Students with learning disabilities
What is a good approach to assist with a student's motivation when they are embarrassed of their learning disability? Some students become discouraged when they recognize they are the only one in the class in need of extra attention. Do you recognize their efforts?
Kyle,
this is definitely a challenge & obviously must be handled carefully. I think by showing the student that you truly want to help him/her & being supportive you can possibly overcome the embarrassment.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have encountered several students in my classes, both when I was a student and as an instructor. The best way to handle it is to discuss their needs with them privately. Don't call attention to their disability. Provide gentle encouragement, just as you would any other student. Many times treating them just like everyone else is the best way to get them to be comfortable.
ROBIN,
and demonstrating to them that we want to help them be as successful as possible is important.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Students with learning difficulty require additional learning tools and lots of motivation in order to achieve their goals or sometimes students’ needs to change the program if their skills do not match with the program requirements.
ATUL,
I think the advice we can give to students to help them select the proper career & major for them is key to helping our students be as successful as possible.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I find that most of my students with learning disabilities are shy about it and will feel compelled to not tell you their needs without motivation from you specifically. I think it may be a good idea to do kind of a weekly "check in" with those students even if it is just a weekly e-mail to open up the portal of communication between the two of you. What I see happen when I slack on this role is that the student falls behind and gets overwhelmed and even more embarrassed. Keeping a regular "check in" seems to alleviate some of this and therefore keep progress moving at a more steady pace.
I have a learning disability myself and I am always willing to talk openly with students about it. Yes, sometimes it is difficult to have a learning disability, much like missing a limb. However, it doesn't mean you get to only run 1/2 of the race, you have to work harder and make adjustments to reach the same goal.
I currently have a student who has a learning disability and performs much better when he is able to read test questions out loud.
He was privately and gently approached about the fact that his lab grades were so much better than his lecture grades and asked if there was anything that the instructors might help him with. He was surprised and said that no teacher ever noticed or talked to him about that, but he did have a learning disability. We have arranged for him to take his tests in another room.
We did have to address how to get him out of the room without him getting up and leaving when a test was being passed out. What the student and instructors decided on was that we would make sure there was a few minute break for the whole class before starting any test - even if it is a 2 minute "stretch and get your brain ready" break. That way he can exit quietly.
We did tell him that if anyone asked all we would say was that "X is fine. Don't worry about it." He could share whatever he felt was appropriate.
These steps have made him much more comfortable and his test grades have risen over 20%.
Dawn,
this is an excellent example of caring instructors who notice a situation & figure out a way to truly help a student be successful & maintain his dignity. Great job!
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
