PEMBELAJARAN BERDIFERENSIASI  UNTUK  MENINGKATKAN  PERKEMBANGAN AKADEMIK  PESERTA  DIDIK BERKEBUTUHAN  KHUSUS

"Students with special needs" is a term used to describe students with disabilities or limitations, whether sensory, intellectual, physical, or social-emotional, that impact their growth and development, necessitating specialized educational support services. Students with special needs face various developmental challenges, such as establishing self-identity, strengthening social relationships, and developing independence and academic abilities. However, a uniform learning approach often fails to address diverse learning needs, resulting in suboptimal achievement of these developmental tasks. In the context of the Independent Curriculum (National Curriculum), differentiated learning is an adaptive and responsive solution to this diversity. This article discusses the implementation of differentiated learning as a strategy to support the achievement of developmental tasks in students with special needs, specifically to help enhance their cognitive development and develop academic competencies through effective learning. Based on theoretical studies and data from five recent empirical research findings, differentiated learning has been shown to improve learning outcomes, self-confidence, learning independence, active participation in project-based learning, and create a positive and inclusive classroom climate. Therefore, this strategy needs to be systematically integrated into learning practices to support the holistic growth and development of students with special needs.