Instructional Support for Students with Learning Disabilities
Instructional support for students with learning disablities are:
Presentation provided on audio tape, provided in large print or designated reader or pesent instuctions orally.
Response: allow verbal response, allow answer to be dictated to a scriber, tape recorder, via computer or dirctly into test booklet.
Timing: allow frequent breaks and extended time for test.
Setting: Provide prefrential seating, special lighting as needed, or accoustics.
Material: Provide space between paragrahs underline key words very brief content & get to the point.
These Instuctions can be very suppportive for the student with the leaning disablitiy.
Vernise Walker
What kind of instructional support is helpful to students with learning disabilities?
Sometimes it is helpful to take them to the side and sit with them. Ask them if there is anything in class today that you did not understand and you want me to review with you again. They ALWAYS appreciate the extra time you give them. And many times they SHINE.
More time is generally all students need when they are having to deal with their learning dissability and get their work turned in. A bit of extra time allows them to do what they need to do to get a good grade and doesn't create any unfairness because the other students know that there is more for them to work through then what they are doing.
I have found that a lot of repeating the highlighted points is helpful. I ask each student how they are doing with comprehending the new material. Several students have come to me for extra help. I don't know if these students have a learning disability or not. I treat them the same as I would someone that didn't have learning disability. I help them go over the concepts that they are not understanding in different ways so that the visual, audio, and the touch learners can grasp the concepts. In the process of demonstrating the difficult concepts in all those different ways,I have been able to accommodate all my learners. Communication with each student is key in helping the students help themselves learn and conquer their challenges.
We have fofrmal policies regarding documented learning disabilities. But we also have informal allowances where an instructor can provide a private room and up to 50% more time for testing when the instructor deems it necessary. The department head is informed and there is often a follow-up interview but formal documentation may not be required. It is very useful but not abused. It gives just a little flexibility when needed.
I find that it is the best policy to consult with campus rules before making accommodations for a student with disabilities. Most institutions I have worked with have a Student Services department that will draw up an accommodations document for students with disabilities.
It is very important that the student be the one who approaches the instructor for support. We cannot assume the person needs assistance. Then, only with proper documentation from the school's office of disability, can a confidential plan be placed into effect. Usually the best course of action is to allow extra time to complete work.
Like many of the respondents noted, our school also has a policy that students must provide diagnosis and be approved for certain types of support. However, tutoring is available for all students, and there are certain supports that instructors can provide without stepping out of bounds. As long as there's no preferential treatment, instructors can provide things like outlines, study guides and tests in formats that will help someone with a learning disability.
I like to provide support that benefits the entire class, not just the special needs student. An example is a detailed unit guide with all assignments and due dates. The unit guide also lists all new vocabulary and provides additional activities to reinforce our learning objectives if needed by individual students.
I agree with the technique of extra time that was pointed out in this section. One way to offer extra time on a quiz is to present it with a follow-on activity the students will complete when they are done with the quiz. The activity can be something they can accomplish at home if unable to start or complete in class (e.g. diagramming a biological system).
This technique removes the pressure on students that require more time to complete a quiz. All students remain engaged in an activity. Those that use more time for the quiz will be able to make up that time by completing the follow-on activity after class.
The polies and procedures outlined for students with disabled disabilities are supported with documentation by the student. There are available resources which enables a disabled student to receive additional time on exams/quizzes.
I find that understanding is really important in addition to alot of patience and eventually it works out.
At my campus students with declared learning disabilities are referred to the higher administrative powers and once they declare their need for assistance, accommodation strategies are put in place for the classroom. I have worked with learning disabled students who needed a reader or a separate testing area or tests printed on colored paper. These students all graduated, passed their state boards & are now employed in their field of study.
I feel that giving a student more time to complete an assignment or placing them in a quiet environment is the best way to help students with learning disabilities.
I read a couple of the other responses concerning campus policy for instructional support for students with learning disablilites. Our campus too has a policy that the student must put any special accommodations they made need in writing. This is a standard part of the documentation in the course syllabus, however, it is still up to the instructor to make sure that the student is aware that they can and will provide any reasonable accommodations for the student's learning disability. I point out to the student that they can be granted extra time in completing exams if their disability requires that they need extra time to successfully complete the exam.
I make it a point to let student's know that help is available to them. On another note, I have had students say to me that they have hearing impediments. Whether they provide anything for me in writing, or not, the one thing that I am mindful of is to not turn my back in class to that person when I am speaking. I had a student with a visual problem who was not totally blind, but could see print as long as it was enlarged. I made a special copy of the test with the print enlarged for that student.
I recognized a studnet in one of my classes who had no problem in speaking their answers, however, they had problems passing written exams. I opted to allow the student to take a verbal exam.
Students need to be professionally diagnosed as their exact disability determined. Then and only then can a college make the decision as to how best help the student by allowing extra time for assignments, having exam questions read to the student, or allowing students to record lectures.
Before we as instructors can do anything for a student that states they have a learning disability there has to be something in their student file from a physician stating that they have a learning disability.
It actually should be in the file from the students high school records. If the student has a learning disability now then they had one durning high school and it should be in their high school records.
Without that we can't treat them any different than any other Tom Brown in school.
Giving them more time and being a motivator is huge to the success of students with learning disabilities.
a student with learning disability need extra time. Special tutoring class is very helpful. If the student know what type of learning technique is more helpful for him or her the instructor should use that procedure.
They usually need more time and extra support. When they do get the information they usually retain it better than most
