Working with Students who have Learning Disabilities Over the past 10 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of students who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities. I need to be aware of how to help those students who have learning disabilities and teach to the best of my ability. I also need to be supportive and understand not every student learns in the same way which is why it is important for me to be flexible in my own style of instruction. I need to be knowledgeable and patient, caring and kind, as I work with all of my students, regardless of ability. Some students are aware of other students who have special accommodations or extra time on tests. One way I will make it easier for students to understand why another student is allowed additional time taking a final would be to explain that being fair does not mean everyone gets exactly the same. Being fair means everyone gets what he or she needs. Since there will be a team of professionals involved with any student who has a disability, I will be working as a team player in the best interest of the child. I look forward to working with a team of personnel such as counselors, parents, special education teachers, medical professionals, social workers, and anyone else involved in supporting the student’s Individual Education Plan (otherwise commonly known as an IEP). The first thing I researched was different learning disabilities. I was shocked at how many there were, the broad spectrum some are categorized under and the severity of others. Some common diagnosed disabilities today are Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD), autism, emotional or behavioral disorders and developmental disorders, just to name a f... ... middle of paper ... ...e. Exceptional students should be pushed to their highest potential and it is our job as educators, along with other members of a student’s IEP team, to ensure the student is receiving a free and appropriate education as well as receiving all services instructed on his or her IEP adequately. Overall, my research has given me the opportunity to learn an incredible amount about working with learning disabled students. One of the things I will remember working with all students is to not let their abilities go unnoticed because of their disabilities. It would be easy to focus all of my efforts on how to help correct and regulate their disabilities when I could be focusing on their abilities. I hope to have the privilege of learning more by working with students with exceptionalities and look forward to gaining experiences by utilizing different styles and strategies.
This is simply not the case. Students who have not had the benefit of previous instruction often feel a debilitating inability to contribute (Martin, VanDycke, Greene, Gardner, Christensen, Woods, & Lovett, 2006). Without specific IEP instruction, students have no idea how to participate in IEP meetings, nor do they fully understand the purpose of their IEPs (Martin, Van Dycke, Christensen, Greene, Gardner, Woods, and Lovett, 2006). Lack of instruction, however should not be the hindrance that prevent students from participating and leading the IEP process. Students with disabilities must be taught how to direct their IEPs.
The IEP team may include the student, their parents, a regular teacher, a special education provider and other representatives, such as a social worker or relative child care provider. These meets are required to be held within 30 days of the student’s acceptance into the special education program. Every IEP has the two main goals of setting reasonable learning goals and establishing academic services that the school will provide. The IEP should state which state and district-wide assessments that the student will or will not participate in and why.
A learning disability is defined as any one of various conditions that interfere with an individual's ability to learn, resulting in impaired functioning in language, reasoning, or academic skills. The National Center for Learning Disabilities explains it as a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to receive process, store and respond to information. Basically, among people with learning disabilities there is a noticeable gap between their level of expected achievement and their actual achievement. Doctors and professionals agree there is no way to pin-point any specific causes for learning disabilities. The NCLD says some possible causes may include heredity, problems during pregnancy or birth, head injuries or nutritional deprivation after birth, and exposure to toxic substances.
Most parents know, or at least have a general understanding of the environment or atmosphere that their student needs be in to succeed. The district encourages that parental input be given to the IEP team during a multi-disciplinary meetings, and always tries to take that input into consideration. However, sometimes what the parent wants is not always in line with the student’s ability level, and the IEP team will try to find a compromise, or even offer trial periods to evaluate progress and behavior (S. Cummings, personal communication, November 12th, 2015).
The development of an IEP is a critical component of services provided for students with EBD who are identified for special education. As a provision of IDEA the IEP includes levels of functioning, long-term goals, extent to whi...
Students with learning disabilities can learn; each student has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Educators must continue to focus on the strengths of each student and building on them, creating a stronger student and person. Identifying the weakness is at the core of getting a student help with their learning disability, but after this initial identification and placement, the focus should shift to the strengths and adjusting the student’s schoolwork to reflect these strengths. For instance, if a student is weak in reading but has wonderful group interaction skills and is good with his or her hands, the students' reading tasks should then be shifted to reflect these st...
Two years ago, I embarked on a journey that would teach me more than I had ever imagined. As a recent college graduate, I was thrilled to finally begin my teaching career in a field I have always held close to my heart. My first two years as a special education teacher presented countless challenges, however, it also brought me great fulfillment and deepened my passion for teaching students with special needs. The experiences I have had both before and after this pivotal point in my life have undoubtedly influenced my desire to further my career in the field of special education.
The parents and family members cannot be asked to pay for special education services. In fact, if it is necessary for a student to be educated outside the student’s own school district, the district usually bear the cost for that placement as well as the cost for transportation (Friend, 2014). According to (Huefner, 2008), the IEP requirements in IDEA 97 and 04 for assessing academic progress and reporting it to parents have clarified the expectations for FAPE. In other words, an “appropriate” education is determined on an individual basis, defined by the child’s
Students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom may have challenges that require special attention. If the teacher is able to identify the disabilities and the features associated with them then the teacher can tailor the lessons to meet the needs of the students. These may include differentiated instruction and facilitating an inclusive classroom which will see inclusive strategies employed that will cater to the needs of students with learning disabilities. These inclusive strategies can range from individualized learning programs to team and co-teaching. In some cases, the teacher can arrange for a special education teacher or arrange for a pull out program to assist students who have learning disabilities. Strategies that will also cater to learning disabilities may also include the use of technology. According to Ford 2013 ‘In some situations it may be best for students with LD to be taught in separate pull out classrooms with a teacher who can provide targeted skill instruction in areas where a student is struggling.’ ‘When provided appropriate support within this setting, many of these students can achieve academically and develop positive self-esteem and social skills. (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 1991). They also recommend that schools should ‘require in-service programs for all school personnel to give them the knowledge and skills necessary to provide education for students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom.’ Schools should include activities to help participants learn strategies to meet individual needs of students, foster attitudes conductive to educating students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom, and promote
The Individualized Education Program is developed by a team that includes the parents of the student, a general education teacher, a special education teacher, a school representative (principal), a person knowledgeable about evaluation (school psychologist), and others at request of IEP participants. The primary job of the IEP team is to plan a program of special education and related services that is reasonably calculated to provide a meaningful education benefit. The IEP Process includes a review of assessme...
specific learning disabilities in the United States of America. The Journal of International Association of Special Education, 10(1), 21-26.
IEP stands for Individualized Education Program. An IEP is a written document required for each child who is eligible to receive special education services. It is provided to a student who has been determined first to have a disability, and second, to need special education services because of that disability. An IEP is very important and should never be overlooked by anyone. The purpose of an IEP is to make sure that only students whose educational performance is affected by a disability receive special services. An individual program plan is designed to make sure that students get the kind of educational experience that they deserve; an experience that results in success. The end goals for students who are on an IEP are to be involved in
People with disabilities face many obstacles throughout their life. There are many things that can be done to ensure that a person with disabilities reaches their full potential. People with disabilities face many issues pertaining to lifelong learning such as; the beginning diagnosis, early intervention, assessments, educational progress and transitional programs.
Education is a profession which requires a teacher to be able to communicate with a multitude of students on a variety of levels. There is not a class, or student for that matter, that is identical. Therefore, teachers must be able to identify and help educate students from all different types of backgrounds and at different levels. Teaching a singular subject presents difficulties, but teaching students with disabilities should not be one. There are three main teaching areas that need to be focused on when teaching a student with a learning disability. Teachers need to focus on the strategies that will assist students with reading comprehension skills, writing skills, and maintaining appropriate behaviors in a classroom setting.
Accommodations will help students achieve these academic goals, which can be instructional or environmental changes that help students to successfully understand and respond to the regular curriculum. These kinds of accommodations may be a change of seating in the classroom, sitting up front during story time or allowing more time on an exam. For example, a child who may have dyslexia needs to have an additional 20 minutes on exams, or have test questions and answers read to them aloud. These are accommodations made in order for the student to have the best chance of success. A student, who does not have a learning disability, doesn’t need those accommodations and would not necessarily benefit if they were given to