Effectiveness of Multisensory Teaching Approach for Children with Intellectual Disabilities

A multisensory teaching approach helps enhance the skills of children with intellectual & developmental disabilities (IDDs). This study explores the effectiveness of a multisensory teaching approach for students with intellectual disabilities. This study was qualitative and phenomenological. A sample of 20 participants, including males and females, was selected by using a purposive sampling technique. Researchers used a semi-structured interview to collect data. Validity of the instrument was confirmed through expert opinion (n=02), and reliability was examined through an extensive literature review. After data collection, interviews with participants were transcribed, and the open coding technique was applied. The process of data analysis was performed manually by generating codes and then through qualitative data analysis software NVivo version 15. Five major themes emerged from the data analysis process, i.e., prevailing endeavors, kinesthetic approaches, challenges in multisensory teaching approaches, teaching strategies, and required resources. The findings revealed that teachers consider the multisensory approach highly effective for their students' needs, but teachers require professional training and better resources to implement it fully.