TEACHING STRATEGIES AND SOCIAL SKILLS OF LEARNERS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Learners with special needs are given opportunities to have full access to quality education, enabling them to realize their full potential and contribute to and participate in society. This research assessed the teaching strategies and social skills of learners with intellectual disability at the identified SPED centers in Cebu Province and Bohol Division. This employed a descriptive-correlational design to investigate the relationship between teaching strategies and social skills in learners with intellectual disabilities in an inclusive classroom. The respondents were selected using a purposive sampling technique. A checklist and survey questionnaire were utilized to gather data. Results revealed that most of the learners aged 5-9 years old, dominated by males, with parents graduated high school, with 1-2 number of siblings and with 10,000 pesos and below combined monthly family income. Moreover, the teaching strategies of teachers were highly utilized while the level of social skills of the learners with intellectual disability was at a proficient level. On the other hand, correlation analysis showed that there was no significant relationship between the teaching strategies of teachers and social skills of the learners with intellectual disability enrolled in inclusive education. It is concluded that teachers and parents need to discover new approaches in dealing with the learners in an inclusive classroom and monitor their socialization in a way they do not feel forced and limited. It is recommended that the social skills enhancement plan being the output of this study be adopted to improve the teaching-andlearning process and monitoring measures.