Working with Students with Learning Disabilities
The discovery for me is sometimes the most frustrating. I am someone who assumes that if a student is having difficutly in studying or applying the knowledge to real time scenarios, then that student must be doggin it! I must remember that sometimes the honest effort of a student will result in less than what I would assume their abilities to be because they have a learning disability that I am unaware of. I would love to find an easier method of discovering learning disabilites.
Thank you for the response. I have struggled with this situation in both the work and school environment. But am still in need of some suggestions on how to handle it.
Paula
What would you say is the greatest challenge to working with students with learning disabilities?
I agree Lisa! However, the flip side of that is that the educational system/society should not label people with learning challenges. Once this happens, it becomes difficult for a student to work out of that.
Great job!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
The greatest challenge to working with student with learning disabilities is having them realize what their true potential could be. I think sometimes they tend to hide behind their disability and need to find ways to positively move forward.
for me it was learning to slow down and to try and figure out another way to explain the topic at hand. you cant show frustration with the student, you just have to keep working at it eventually you will get through to them.
Knowing how they learn best.
The greatest challange to working with students with learning disabilities are not knowing that they have a disability and the student struggles and may eventually fail. All that student has to do is communicate with me and I will make the necessary provisions to ensure there success. Mitchell Becker
For me the hardest part is getting an application that I have explained in the class into practical use in a lab enviroment. What I have done is spend extra time with the students, taking the time to have them work through the assignment one on one with as little help as possible from me. If I can help them to walk through the assignment on thier own they seem to get a greater sense of accomplishment when complete.
For me the challenge comes from suspecting a learning disability but not knowing for sure. It helps if the student knows about his or her disablity prior to start of class. In these cases he or she can alert the instructor to any special needs. However, the student may have an undiagnosed learning disablity. In these cases, I find that I have to be patient and support the student. I often find that I have to try different approaches in order to reach these students.
Hi Kiera!
I have to agree with you for the most part. The other fear that I have is that we might short change other students. Clearly instructors have the responsibility to assist students with learning challenges, keeping in mind all student needs.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
The greatest challenge seems to be the leglalities of dealing with disabilities. We can not ask a student if they have disabilities, even if we notice something is challenging them, and sometimes it is hard for the student to offer this information.
One word - encouragement! I administered a quiz to a student with learning disabilities and she made a very high "B" on her first test. I congradulated her, not knowing she had them. She was almost brought to tears saying no one ever said she did well. Upon questioning her further she told me of the hard time she had in high school. I told her to forget her past now that she knows she is fully capable of excelling. She earned a final grade of a low "A".
This student reinforced the power of positive encouragement can overcome the self-fullfilling prophecy.
Getting the learner to be comfortable enough to admit the disability with the instructor without feeling that the admission will lead to preferential treatment over other students. learners with disabilities do not like to be poster children, they do not like being treated different from others. I think there is so much emphasis on helping students with disabilities that we forget the ability of the student to overcome.
Hi Amanda!
I agree to some extent. It's difficult in itself to keep up with a class of students of various backgrounds and learning styles and then add a challenged student. It could become very overwhelming for the instructor as well as for the other students. There is a different educational background that an instructor needs to fully qualified to handled students with disabilities.
It's so important to have a support system within the school that can assist with students that need significantly more help than can be handled in the classroom.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I find that the biggest challenge is to get them to tell you that they need help. I am not good at "spotting" this, and really rely on them to come and tell me. If anyone has some suggestions, I am definitely open to that.
Working with students with learning disabilities is a challenge it a try and learn experience for myself,each student is different.
You are absolutely correct about communication, Helen! In addition, validating a student's concerns and assisting them as needed, increases self-esteen and encourages success.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 facilitator
For me, the greatest challenge is to find exactly works best for the individual. Everyone is a combination of characteristics, abilities, and motivations. No "one size fits all" approach will work for everybody.
Of course, it is always very helpful when a student lets me know of some need for support on the first day of class.
Being able to give the student more time is a key factor in helping them to succeed.Also being patient and understanding. Sometimes the student can get very frustrated and wants to give in more quickly. A little understanding and patience, along with time,can go a long way.
