Process to identify and teach students with learning difficulties Laura Staubli-Li

Process to identify and teach students with learning difficulties
Laura Staubli-Li

Step 1: How to deal with students who have severe learning disabilities is to seek additional help form the school and state. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires local public school districts to “identify, locate, and evaluate every child who may have a disability requiring special education services.” (Parent Companion). If the student has severe learning difficulties I will call the "Child Find" person who can assist me in evaluating the student's learning needs.

Strategy c: If the student has emotional issues, have a meeting with them and their parents and suggest they meet with a school counselor or psychologist. Tomatis listening therapy also helps students who suffer from low-self-esteem, anxiety and depression. "Her mother said, she is more self aware and happier. She now verbalizes her needs instead of behaving aggressively. Thanks to improved listening, she is more balanced and confident. Thanks to the Centre d’Ecoute et de Santé « Fleur " (Tomatis Center. n.d).

Step 2: Recommend your child be screened to see if they should do a full evaluation.

Strategy h: a,Discuss the student's case with a department supervisor to confirm the next steps. Organize a meeting with the parents and suggest the student do a listening test at the Tomatis center.

Strategy a: Speech or language impairment. These student would benefit from smaller classrooms in order to practice their oral language. "Teacher-Student ratio. These students require additional support and guidance as they work on their activities" (Therapy Travellers, 2018)

Strategy f. If the student has hearing impairment use more visuals in the classroom, "use diagrams, graphics and pictures to augment what they say in words" (LDA, 2013). Speak clearly and slowly so that the student can read the teacher's lips.

Strategy d: Students with Traumatic Brain injury could benefit from this strategy "need to learn concept in different ways and have the opportunity to practice it many times in order to learn and remember it". (Therapy Travellers, 2018)

Identify struggling students by observing their emotional and physical behaviors as well as their grades. Strategies to help students with minor learning difficulties in the classroom.

Option A: Recommend your child be screened to see if they should do a full evaluation

Option B: Proceed to Full and Individual Evaluation (FIIE)

Option C: Decline to do an evaluation.

Step 3: ARD Committee includes you, the parent and school district to determine the child's IEP. ARD Committee looks at the child's needs to determine if teachers, therapists and special education professionals work with the child. Meet yearly to evaluate changes.

b.The Tomatis counselor gives an air and bone hearing test to diagnose the disability.

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c.The child and his parents commit to doing sixty hours Tomatis listening therapy. They come to the center two hours every day for three weeks then get tested to see the progress.

d.After three weeks the child and parents get tested to evaluate their progress. Then they continue for two more rounds of two weeks with a month break in between. Finally the Tomatis consultant does the final test.

References

LDA. (2013, October, 13). Successful Strategies for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from https://ldaamerica.org/info/successful-strategies-for-teaching-students-with-learning-disabilities/

LD@school. (n.d). Assistive Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.ldatschool.ca/assistive-technology/

Parent Companion. (n.d) Special Education: The Referral and Evaluation Process. Retrieved from http://www.parentcompanion.org/article/special-education-the-referral-and-evaluation-process

Therapy Travellers. (2018, February, 19). Strategies for Teaching Students wtih Intellectual Disabilities. Retrieved from https://therapytravelers.com/strategies-teaching-students-intellectual-disabilities/

Tomatis Center. (n.d). Centre d'Ecoute et de Sante Fleur". Retrieved from https://www.tomatis-rolle.ch/en/testimonials

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Strategy g: If the student has visual difficulties, use more audio resources in the classroom. Videos such as Brainpop and recording can be helpful. They can use a software to help them type called "Word Prediction -Word prediction software was originally designed for students with physical disabilities who experienced difficulty typing. However, word prediction with text-to-speech is also effective for students with learning disabilities because it reduces the need for handwriting, and improves students’ spelling accuracy and writing skills" (LD@school, n.d)

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Strategy b:If student has orthopedic disability use more hand bars around the classroom to help them stand up and had wheelchair access.

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Strategy e: If the student has ADHD, Use materials that interest the student and vary activities more frequently. Incorporate activities that make the body move. Use the strategy: Quiet Work Space "Using this space only for studying will help the child get into a routine of studying also understand that when he is sitting there, he is supposed to concentrate on the activity or task, not play" (Therapy Travellers, 2018)