Students with Learning Disabilities in the Classroom
Chapter 8
Adaptive Behavior
Task Orientation: interaction between discrete aspects of attention
Disruptive Behaviors: range from passively staring out the window to throwing a desk
Hyperactivity: major problem with LD, usually out of seat behaviors and increased body movement
Behavior in Instructional Groups
Individual seat work: students with LD are more off task
Small group work: more on-task but need to monitor behaviors closely
See Teaching Tips pg. 245
Elementary Teacher Interactions
Teachers interact more frequently with students with LD but focus more on behavioral management issues rather than instructional issues.
Instructional Statements: need to carefully consider the appropriate level of questions to foster academic growth Start with lower level questions for acquisition Provide high-order questions once students learn
concepts
Differentiated Classroom Varying the question complexity Cubing: technique to consider a concept from six points of view
Cube Side Function Terms
Side 1 Describe itRecall, name, locate, list
Side 2 Compare itContrast, example, explain, write
Side 3 Associate it Connect, make, design
Side 4 Analyze itReview, discuss, diagram
Side 5 Apply itPropose, suggest, prescribe
Side 6 Argue itDebate, formulate, support
Differentiated Curriculum – Layered Curriculum
http://help4teachers.com/
Cognitive Characteristics of Adolescents with LD Cumulative deficit: due to deficits in
achievement, they fall further and further behind their peers (see figure 8.1 pg. 251)
Academic plateau: improvement ceases altogether (e.g., reading at 5th grade level in the 10th grade)
Working-memory-strategy problems
Social & Emotional Characteristics in Secondary Classrooms Motivation: problems due to repeated failure Self-Concept: generally think they are OK as a
person but low self-concept in academics Locus of Control: students with LD demonstrate
a more external-locus-of-control Depression & Suicide: 20% males and 32%
females with LD are severely depressed Among suicides in Los Angeles, 50% involved
adolescents with LD (Peck, 1985).
Program Options for Adolescents with LD Tutorial model: special education is used as a tutoring
program for content areas Basic-skills remediation model: special education class is
used in reading, language arts, and math instruction Work-study model: emphasizes job skills and experience Functional-skills model: instruction in various survival
skills (complete job application, tax forms) Learning-strategies model: assist in coping with the
demands of the standard high school curriculum Inclusive service delivery: team teaching with spec.ed.