Teaching Students with Disabilities

Students with ADHD/ADD have average to above-average intelligence, and exhibit characteristics such as impatience, restlessness, insecurity, and boredom. In addition, they may also have difficulty managing time and setting priorities. When teaching a student with ADD, be sure to notice and respond to nonverbal signals of frustration and confusion.

Suggested Academic Accommodations:

Provide study questions or guides to students.
Give assignments in writing and orally.
Emphasize important material and use visual aids when available.
Provide opportunities for the student to participate in class discussions, thus keeping his or her attention focused.
Allow the student to use aids, such as a computer, dictionary, or non-programmable calculator.
Have the syllabus available before the class begins. Discuss it with the student to clarify important items and dates.
Eliminate or reduce distractions in the classroom.
Allow the student to sit in the front of the room.
Allow extended time for exams.
Provide a distraction-free environment to take exams.

Specific Learning Disabilities

Three of the most common learning disabilities are dyslexia, a severe difficulty with reading; dysgraphia, a severe difficulty with writing; and dyscalculia, a severe difficulty with math. Students with learning disabilities may differ both in type and manifestation of the disability. A learning disability can also vary within an individual depending on the learning demands and the setting. A learning disability is NOT a form of mental retardation. Some common characteristics that an instructor may notice when teaching a student with a learning disability include poor penmanship, problems with grammar, and poor social skills. Not all of these characteristics are present in every student with a learning disability. Ways a learning disability can be manifested might include language deficits, visual deficits, memory deficits, spatial organizational deficits, social skills deficits, attention deficits, auditory deficits, and reasoning deficits.

Suggested Academic Accommodations:

Provide a detailed syllabus and discuss main points and important dates with the student.
Provide assignments in an oral and written format.
Assist the student in locating a volunteer notetaker.
Announce reading assignments in advance for students who use taped materials. (The time required to record books onto tape is twelve to eighteen weeks).
Provide copies of your overheads.
Provide handouts. Use multisensory approach to learning.
Repeat important concepts or write them down. Write out new or technical terms.
Provide a distraction-free environment to take exams. Use a different exam format if necesary.
Allow extended time for exams.
Allow the student to use a reader/scribe or other aid (computer, dictionary, non- programmable calculator).
Accept oral, rather than written, presentations and exams.
Begin lectures with an outline of material to be covered. Review material previously covered.

Physical Disabilities

Physical disabilities encompass a wide-range of abilities. It is difficult to generalize accommodations for all persons with physical disabilities. The same physical disability can have very different effects on different people and can vary due to periods of remission. Students with specific motor impairments may use canes, scooters, wheelchairs, braces, or crutches to assist in mobility. The student must learn accessible routes around campus; problems, such as bad weather or crowded sidewalks, can interfere with a student’s movement from one place to another. When teaching students with physical impairments, be sure to know the emergency exit routes for buildings, and if a field trip is required as a class assignment, check the accessibility of the site.

Suggested Academic Accommodations:

Allow extended time to complete exams and other assignments.
Provide an alternate format for exams (i.e. multiple choice rather than essay).
Provide assistance in securing a notetaker or give the student a copy of your notes.
Allow test-taking modifications such as a scribe, use of a computer, or an oral exam.
Accept tape recording of exams or written assignments.
Allow the student to tape record lectures.

Suggested Accommodations for Wheelchair Users:

Check accessibility in and out of the classroom, rearranging classroom furniture as necessary.
Never hang on a wheelchair; this is often considered a part of one’s personal body space.
Assist only if asked or if the student is having obvious difficulty.

Hearing Impairments

Persons with hearing impairments may use some speech to communicate. Students with hearing impairments may not understand the message that is being conveyed. You may need to use another method to communicate (e.g. writing out the message or using different terms), get the person’s attention before speaking to him or her, speak clearly and normally, use facial and body expressions, and maintain eye contact and face the student throughout the conversation.

Suggested Academic Accommodations:

Allow the student to sit in the front row of the class.
Allow the student to participate in class as much a possible. This may mean calling on the student or allowing an interpreter extra time to interpret questions or comments, thus giving the student a chance to respond if he or she wishes.
Write difficult or technical terms on a blackboard or overhead projector.
Make sure films or videotapes used in class are closed-captioned or arrange to get a closed-captioned decoder.
Assist the student in finding a volunteer notetaker. Provide copies of your notes when requested.
Be sure any light in the room is on your face. Do not stand with your back to a light source. People with hearing impairments need to see the speaker.
Give the student copies of any information that is to be presented orally.
Provide a detailed syllabus and list of assignments.
Allow students who use interpreters to have all or part of an exam interpreted for them. Because English is not their first language, students may have difficulty understanding the exam questions and will need the exam translated into sign language.

Interpreter Tips:

Interpreters provide a means of communication for a person with a hearing impairment. They translate English into a sign language such as American Sign Language. It is important to realize that interpreters translate everything said in a classroom by a faculty member, staff member, or student. Interpreters regard all information as confidential and are bound by strict ethical guidelines. Do not call in on the interpreter to answer questions. He or she is not participating in the class.

Visual Impairments

Visual impairments range in degree from low vision to total blindness. Vision may fluctuate due to periods of illness, overuse, or poor lighting. A person with a visual impairment does not have a sixth sense, but learns how to compensate for the loss of vision by improving his or her other senses. Students with visual impairments may have problems in areas such as reading, gathering information, and participating in extra-curricular activities. They may use a cane, a guide dog, or nothing at all to help them with mobility. A guide dog is a trained working animal which should never be touched, spoken to, or played with without the permission of the owner.

Students who are blind primarily rely on Braille and tape-recorded information for classes and daily living. Students with low vision may rely on enlarged materials, audio tapes, or Closed Circuit Television Systems (CCTV) that enlarge material a person is reading. It takes at least twelve to eighteen weeks for reading materials to be placed onto tape and nine months or longer to be converted into Braille, so having a syllabus available and textbooks selected before the student registers for classes is recommended. Keep in mind that a student with a visual impariment may not be able to benefit from visual aids that are used in class, so Braille, taped, or large print copies of visual materials may be necessary.

Suggested Academic Accommodations:

Assist the student in securing volunteer notetakers if necessary.
Allow for extended time on exams; use of alternate exam format, e.g., computer exams or oral exams.
Allow for use of a reader or scribe during exams.
Permit student to tape record class and to tape record written assignments.

Psychological Disabilities

Psychological disabilities such as manic depression can have varying effects depending on the severity of the disability and the treatment the student is receiving. When working with students with psychological disorders, the faculty member should maintain high but realistic expectations and also encourage open communication. In addition, be familiar with campus resources to which you can make referrals when appropriate.

Suggested Academic Accommodations:

Allow extended time to complete exams and provide a distraction free environment to take exams.
Allow for flexibility in assignments when the student is having problems related to the disability. Be specific about expectations and course objectives.
Encourage the student to sit in the front of the class to reduce distraction.

Speech Impairments

Speech impairments may be found alone or in combination with other disabilities, such as cerebral palsy or traumatic brain injury. Common speech impairments include stuttering, chronic hoarseness, or inability to speak. Students with speech impairments may have problems with articulation, vocalization, annunciation, or be completely voiceless. Many students with speech impairments experience some anxiety when asked to speak in a class or in a new situation. Oral communication may be a problem for students with speech impairments, thus requiring alternate test formats or alternate formats for class presentations. When teaching students with speech impairments, allow them enough time to express themselves when called on and avoid finishing their thoughts or sentences for them. Also, if you cannot understand the student, ask him or her to repeat what he or she is saying or ask for it to be written down.

Seizure Disorders

The various types of seizure disorders make establishing one universal definition difficult. Generally, seizure disorder may be defined as an episode of abnormal motor, sensory, autonomic, or psychic activity as a consequence of excessive electrical discharge from cerebral neurons. Seizures vary in duration and after-effects. One of the results of a seizure is a severe headache, which is sometimes accompanied by memory deficits or clouded thinking. This may cause the student to miss class or have difficulty completing assignments. Faculty members should keep this in mind and be willing to work with the student to make up missed or incomplete assignments.

Seizure First Aid :
Contact 911 if a student is having a seizure. Tell them the situation and request an
ambulance. To prevent from choking, make sure the student is on his or her side.

Other Disabilities

Each disability listed below is covered by federal anti-discrimination legislation and students with any of these are eligible to receive reasonable accommodations. Each one will affect the student in different ways. Students with these disabilities may be absent from class for various reasons. It is important for faculty members to work with the student to make allowances for absences and provide opportunities for the student to make up the missed work. Confidentiality is a primary concern for students with disabilities. Because of the social stigma attached to some of the disabilities listed below, many students may be hesitant to reveal their condition to the faculty or staff members. Strict confidentiality is important.