Special education teachers are some of the most important people on campus. You play a crucial role in supporting students with diverse learning and emotional needs. You are champions for inclusivity and work tirelessly toward advocating for every child's potential.

 

At Calm Classroom, we believe that mindfulness can help every child – and that, of course, includes students in special education classrooms. Teachers sometimes feel nervous about implementing something like mindfulness in these classrooms; you might think that your classroom is too chaotic to benefit. But these lessons don’t have to look perfect and organized to be powerful for your students.

 

SPED teachers, today’s blog is for you. Here, we’ll go over the benefits of school-based mindfulness specifically for the needs of special education students, and offer some tips and strategies that may help.

 

Benefits of mindfulness for special education

Research has demonstrated the many benefits of mindfulness for children, including improved focus and reduced stress. These same benefits apply to special education students, although the way it’s taught and practiced may need to be adjusted to be more accessible. A mindful special education classroom can be a safe place for these students. 

 

Children require special education for various reasons, including neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD and autism, intellectual disability, and trauma-based behavioral or mental health difficulties. Mindfulness can have powerful benefits for children facing these challenges. Researchers have found that mindfulness can support special education students by helping them strengthen skills like:

 

  • Emotional self-regulation
  • Social skills
  • Impulse control
  • Acceptance of negative outcomes
  • Self-acceptance and compassion
  • Focus and attention
  • Self-efficacy

 

In addition, mindfulness can decrease stress as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression – mental health conditions that often affect special education students. 

 

Tips for teaching mindfulness to special education students

Here are some tips and strategies to keep in mind when implementing mindfulness lessons in your special education classroom.

 

Allow movement

As adults, we often mistake mindfulness practice to mean the practice of “sitting still.” Although it can mean that, it doesn’t have to. It’s 100% possible for children to practice mindfulness even if they aren’t sitting quietly. 

 

Especially for neurodivergent children in your special education classroom, it’s important to allow movement during mindfulness practice. Many neurodivergent children stim, or make small movements with their hands or other body parts. This is healthy behavior, and a way for them to process sensory input and self-regulate. Other students may find it difficult to sit still because they have a hard time concentrating, because they’re restless or anxious, or simply because they’re children!

 

Allow movement in your mindfulness practice.  Mindfulness is simply about being aware of the present moment – it doesn’t necessarily involve sitting still. Helping students realize that stimming or other types of movement help them to feel calm is a mindfulness practice in itself.

 

Use trauma-informed practices

Whether you work in a special education classroom or not, it’s a good idea to always use trauma-informed practices. But it’s especially important in special education because these students are more likely to have experienced traumatic events. 

 

To be clear, this does not mean that trauma causes disabilities or neurodevelopmental disorders. But research has found that, unfortunately, children with disabilities are more likely to be abused or neglected. And children who have experienced 4 or more adverse experiences are over 30 times as likely to be diagnosed with emotional or behavioral problems, which could lead to placement in a special education setting.

 

This means that special education and trauma are deeply intertwined. It’s crucial that special education teachers, especially, learn how to deliver all lessons – including mindfulness – in a trauma-informed way.

 

For example, never force students to close their eyes during mindfulness practice as it can trigger feelings of vulnerability and unsafety. Give kids choices, and recognize the signs of trauma so you can intervene when necessary. 

 

Don’t force it

One important aspect of trauma-informed mindfulness is to provide options. Children who have faced trauma often have had their choices and autonomy in life taken away from them; this may be even more true for children with disabilities and neurodevelopmental conditions. Forcing them to participate in mindfulness lessons before they’re ready has no benefits.

 

Experts agree that mindfulness lessons should always be optional. If your special education students don’t want to participate, allow them to observe without disrupting the lesson. You could give them a mindfulness-related activity to complete in the meantime, such as quietly coloring or listening to music.

 

Keep the invitation open. Often, when students observe their classmates participating in mindfulness activities, they will want to join in when they feel safe to do so.

 

Try sensory mindfulness

Many neurodivergent children, including those with autism and ADHD, process sensory input differently than neurotypical people. They may be especially attracted to some sensory information, like certain textures, and be repulsed by others (like loud sounds or bright lights).

 

Pay attention to the kind of sensory input that seems to help students feel calmer. For example, you might notice that one student always reaches to touch new objects and people to experience touch input. Another may feel calmer when you put on a certain type of music.

 

These sensory experiences are great ways to teach mindfulness to all children, especially those in special education classrooms. For example, you might play a game in which students hold different items in their hands and pay close attention to how they feel – the weight, temperature, and texture. You could also use smells or sounds to help students be more in tune with the world around them.

 

Provide opportunities for group activities

In the special education classroom, fostering a sense of community is vital. Group mindfulness activities offer a way to strengthen community in your classroom and provide opportunities for students to practice their social skills.

 

Through group mindfulness, students get an opportunity to develop coping skills and forge deeper connections with their peers. They can support each other, exchange words of encouragement, and acknowledge each other's efforts. Research has found that mindfulness practice improves prosocial behavior, especially in young children.

 

Group mindfulness, and taking part in this journey together, can also nurture a culture where every student feels seen, heard, and embraced for who they are.

 

Model mindful behavior

Lastly, children learn by watching. Just like you model other positive behaviors for your special education students, model mindful behaviors as well. For example, when a student is talking to you, stay present with them instead of multitasking. Before responding, take a few mindful breaths to reconnect with the present moment. 

 

Practicing mindfulness yourself not only models these behaviors for your students, but also helps you experience less stress, anxiety, and burnout as an educator. And when you’re less stressed, you’re the best teacher you can be for your students. Research has shown that even when disabled children aren’t able to participate in mindfulness training themselves, they reap the benefits when their parents are mindfulness practitioners. The same likely applies for their teachers as well.

 

Sign your school up for Calm Classroom

Calm Classroom’s kid-friendly mindfulness activities are quick and easy for anyone to learn and practice. We’ve designed our curriculum to make it as simple as possible for school districts to implement, and you can start at any point during the school year.

Sign up today to learn mindfulness techniques to use in your SPED classroom!