Enhancing Teachers’ Professional Development for Supporting Special Needs Students with Speech Delays and Cognitive Difficulties in Inclusive Early Elementary Classrooms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/ijrse.2026.6.1.4Keywords:
Inclusive education, professional development, speech delay, cognitive difficulties, special education, teaching strategiesAbstract
This study explored how professional development (PD) programs prepare general and special education teachers to manage speech delays and cognitive difficulties among students in inclusive early elementary classrooms. A qualitative research approach was employed using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom observations conducted within an urban school system. Participants included special education teachers and regular classroom teachers working with students from pre-kindergarten to grade two. The findings revealed major barriers related to communication difficulties, limited differentiated instructional strategies, inadequate professional development opportunities, and challenges associated with inclusive classroom management. Teachers emphasized the importance of visual aids, collaborative learning, individualized support, and continuous communication between educators and parents. The study also identified gaps in teacher training and resource availability, particularly for novice teachers. The results suggest that structured and practical professional development programs can significantly improve teaching effectiveness and support positive educational outcomes for students with developmental delays. The study contributes to the field of inclusive education by offering practical recommendations for schools, policymakers, and teacher-training institutions to improve inclusive learning environments.
References
Acar, S., Chen, C. I., & Xie, H. (2021). Parental involvement in developmental disabilities across three cultures: A systematic review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 110, 103861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103861
Batchelder, E. O. (2002). Bootstrapping the lexicon: A computational model of infant speech segmentation. Cognition, 83(2), 167–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0010-0277(02)00003-4
Chatzidaki, N., Kyridis, A., & Kechagias, C. T. (2021). A view on the Greek shadow education at the era of the economic crisis: How do private tutors’ working conditions are formed? European Journal of Education Studies, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4560467
Davis, S., Howell, S., Wilson, R., Tanda, T., Ross, J., Zeitler, P., & Tartaglia, N. (2016). Advances in the interdisciplinary care of children with Klinefelter syndrome. Advances in Pediatrics, 63(1), 15–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yapd.2016.03.001
Donath, J. L., Lüke, T., Graf, E., Tran, U. S., & Götz, T. (2023). Does professional development effectively support the implementation of inclusive education? A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 35(1), 30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09692-6
Farmer, T. W., Talbott, E., McMaster, K., Lee, D., & Aceves, T. (2022). Handbook of Special Education Research (Vol. 1). Routledge.
Garrick Duhaney, L. M., & Salend, S. J. (2000). Parental perceptions of inclusive educational placements. Remedial and Special Education, 21(2), 121–128. https://doi.org/10.1177/074193250002100208
Howells, K., Sivaratnam, C., & Rinehart, N. (2021). Efficacy of group-based organized physical activity participation for children with autism spectrum disorder. In Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders (pp. 1639–1640). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_408
Johnson, M. (2024). The effects of classroom integration on children with autism spectrum disorder [Unpublished manuscript].
Johnson, E., & Semmelroth, C. L. (2014). Special education teacher evaluation: Why it matters, what makes it challenging, and how to address these challenges. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 39(2), 71–82.
King, N., & Ryan, B. J. (2019). The impact of social inclusion on the social development of students with a general learning difficulty in postprimary education in Ireland. Education Research International, 2019, 6327567.
Salend, S. J., & Garrick Duhaney, L. M. (1999). The impact of inclusion on students with and without disabilities and their educators. Remedial and Special Education, 20(2), 114–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/074193259902000206
Tristani, L., & Bassett-Gunter, R. (2020). Making the grade: Teacher training for inclusive education: A systematic review. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 20(3), 246–264. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12459
West, C., et al. (2016). Professional development and inclusive education practices for special needs learners. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20(4), 415–430.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Rehabilitation and Special Education (IJRSE)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
