Accommodation Ideas for Students with Learning Disabilities By Mayda LaRosse, MA Job Corps Conference Kansas City, KS November 19, 2002

Accommodation Accommodation Ideas for Students Ideas for Students

with Learning with Learning DisabilitiesDisabilities

By Mayda LaRosse, MABy Mayda LaRosse, MA

Job Corps ConferenceJob Corps ConferenceKansas City, KSKansas City, KS

November 19, 2002November 19, 2002

Topics We Will Discuss Topics We Will Discuss Today:Today:

How can JAN help academic How can JAN help academic instructors with accommodation instructors with accommodation issues involving students with LD? issues involving students with LD?

LD accommodations for the LD accommodations for the classroom classroom

LD resources LD resources

The Best Disability/ADA The Best Disability/ADA ResourceResource

What is ?

How Can JAN Help You Help How Can JAN Help You Help Your Students?Your Students?

JAN consultants can provide information JAN consultants can provide information on:on: accommodations for individual students in accommodations for individual students in

the classroom and on the job;the classroom and on the job; products and vendors;products and vendors; the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act,

Rehabilitation Act, and Social Security Rehabilitation Act, and Social Security regulations; andregulations; and

other resources that you might find helpful.other resources that you might find helpful.

Job Corps

+ JAN

Employmen

t

With the help of JAN, With the help of JAN, youyou will will be better able to serve your be better able to serve your

students by being prepared to students by being prepared to determine if:determine if:

suggested accommodations are reasonable,suggested accommodations are reasonable, a direct threat issue exists,a direct threat issue exists, an accommodation would cause undue an accommodation would cause undue

hardship,hardship, a student or applicant is qualified for the a student or applicant is qualified for the

program, andprogram, and there are other programs that might assist there are other programs that might assist

the student.the student.

JAN JAN cannotcannot::

diagnose a disability,diagnose a disability, determine if an applicant is determine if an applicant is

appropriate for Job Corps,appropriate for Job Corps, determine if an accommodation determine if an accommodation

request is reasonable, orrequest is reasonable, or review student records.review student records.

BeforeBefore Calling JAN: Calling JAN: know the applicant's limitations and abilities;know the applicant's limitations and abilities; know the requirements of the program(s);know the requirements of the program(s); know educational and psychological know educational and psychological

evaluation evaluation information, including the IEP (if applicable);information, including the IEP (if applicable);

know other vocational programs that are know other vocational programs that are available for the applicant if the one he/she available for the applicant if the one he/she is interested in does not work; andis interested in does not work; and

read allread all available information on the available information on the student/applicant.student/applicant.

Basic Information Basic Information About Learning About Learning

DisabilitiesDisabilities

Words Used to DescribeWords Used to DescribeLearning DisabilitiesLearning Disabilities

Specific Learning DisabilitiesSpecific Learning Disabilities DysgraphiaDysgraphia DyslexiaDyslexia DyscalculaDyscalcula Visual / Auditory PerceptionVisual / Auditory Perception

Limitations with:Limitations with:Specific Learning DisabilitiesSpecific Learning Disabilities

• student’s intelligence can be average (around 100) or above average

• student has difficulty understanding or using language, whether written or spoken

• student has an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, write, read, spell, or do mathematical calculations

Limitations with:Limitations with:DysgraphiaDysgraphia

student reverses letters when writingstudent reverses letters when writing student transposes letters when writingstudent transposes letters when writing student omits letters or words student omits letters or words student has poor spellingstudent has poor spelling student has illegible handwritingstudent has illegible handwriting

Limitations with:Limitations with: DyslexiaDyslexia

student sees letters or words reversedstudent sees letters or words reversed student sees letters or words transposedstudent sees letters or words transposed student omits letters or words when student omits letters or words when

readingreading

Limitations with:Limitations with:DyscalculaDyscalcula

student has difficulty with numbersstudent has difficulty with numbers student has spatial problemsstudent has spatial problems student has difficulty placing student has difficulty placing

numbers into vertical columnsnumbers into vertical columns student has difficulty performing student has difficulty performing

calculationscalculations

Limitations with:Limitations with:Visual PerceptionVisual Perception

student loses his place, skips words or student loses his place, skips words or whole lines of textwhole lines of text

student has difficulty copying from the student has difficulty copying from the board or a book, or has sloppy board or a book, or has sloppy handwritinghandwriting

student is disorganized and frustrated student is disorganized and frustrated when studying visual informationwhen studying visual information

student exhibits clumsiness student exhibits clumsiness

Limitations with:Limitations with:Auditory PerceptionAuditory Perception

student cannot recall verbal instructionsstudent cannot recall verbal instructions student does not maintain focus for an student does not maintain focus for an

intended purpose such as class lectureintended purpose such as class lecture student does not interpret or organize student does not interpret or organize

auditory information, which can affect:auditory information, which can affect: comprehension of conversation comprehension of conversation comprehension of directionscomprehension of directions critical thinking skills such as making critical thinking skills such as making

inferences or drawing conclusionsinferences or drawing conclusions

Case Studies and Case Studies and Accommodation Accommodation

Ideas For Learning Ideas For Learning DisabilitiesDisabilities

Writing and Spelling

Case StudyCase StudyJob Corps has a student with LD in Job Corps has a student with LD in

the GED program. This student has the GED program. This student has dysgraphia and his handwriting is dysgraphia and his handwriting is illegible. This student has to write illegible. This student has to write paragraphs and essays for class paragraphs and essays for class work.work.

What classroom accommodations What classroom accommodations might help him?might help him?

Reading Print Material


the GED program. This student has the GED program. This student has dyslexia, and reads on a 4th grade dyslexia, and reads on a 4th grade level. He has difficulty reading the level. He has difficulty reading the textbook, tests, worksheets, and textbook, tests, worksheets, and other print material. other print material.


Getting and Staying Organized


the building maintenance program. the building maintenance program. He forgets to submit his project He forgets to submit his project summaries on time. summaries on time.


“talking” watch

“To Do” List

write outline

meet lab partner

print out graphs

Verbal Prompts

Electronic Organizers

Calendars

Taking Notes


the medical training program. She the medical training program. She has auditory processing problems, has auditory processing problems, and cannot take notes in class. and cannot take notes in class.

What classroom accommodations What classroom accommodations might help her?might help her?

Use Laptop Computer or Alpha-Smart Device

camcorder

Carbonless note-taking systemCarbonless note-taking system

Share teacher’s notes with student

MathMath


the clerical program. She has the clerical program. She has dyscalcula, and has difficulty dyscalcula, and has difficulty performing mathematical performing mathematical calculations in her accounting calculations in her accounting class. class.

What classroom accommodations What classroom accommodations might help her?might help her?

Talking Calculators

Tutorial Software

visual processing visual processing problemsproblems

Case StudyCase StudyJob Corps has a student in the Job Corps has a student in the

building maintenance program. He building maintenance program. He has visual processing problems, and has visual processing problems, and cannot find his way to the cannot find his way to the maintenance shed from the maintenance shed from the classroom. classroom.


2-Way Radio

Talking Keyring

Job Accommodation NetworkJob Accommodation Network a service of the a service of the

Office of Disability Employment Policy Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor of the U.S. Department of Labor

800-526-7234 800-526-7234 800-ADA-WORK 800-ADA-WORK All Lines Voice/TTYAll Lines Voice/TTY

http://www.jan.wvu.eduhttp://www.jan.wvu.edu

HELLO!HELLO! from Morgantown, WVfrom Morgantown, WV

Documents

Accommodation Ideas for Students with Learning Disabilities By Mayda LaRosse, MA Job Corps Conference Kansas City, KS November 19, 2002