David,
great point, as the pressure mounts it's easier for them to check out, so being aware of this is key.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
It depends on the disability. I had a student with a hearing problem and once I was aware of it, it was quite simple to work with. There is such a range of disabilities an instructor can come in contact with. I think it just boils down to finding the root of the problem and addressing it with the individual.
In my experience it has been keeping the student involved in the class without falling off near the end of term.
christopher,
and unfortunately in these instances there isn't much that we, as faculty, can do. You are right that most likely he had a learning disability that as a result affected his motivation.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Jon,
this is an important step & also one that can be somewhat challenging to balance.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
My greatest challenge occurred last semester - reading over this module makes me suspect a student had a learning disability, which was evident in his writing, or a lack of motivation, which was evident in his attendance record - or one affected the other. Unfortunately, if he does indeed have such a disability, he never made it known to staff.
Enabling enough time to ensure they are getting the resources needed without neglecting others.
Dennis,
if you can get them to open up about their disability & really disclose where they have the most struggle & problem this is key.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Probably, getting them to discuss the disability so I can better understand what we can work on together to assist them.
getting the student to admit they need additional help.... we have connections to several support resources for the classroom and additional tutoring through fellow student and outside agencies
Sean,
this is very true; often asking what has worked for them in the past is a great way to engage in this conversation.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The greatest challenge in working with a student with a learning disability is getting the student to accurately describe the disability and the best accomodation for that student.
Zachary,
this is definitely a challenge & while we want to help all students succeed, we must focus on those who truly need the extra help.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Zachary,
this is definitely a challenge & while we want to help all students succeed, we must focus on those who truly need the extra help.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
being able to distinguish between the students that do acually have a dissablility fromn the ones who do not and just want accommodations
Ethel,
yes, retention is a key issue & helping them figure out the best way to learn & retain is vital.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I've found that students with certain learning disability need extra help such memory. I found that some retain it and keep it whereas with others; what is said one moment is gone the next. So all in all the biggest challenge is getting them to retain the information whether they put the information on flash cards or not.
Anthony,
the balancing act is definitely one of significant challenge
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I believe the greatest challenge to working with students with learning disabilities is balancing the time spent with students that need extra attention with those students that grasp the information quickly. You don't want to lose students by moving too fast or have them lose interest by moving too slow.
