As the number of students with disabilities continues to rise, there is still evidence that shows learning disabilities are the most predominant type of disability. “Slightly fewer than half of all students with disabilities have specific learning disabilities.” (Turnbull, 2013, pg. 106) Because learning disabilities continue to be the predominate disability, it is important that teachers understand the characteristics of learning disabilities and how to accommodate for this specific group of students. This type of disability is associated with neurological problems and a change in the child’s brain structure. These students have trouble keeping up with children at their age level because they have a hard time retaining information.
Children with learning disabilities are protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and No Child Left Behind Act, which emphasize identifying learning difficulties in children early on. They do this by screening a child, implementing formative assessment to drive instruction and analyzing the outcome data to further assist the child. If a child is not performing at the same level as their classmates they may be evaluated for special education services. A multidisciplinary team must evaluate the student to see if they have one or more academic skill deficits compared to their peers, if the student is not make sufficient progress with the interventions that are currently in place, and if the student’s learning disability isn’t the
Learning disabilities occur in more than 2.9 million children across the United States. Out of students
First, Rather than focusing on the child's learning deficiencies, emphasize and reward the child’s strengths and encourage them to find new interest and hobbies. Second it is important to meet with the child's teachers, tutors, and school support personnel to understand performance levels, and attitude toward school. After the student has been evaluated they are now eligible for special education services. Special education services are provided to student to work with a team of professionals, including your child's teacher, to develop an Individualized Education Program. The individualized education program is created to provide a summary of child’s current education and future goals within education. Children with learning disabilities need to know that they are loved and that they are not dumb. They need to know that they are intelligent normal people who just have trouble learning because their mind process words and information differently. Students with learning disabilities are just like every other student they just need more focus on certain learning
Schools must use nonbiased methods of evaluation to determine whether a child has a disability and, if so, whether the child needs specially designed instruction to benefit from education. Identification and placement decisions cannot be made on the basis of a single test score, this is known as protection in
Appropriate Evaluation: “Schools must use nonbiased, multifactored methods of evaluation to determine whether a child has a disability and, if so, whether special education is needed. Testing and evaluation procedures must not discriminate on the basis of race, culture, or native language. All tests must be administered in the child’s native language, and identification and placement decisions cannot be made on the basis of a single test score. These provisions of IDEA are known as protection in evaluation procedures”.
The two options for identifying students with disabilities are RTI model and the IQ-Achievement discrepancy model. The RTI model is a multi-tiered approach to identifying students with disabilities. With this approach the amount of students who are identified as having a learning disability has decreased because of the support students receive at different tiers and it eliminates inadequate instruction as the reason for reading problems. Universal screening and high quality teaching is done for all students. Students who show that they need additional help receive tier 1 services where frequency and intensity increases. Students are monitored and receive research based instruction in the general education classroom. Some students may still struggle and have to receive more intensive and frequent service. Those students will receive supplemental support from an educational professional. Tier 3 services are provided to students who still struggle and need even more intensive service. Students may also qualify for special education services. The IQ-Achievement discrepancy model is used to determine if a disability is present. Standardized tests are used to eliminate low intellectual ablity as a determining cause for reading problems. With this model, a professional assess whether there is a discrepancy between a student’s scores on an iq test and scores obtained from areas
In the educational world, there are countless programs, curricula, strategies, manipulates, and resources for teachers to pull from in order to aide in the teaching of concepts and learning of students. Whatever method(s) a school or district has deemed best practice, or adopted as their curriculum, tend to be the instructional practices or resources utilized the most by those teachers. Additionally, teachers will also have preference to teaching styles, resources, and materials they use for their students. While autonomy in any classroom is important to students’ academic growth, one must also be careful to select and implement instructional with great intention and purpose. Consideration to students needs is equally important as the mandate of teaching standards and demonstrating proficiency amongst students. Even when teaching non-disabled students, it can be time consuming and overwhelming to plan lessons so just how much more is involved when planning for students with significant disabilities (SD)? Better yet, what are appropriate instructional strategies to use for students with SD? Regardless of the instructional setting, these are considerations that must be given when teaching students with SD in order to maximize their learning opportunities to learn
Growing, developing and learning are the facts of life for all children. Each day children are faced with many new concepts and various challenges. Can you imagine how it feels for a child to face not only new challenges life has, but to face these challenges while living with a learning disability? These challenges are met not just when they begin school either. Students suffer from learning disabilities from the moment they begin learning, not when they start school. Learning disabilities are real and they affect millions of people. “One such disability that affects over approximately 15 percent of the total American population is dyslexia” ( Nosek 5).
There are many different types of learning disorders in the world today. The two most common are ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Today’s classrooms have changed drastically since the 1950’s. Some of the differences would be class sizes, technology, and learning disabilities. One of the biggest changes in today’s education world is the abundance of students with some sort of learning disability. Studies have showed that there are more and more ways to help deal with kids that can’t seem stay focused. There are many different ways that teachers can handle students with a learning condition. The three newest types are allowing kids to work around the classroom for work/sitting in different styles
Learning disabilities are a life long struggle but if caught at a young age and early intervention takes place. The stress on the child and family is greatly reduced. Learning disabilities spread to every part of a child’s life affecting them socially. Teachers must remain professional and refrain from calling students lazy as in Adams case. A good teacher or specialist can demystify a learning disability and help a child’s
In addition to knowing how students with learning disabilities learn differently, I also know they have to work harder than the average student. I have learned that my students need to establish positive relationships with their teacher. These individuals need to know there is someone who believes in them who is also able to motivate them to continue to give their best each and every day. They may also need frequent breaks and a change of pace in instruction and lessons to keep maintain their attention and effort. Appropriate accommodations and sometimes modifications are also important for our learning
Throughout the United States, 2.4 million students are enrolled in special education programs (Rosa et al, 2009). The types of services rendered in special education programs tend to vary based on the individual child’s needs. Children with disabilities vary with respect to the type and number of disabilities he or she may have. The disabilities vary in cause, degree, and effect on the child’s educational progress. Special education is a unique and sometimes complicated specialty area designed for those students that require additional support in reaching educational goals. It is essential to accurately assess and to subsequently create a plan for success based on individual student needs.
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students with disabilities should be placed in a “least restrictive environment.” One of the main ideas of this act was to improve the learning experiences of students with disabilities by giving them learning opportunities outside of a special education classroom. The number of students with disabilities being placed in their general education classrooms is increasing more and more each year. The U.S Department of Education’s 27th annual report to Congress on the implementation of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2005) indicates that the number of students with disabilities in general education classrooms has risen to almost 50 percent. This is about a 17 percent increase from the 1997 U.S
The purpose of this study is to provide parents and teachers with additional support to be used at home, at school, or elsewhere to assist children with learning disabilities. I will be able to share the information with parents, teachers, and caregivers. This information will guide and assist everyone involved in the child’s life in providing the best learning experience needed for success.
The key to any successful school district is the administration. Teachers essentially provide structure, organization, and the background of a child’s future. To educate students with learning disabilities, it is essential that the staff has the training and resources needed for the appropriate people, place, and time (Lazarus) (What is Inclusion, 2001, n.p). It is unrealistic to expect that regular education teachers will always be aware of the latest research or be able to readily adapt the school's
Every student is “special needs” to some existent, meaning every child is different and they all learn different ways. However, some students do have serious learning disabilities. As a teacher, it is important to be able to meet the needs of every child in a classroom. Teachers will encounter diverse groups of students, some will learn very quickly, other may have a slight learning disability, and some may have serious health problems or other disabilities. After my field experience, I learned the importance of being able to connect and work with all students. The article also helped to break down what special needs children look and act like and what additional assistance they may need.