I have had students with ADD/ADHD, and believe me teaching court reporting (which is equivalent to learning a foreign language that also you need to use your hands is not the easiest thing to do. But, patience and encouragement go a long way. Most of the students in this category have been made to feel incompetent that every small success feels major to them. I have had the priviledge of training 2 very successful court reporters with ADHD; and in the process of helping them, I know that they have helped me to become a better instructor.
Hi Marcia!
What do you do with those students who want to hold a "pitty party" about their challenge? How do you handle it so that students 1) stop using it as an excuse, and 2) so that their self-confidence is built?
Good job and keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
While there are many dyslexia is the most common and also one of the easiest to assist with.
This is dyslexia - while a disability it is one that with extra time and considerations manageable. Most students with this disability are aware of it by the college level and know what is needed from the instructor and themselves.
Most of my students have 2 problems. reading comprehension and attention span. They need thinks broken into simpler,smaller chunks of information with a focus on course objectives. They are easily distracted so classroom control;i.e.-no texting is an issue.
Dyslexia is the most common. Also one of the easiest to assist students with. Extra time and verbal test work weel.
The most troublesome learning disabilities in my classes right now are both English and ADHD. The language issue is much easier to deal with then ADHD. Astudent who can not sit still and is up and out of their seat is extremely distraction to the reminder of the the class. These students can not follow lectures, can not take notes and simply has an extremely difficult time managing their own time. Keeping the ADHD student focused on the task at hand is a challenge to say the least. Does anyone have any suggestions?
This is my first instruction on learning disabilities, so my awareness in past teaching experience (college level, Army ROTC) was minimal. I was most aware of students having problems writing, but I didn't necessarily make the leap that this might be a learning disability. As I prepare to start new work--all of the students will have English as a "learning language" since none of them will be Americans.
The most common form of learning disability that I have encountered focuses on reading comprehension. This seems to be quite prevalent when performing test questions with "all of the above" or "none of the above" answers.
For example consider the following question:
Which of the following are primary colors?
a. Red
b. Blue
c. Yellow
d. All of the above
Many students would pick "a", "b", or "c" whereas the correct answer would be "d"
Deborah Balentine
The most common form of learning disability in my classes seems to be dyscalculia. I have found that having the students write out each step used in solving an equation and then following it, like a recipe, each time they must solve that particular equation helps. It also really works well with math anxiety.
Self doubt is common thinking they are to old to learn. Being negative about test and work is a characteristic
The most common I run across is English as a second language. A lot of the terminology we use in my industry is had to translate into another language. I allow student to use an approved language dictionary when testing and also during class. If they use it during class, then if there is some difficuty in the translation I can clear it up prior to testing.
Yes, in my classes dyslexia seems to be the most prevalent. (I also have a number of ESL stduents, but ESL is NOT a learning disability!).
Most students are excellent with self-advocacy, and it is remarkable how much you can achieve by sitting down with them, reading and reviewing the material carefully, and offering alternative ways to understand the words (analogy, metaphor, etc.).
It doesn't necessarily take that much time -- these students are accustomed to working through the disability. It just takes concentrated effort and care.
Dyslexia - reading comprehension. Some students do not want to read because of this issue but I think if students read then hear the lecture / presentation then re-read it helps them comprehend concepts easier.
Dyslexia is very common. Takes the form of reading and writing comprehension. The student usually lacks in both these areas. Bad performance on quizzes is common as well.
The most common learning disability is dyslexia. Most students tend to get most assignments wrong when the assignments are easy. Or they will simply tell you they have this problem.
i would have to say adhd would be what i see most in common as well as ESL . I find doing small group assignments helps as well as student project where they can work together as a team.
I have a student who is ESL and she has some difficulty dealing with some of the material. I've mentioned to her that as we continue through the course that she needs to let me know ahead of time when she's not understanding something. From time to time she will relay this information to me. In doing so, this also allows me to remind myself to slow down and explain things a bit more clearly which is also beneficial to the other students who are too afraid to speak up.
Dyslexia, sentences jumbled together, unable to comprehend the word "not" in written text. It is frustrating for the student and that frustration takes on many different shapes and attitudes during class. It is a constant battle to motivate them, as it requires determination on both sides to reach the goal at hand.
The people I have known who have had problems with dyslexia were never very good readers but if you read to them or had someone else read to them their comprehension was usually superior to others who did not have a learning problem.
