text
structure and key vocabulary
During Reading:- Use active
reading techniques like
highlighting and note-taking
Monitor comprehension and
ask questions.
1. Post-Reading:- Summarize
main ideas and reflect on
content. Connect new
information to existing
knowledge.
Handwriting/Spelling
Have the child make a list of
things to do for the day.
Have the child run a messenger
service in the classroom so that
he/she can write the messages
and deliver them from one
student to another.
■ Provide activities for older
children that incorporate daily
writing skills necessary for
independency such as social
security forms, driver’s license
application, and bank account
applications and so on.
EFFECTIVE WRITING TECHNIQUES
1. Brainstorming:- Generate
ideas freely. Use mind
maps or lists to organize
thoughts.
2. Drafting:- Focus on getting
ideas down. Don’t worry
about perfection in the
first draft.
3. Revising:- Refine content
and structure. Ensure
clarity and coherence in
the writing.
4. Editing:- Polish grammar,
spelling, and punctuation.
Prepare the final, polished
version.
MATH
Have the child buy something at the school
store.
■ Have the child make up a budget on how
they plan to use his/her allowance.
■ Encourage the child to cook in school or
at home so that they can become more
familiar with measurements.
■ Have the child record the daily
temperature.
■ Involve the child in measuring the height
of classmates.
■ Have older children apply for a loan or
credit card.
■ Show the child how to use a daily
planning book.
■ Provide activities that teach the child how
to comparison-shop.
MASTERING MATHS CONCEPTS
Concrete Learning:- Use physical
objects to represent math
concepts. Manipulatives help
students visualize abstract ideas.
Real-World Applications:-
Connect math to everyday
situations. Practice budgeting,
measuring, and problem-solving
in practical contexts.
1. Technology Integration:-
Utilize educational apps and
software Interactive tools can
make math more engaging
and accessible.
SOCIALIZATI Provide frequent opportunities for students to learn and socialize with typically developing pe
ON
Involve the student in group activities and clubs.
Provide daily social skills instruction.
Directly teach social skills, such as turn-taking, social distance, reciprocal conversations, etc.
Break down social skills into non- verbal and verbal components.
Explains rules / rationales behind social exchanges.
Provide frequent opportunities to practice skills in role-playing situations.
Provide opportunities to practice skills in many different environments.
Serve as a model for interactions with students.
Value and acknowledge each student’s efforts.
Provide many opportunities for students to interact directly with each other.
Work to expand the young child’s repertoire of socially mediated reinforces (e.g. Tickling, pee
Ask students to imagine how their behavior might affect others.
Specifically comment on and describe what the student is doing.
Model tolerance and acceptance.
Provide opportunities for students to assume responsibilities, such as distributing papers.
Teach other students to ignore inappropriate attention-seeking behaviours.
Have other students (who demonstrate appropriate behavior) serve as peer tutors.
Be aware that some students may work better alone.
Carefully consider and monitor seating arrangements in the classroom.
■ If student is motivated by adult or peer attention, find ways to recognize positive contrib
DEVELOPING SOCIAL AND
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Active Listening:-Teach students
to focus on speakers and respond
appropriately, Practice
paraphrasing and asking
questions.
Emotional Intelligence:- Help
students recognize and manage
emotions. Develop empathy and
social awareness.
1. Collaboration:- Encourage
group work and team projects
Foster skills in cooperation and
conflict resolution.
SOCIAL STORIES
■ Social Stories can be used to teach
social skills to children with such
disabilities as autism or intellectual
disability. A situation, which may be
difficult or confusing for the student,
is described concretely. The story
highlights social cues, events, and
reactions that could occur in the
situation, the actions and reactions
that might be expected, and why.
Social stories can be used to
increase the student’s understanding
of a situation, make student feel
more comfortable, and provide
appropriate responses for the
situation. We recommend that you
incorporate visuals into the stories
INTEGRATING FUNCTIONAL
SKILLS ACROSS SUBJECTS
1. Science:- Reading
instructions, measuring
ingredients, writing lab
reports.
2. Social Studies:-
Interpreting maps,
calculating timelines,
discussing current
events.
3. Art:- Following directions,
estimating proportions,
expressing ideas visually.
INDIVIDUALIZED
APPROACH TO ACADEMICS
Assessment:- Regularly evaluate
student strengths and needs. Use data
to inform instruction and set goals.
Differentiation:- Tailor instruction to
individual learning styles. Provide
multiple ways to access and engage
with content.
Progress Monitoring:- Track student
growth over time. Adjust strategies
based on ongoing assessment data
1. Student Input:- Involve students in
goal-setting and planning.
Encourage self- reflection and
advocacy skills.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
AND ACCOMODATIONS
Text-to-Speech:- Helps
students with reading
difficulties access written
content. Promotes
independence in learning.
Speech-to-Text:- Assists
students with writing
challenges. Allows ideas to
flow without handwriting
barriers.
1. Graphic Organizers:-
Supports visual learners in
COLLABORATING WITH
FAMILIES AND EDUCATORS
Regular Communication:- Schedule
frequent meetings and updates, Share
progress and strategies between home
and school
Shared Goal Setting:- Collaborate on-
creating realistic, achievable goals.
Involve all stakeholders in the planning
process
Resource Sharing:- Provide families with
toots and materials. Ensure content in
strategies across environments
1. Celebrate Success:- Acknowledge and
reinforce student achievements
Foster a positive, supportive learning
community.
REFERENCES
■ https://specialeducationnotes.co.in/bedspl.php
■ Google
■ Wikipedia
