Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabilities: An Overview

By: LD OnLine (2008)

Having Your Child Tested for Learning Disabilities Outside of School

By: Reading Rockets (2008)

Children who struggle with reading often need extra help. This help usually comes from the school, but some parents choose to look outside of the school for professionals who can assess, diagnose, tutor, or provide other education services. The following article provides information on how to find the right person for your child.

Dysgraphia: More Than Just Bad Handwriting

By: Voice of America (2008)

Teachers and parents should suspect dysgraphia if a child's handwriting is unusually difficult to read. Find out more about this neurological problem that can cause physical pain as some children struggle to write.

A Student's Perspective on Writing

By: Regina G. Richards (2008)

Eli, a young boy, tells us what it is like to have dysgraphia. Regina Richards, a well-known expert on dysgraphia (and Eli's mom), explains how to help children who struggle with the challenges Eli describes. Practical techniques discussed include POWER (Prepare, Organize, Write, Edit, Revise) and providing authentic positive comments that move the child forward.

Using Peer Tutoring to Facilitate Access

By: The Access Center (2008)

Peer tutoring links high achieving students with lower achieving students or those with comparable achievement for structured learning. It's an effective educational strategy for classrooms of diverse learners, including students with disabilities, because it promotes academic gains as well as social enhancement. This brief discusses three research-supported peer tutoring strategies: Cross-Age Tutoring; Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS); and Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (RPT).

Computer-Assisted Instruction and Writing

By: Access Center (2008)

This brief provides an overview of computer-assisted instruction and looks at how writing software can help students with developing ideas, organizing, outlining, brainstorming, and minimizing the physical effort spent on writing so that students can pay attention to organization and content.

Accessing Skills Toward Successful Writing Development

By: Access Center (2008)

Writing is a highly complex language skill. Without skilled, systematic instruction, many students — particularly those with disabilities — may not become proficient writers. At stake is access to the general education curriculum. This brief discusses developmental stages, why writing may pose particular challenges for students with disabilities, and what areas should be the focus for remediation.

Communication Strategies for All Classrooms: Focusing on English Language Learners and Students with Learning Disabilities

By: Dale S. Brown and Karen Ford (2007)

Here are some concrete suggestions for teachers who want to communicate well with all of their students, especially English language learners and students with learning disabilities. Incorporate these suggestions and you will reach many more students.

Dyslexia Basics

By: International Dyslexia Association (2007)

Do you think your child or student might have dyslexia? "Dyslexia Basics," a factsheet by International Dyslexia Association," tells you the definition, symptoms, causes and effects. Find out how to help.

RTI Goes to Pre-K

By: FPG Child Development Institute (2007)

Can teachers and parents of preschoolers identify learning problems early enough to prevent problems later in school? The Recognition & Response model helps adults know what to look for and how to help, so that later remediation and special education may not be necessary.

Dyslexia and the Brain: What Does Current Research Tell Us?

By: Roxanne F. Hudson, Leslie High, and Stephanie Al Otaiba (2007)

The identification of a child with dyslexia is a difficult process, but there are ways that parents and teachers can learn more about the reading difficulty and support the child’s learning.

Literacy-Rich Environments

By: The Access Center (2007)

The literacy-rich environment emphasizes the importance of speaking, reading, and writing in the learning of all students. This involves the selection of materials that will facilitate language and literacy opportunities; reflection and thought regarding classroom design; and intentional instruction and facilitation by teachers and staff.

How to Help Your Students Write Well: An Interview with Steve Graham

By: Dale S. Brown (2007)

Three research based practices help students with learning disabilities improve their writing. Read this interview with Steve Graham, author of Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High School who explains how you can help your students succeed in communicating through the written word.

The Need for Flexible Alternatives to Print

By: CAST (2006)

An important change in special education law in 2004 was the inclusion of NIMAS, the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard. This new regulation requires educational publishers to provide textbooks and other print materials in a digital format, so that students who have trouble with print can access the curriculum.

Understanding the Concerns of Parents of Students with Disabilities: Challenges and Roles for School Counselors

(2006)

Professional school counselors can be more effective in their work with parents of students with disabilities — as well as with the students themselves, the students’ teachers, and other students — if they understand parental perspectives. Parents' areas of concern are described, and implications for school counselors are discussed.

Creating Positive School Experiences for Students with Disabilities

By: Amy Milsom (2006)

The school experiences of students with disabilities can be positively or negatively influenced by the attitudes and behaviors of students and staff and by general school policies. School counselors can take the lead in assessing school climate in relation to students with disabilities and initiating interventions or advocating for change when appropriate. This article provides an overview of factors to consider in creating positive school experiences for students with disabilities and suggestions for intervention efforts.

A Group Counseling Intervention for Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

By: Linda D. Webb and Robert. D Myrick (2006)

This article describes a six-session group counseling pilot intervention to help students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) understand its effects on their classroom performance and to learn and practice a repertoire of school success skills. Children are lead on a "journey" in which they learn they are different travelers in the world of education and often take alternate routes to their destinations (academic, personal-social, and career goals).

Recognition and Response: An Early Intervening System for Young Children At-Risk for Learning Disabilities

By: Mary Ruth Coleman, Virginia Buysse, and Jennifer Neitzel (2006)

Some young children show signs that they may not be learning in an expected manner, even before they begin kindergarten. These children may exhibit problems in areas such as language development, phonological awareness, perceptual-motor abilities, and attention, which have been considered precursors of learning disabilities in older children. However, under current state and federal guidelines, these children are unlikely to meet eligibility criteria for having a learning disability. This is because formal identification of a child's learning disability generally does not occur until there is a measurable discrepancy between the child's aptitude and academic achievement, often not until the second or third grade.

Response-to-Instruction and Universal Design for Learning: How Might They Intersect in the General Education Classroom?

By: Nicole Strangeman, Chuck Hitchcock, Tracey Hall, and Grace Meo, et al. (2006)

Helping struggling readers in the general classroom is a challenge, but The Access Center offers a solution. By using Response-to-Instruction’s tiered approach and Universal Design’s equal access philosophy, you can bridge the gap so that you are truly leaving no child behind.

Using Assistive Technology to Support Writing

By: Center for Implementing Technology in Education (2006)

In this article, CITEd examines how technology can support students' writing skills, including such tools as text-to-speech engines, word prediction software, speech recognition software, and larger keyboards.