Overcoming Communication Barriers and Building Facilitative Patterns for Learners with Disabilities in Self-Contained Classes

Abstract

This study explored facilitative patterns in overcoming communication barriers among learners with disabilities in self-contained classes in public elementary schools in the Division of Rizal during the School Year 2023-2024. The researcher used a descriptive research design, using a questionnaire as the primary research instrument, distributed to 100 special education teachers from a population of 134 special education teachers handling self-contained classes as respondents. The study revealed that the distribution of respondents in terms of sex is fair enough, with most of them in the age range of 30-39, with 1-10 years in service as special education teachers, not yet pursuing a higher level in the field of special Education and mainly attended 1-5 seminars in special Education. The teachers in special education “Sometimes Observed” that speech and language difficulties, sensory impairments, behavioral barriers, emotional barriers, and cognitive barriers are the communication barriers faced by learners with disabilities in self-contained classes. The findings also showed that the teachers in special education “Sometimes Observed” that utilization of AAC tools, differentiated instruction, structured teaching strategy, modeling and role-playing, and group or peer-assisted learning strategy are the facilitative patterns implemented by the teachers in overcoming communication barriers faced by learners with disabilities in self-contained classes. There is no significant difference in the communication barriers faced by the learners with disabilities in self-contained classes and the facilitative patterns implemented by the teachers with a computed p-value of 0.348 greater than 0.05 confidence level as a basis for accepting the null hypothesis. There are significant differences in the facilitative patterns implemented by the teachers in overcoming communication barriers faced by the learners with disabilities in self-contained classes according to sex, years in service as a special education teacher, highest educational attainment, and the number of seminars attended in Special Education but not with age.