Teaching Teamwork to Special Needs Students

Teamwork is the ability to work together with others as a member of a group. Sounds easy, doesn't it? But how many of us struggle to really get along over an extended period with others, whether they are co-workers, sporting team members, or members of a group or association? Teamwork relies on several key factors:

the ability to communicate

the ability to work co-operatively

a leader or leaders with good team based skills

the ability to listen

group members who are willing to do their share of tasks

the ability to solve problems and work towards a common goal

Teamwork activities that work well in mainstream education may not work as well with special needs learners. For some students, there is not the emotional maturity or the higher order thinking skills necessary to plan, problem solve and communicate effectively in a team situation. This is often the case for students with an intellectual disability, for example.Learn more about working with students with intellectual disabilities in this Bright Hub article.

So strategies such as the following can work well:

• a teamwork task which has a teacher or support person as a leader, role modelling leadership skills
• a special needs learner who is involved in a community based team activity, with sufficient support from others
• a mini team of two or three students, with a small, easily achievable goal to work towards over a short timeframe
• a team with a written or visual task (such as finding some items hidden in a play area or writing a short story) that has set check points as built in mini goals along the way
• tasks with small rewards or encouragement opportunities taken at regular intervals

Some useful activities to build teamwork skills in special education include:

• writing out and completing the steps needed for a class barbecue or party
• arranging artwork on a display board in the class or school
• cooking a cake or some muffins in a small group
• printing, stapling and delivering class newsletters
• cleaning a room or area ready for the end of the day
• helping another student get organised at the start of a day or activity
• planting some vegetables or seedlings in a sensory garden
• writing a photobook about a class excursion