Disability
Many adult learners have disabilities that have an impact on their education. Also, we are different type of learners. Good points covered in the material.
Kozet,
Being sensitive to the individual circumstances of your students is always a plus. Just remember that students with disabilities are more LIKE all the other students in your class than they are different.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
This was a very informative subject, that gave me detailed understanding of not only physical disabilities, but psychological disabilities. I will play attention to some of the clues, being very careful not to directly ask, if there is a disability. This will empower me as an instructor to develope ways to handle the information that will benefit all adult students.
Cynthia,
It is always unfortunate to hear about folks who have struggled along without help for so long. He is lucky to have found someone who understands how hard he is trying and is willing to be patient with him as he continues his work. There are lots of great websites online where you and he may be able to get hints to help him with those writing skills.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
My husband feels his learning disability was undetected by his teachers. He feels somewhat to blame as he was embarressed to bring it to anyone's attention. He is now 50 years old and having a difficult time communicating via the computer or e-mail as his writing skills are very poor. I am helping him with phonics and it seems to be helping. I know it will always be a struggle for him but it is empowering for him to continue to try to learn via phonics.
Cynthia,
Without knowing more of your husband's background (age, educational experience) it is hard to know whether he was passed along because someone misunderstood the nature and intent of the laws, or whether he was passed along because somehow the difficulties he was having went undetected. But either way, if he HAD been identified earlier, it would have meant a less frustrating educational career, but it is unlikely that it would have changed (that is, improved) his reading and writing skills. Early diagnosis wouldn't lead to a cure -- only to appropriate support.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Dr. Jarrow,
I am new at teaching and have not yet encountered a student with a disability. This course has given me a wealth of information so that I can treat each student equally and also so that I can make sure every student has the keys to success. However, my husband recently shared with me that he was passed every year in high school when he clearly had a learning disability. He now has a difficult time with his reading and writing skills. If his disability had been recognized earlier in life,he would have a much easier time trying to learn and comprehend new subjects.
Thanks, Etta. You are right -- adults with disabilities often present different challenges that traditional college-aged students who have come right through the school system. First, they may have managed their previous educational careers without ever having been identified as disabled (or may have acquired the disability later), and thus have no academic experience in using accommodations. Second, chances are that adults have worked out some form of coping strategy that they use to manage in other facets of their lives. It may or may not be effective in a learning setting, but it is important to explore how they got this far!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
