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Education of children with learning disabilities
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A psychological assessment is a fundamental aspect in measuring intellectual disabilities (Drew & Hardman, 2007). Information provided from partaking in an assessment includes severity of the disability and an understanding of the individual’s limitations as a result of the disability (Drew & Hardman, 2007). Knowledge of these elements, as explained by Drew and Hardman, aid in determining the necessary supports required by the individual to help them cope with the disability. It is important that the assessment measures both cognitive and adaptive aspects of an individual’s functioning because, “Mental retardation is a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behaviour as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills” (Drew & Hardman, 2007, p. 19). Once an assessment of these areas has been completed an individual may be identified as having an intellectual disability. Information discovered by the assessment may lead parents to feel a sense of relief knowing the reason behind their child’s struggles (Lerner & Johns, 2012). With an identification the information collected from the assessment helps professionals provide better care and support to the child and their family (Drew & Hardman, 2007). Identification also leads to increased legal rights of a child for special education and access to essential supports and services (Lerner & Johns, 2012). Unfortunately, the results for an assessment may not be completely accurate, nor fully capture the child’s true performance capabilities (Drew & Hardman, 2007). Also, a diagnosis entails a label and Lerner and Johns (2012), explain that such labels can harmful for children. This diagnostic la... ... middle of paper ... ...are or after their death. This planning will ensure that the child will be prepared for a life without parents to fall back on for support. Works Cited Drew, C., & Hardman, M. (2007). Intellectual Disabilities Across the Lifespan (9th ed). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson. Hallahan, D. P., Kauffman, J. M., McIntyre, L. J., & Mykota, D. (2010). Exceptional learners: An Introduction to special education. Canadian Edition. Toronto, ON: Pearson Education. Harwell, J., & William Jackson, R. (2008). The Complete Learning Disabilities Handbook: Ready-to-Use Strategies & Activities for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA.: Jossey-Bass. Lerner, J. W, & Johns, B. H. (2012). Learning disabilities and related mild disabilities: teaching strategies and new directions (12th ed.). USA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
In the video presentation of How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City Workshop, Richard Lavoie is able to simulate several of the difficulties that a student with a learning disability has to face at school. Some of the difficulties experienced by the students are intrinsic to the disability itself, but many other difficulties are directly related with the emotions that the student experiences when attending a class, and as a result of his or her interactions with teachers and classmates. Both the United States law and the education system, have the opportunity to make a huge difference in the learning experience of every student with disability. Students with disabilities need to be guided to a path to education that is both feasible and accessible for them; with achievable goals, and by being provided what they need in order to succeed, and to be able to overcome any obstacles.
Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, by Dillenburger, K., and Keenan M., published in 2009, summarized Nov 19, 2009
The. Mannix, Darlene. Life Skills Activities for Secondary Students with Special Needs. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2009. Print.
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...
Heward, W. L. (2013). Exceptional children: An introduction to special education (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
The impact of having a learning disability are lifelong. A student with a learning disability may always need extra help to get through certain aspects of life after they graduate high school. If the student is going to college accommodations and specific learning strategies will need to be used to help them through their courses. Their personal lives may also be affected due to a learning disability. “For example, Johnson and Blalock found that, of the 93 adults studied in an LD clinic sample, 36% continued to receive counseling or psychotherapy for low self-esteem, social isolation, anxiety, depression, and frustration.” (1987) The difficulties associated with learning disabilities can affect them daily and their past experiences with it can follow them into adulthood and bring up unhappy memories of struggling with learning disabilities as a child.
The authors, Peter Wright and Pamela Darr Wright, of the article Tests and Measurements for the Parent, Teacher, Advocate and Attorney; discuss several assessment approaches but none more polemical than norm referenced and criterion referenced tests
specific learning disabilities in the United States of America. The Journal of International Association of Special Education, 10(1), 21-26.
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
Kids with learning disabilities may not be the best in the class room, but they are smarter than what most people think. A lot of people think that kids with L.D think that they are “dumb” or “lazy,” when really, they just have troubles understanding. One third of kids in Special Ed. have a learning disability. (Nichcy) One million kids between the ages of six and twenty -one, have a L.D. (Nichcy) Five to six percent have a learning disability between six and seven years old. (Daniel P. Hallaham, 2008) Boys outnumber the girls by three to one. (Daniel P. Hallaham, 2008) Since 1976, Learning Disabilities have more than doubled. (Daniel P. Hallaham, 2008)
Kuder, S.J. (2008). Teaching Students with Language and Communication Disabilities (3rd edition). Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.
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.
As with any program within the school system, these assessment and intervention services are used for the purpose of being improved. One of the strongest strengths is that they are tailored to the needs of the children. Children with developmental delays learn at a slower and uneven rate and there are certain skills that must be taught by direct instruction. There is no skill that can be taken for granted by parents and teachers. These programs help the students learn and be in the right developmental stages. Additionally, students have Individualized Educational Plan, commonly referred to as an IEP. IEPs have their special needs, along with recommendations, concerns, and goals for their future. As good as IEPS are, there are some major weaknesses with it. Primarily the stigma it brings students being labeled by their disability as if it is one size fits all. Because of this many feels like the IEPS are outdated and don't work towards inclusion. There has to be a way around these feelings for students which can label their strengths and weaknesses within the school without labeling the students by a condition. It is necessary to have a clear understanding of all parties so that the child can have adequate services and support. But it should not leave a stigma on their for their entire educational
Sattler, Jerome, and Robert Hoge. Assessment of Children: Behaviorial, Social, and Clinical Foundation. La Mesa:Sattler, 2006. Print.