how do i help students with disabilities be sucessful?

How do you imagine that students with disabilities would harm the work ethic? is that you perceive that they won’t be working as hard (my experience is that they have to work harder). Do you see all kids with disabilities mentally slower than the average-or are you aware of the wide range of intelligences in kids with disabilites? I think the question needs to be narrowed.

You need to identify individual learning styles and needs of both your non-ld and ld kids. This is why children with lds have ieps. The ieps should contain the appropriate modifications and accomodations for a child. Some children can all benifit from certain things you do in a class, and does not alter the work ethic. Somethings you do will enhance learning for all. Try thinking positively.

KR

It sounds as if you are implying that sped means dumbing down the curriculm. I think this is the dirty little secret of sped, at least in my district.

The curriculum should not be dumbed down. You will just have to gain an understanding of how each child’s specific difficulties affect their learning style. This sounds difficult but it really isn’t. Don’t modify the content. Instead teach using a variety of methods that will allow all styles of learners to achieve to their maximum potenitial.
Try to find the gifts inherent in many of these kids with LD.

Linda

I am shocked that you are going to be a teacher in an inclusion classroom.My two dauhgters with LD try harder and pay attention more than a child it comes easy too.Almost all their teachers always say they wish they had 24 kids just like them in their classroom.They give 150 percent to get a B.It takes teacher something many different ways ubtil one works but the time each child puts into the task is worth all the effort.I should not say this but I usually pull my daughters from new teachers because they just do not have any understanding of LD kids.

The issues you bring up are legit — it’s just that “work ethic” isn’t the fundamental issue (though age/grade does have a lot to do with that — older students often do have work ethic issues, related to ambiguous expectations).
The issue behind the “work ethic” is the question of dealing with differences and expectations, period. If “work ethic” is tied to meeting arbitrary, group-generated standards that you find whateer way you can to work towards (which definitely has its place!) then you do have a problem. (But do think of the havoc a “regular” curriculum wreaks on a gifted student!)
It’s neat that you’re addressing this issue. ONe thing to emphasize in your approach is to consider that it’s the “learnign stuff” that is important, more so than arbitrary production of a product. So walking out of the classroom knowing more than you walked in knowing — that takes work no matter who you are.
WHat grade/age do you think you’re headed for, or aren’t you sure?

Why would helping some students ‘hinder the work ethic’ of others? Children, by the way, have a natural ‘work ethic’. Unless the task is an inappropriate one for them, they usually rise to any task very well.

I speak each year at the beginning of it to all my students and remind them that we all are individuals. I tell them I try to meet their individual needs as best I can and for that reason I try to help those who need help and allow those who work well on their own to do so.

Try not to create the idea of ‘limited good’. There is enough good to go around. People, including children, only resent others being given help when they believe there is ‘carrot at the end of the stick’ that can only feed a few. Emphasize to your students that learning is done for its own sake and that you want everyone in your classroom to be successful and you’re there to see that they all are.

Remember that most of these children are very smart they just learn in a non traditional matter. Listen to there answer get them involved in class discussion most LD children need to identify with the smart kids not the kids that talk or disrupt the class. My son is 14 and is quite often put in those groups when he is in a regular class his words the teacher put me with the stupid kids meaning kids that done care to listen or work in class. Lots of luck and you have made the first step by asking the questions. Jan Edge, Austin, Texas

I did not respond to this question the first few times I read it because what I felt it implied infuriated me. I decided to see how others interputed it before I replied to see if I was the only one who took it negatively. It seems that some of us did interpute it negatively and others did not. Sometimes we parents can take questions like these as a personal attack because of the way we were treated by some school personnell. My sons 6th grade teacher comes to mind, she told us our son was just lazy, unmotiviated and needed to be medicated and receive intense counseling—then he would become “a good student”. Right after that she went on to say how well behaved he was, was a good friend, ect. His infractions?, not doing well on his assignments. Did she try and find out why he was having such difficulty? No, she just assumed he was lazy. The truth is he could not read what the class was reading, you could not write at their level, understand, ect. She had his dx of CAPD and receptive/expressive language disorder, ect—but she felt if he just tried. He did try, he would attempt assignments, ect but not get 100 percent done so she would fail him. Luckily now my 14 year old freshman still with LD is considered a model student. With proper instruction, accomodations, ect he is able to produce good quality work. He works VERY hard to get the grades he gets. His science teacher says he is the most dedicated student she has this year. He goes in before or after school if he needs assistance, he starts right to work and works until the bell rings, he assists other students, ect. He is very compassionatte and very polite. Yes sometimes he might not complete an assignment 100 percent but it is because he cant not because he does not want to. There are students in my sons classes who chose not to do the assignments—it is not because they cant but because they don’t want to. They then ask my son who they know attempted the assignment for the answers. LD does not mean the child does not want to work or learn, they DO—but sometimes they have to do it different then others.

Sorry in my above post forgot to list some things that have helped my son be successful in the “inclusive” classroom. The biggest help is structure. I think this structure helps all students just not those with LD. Having a published schedule of what is expected has also been helpful. In his math class the teacher publishes the homework schedule two weeks at a time. She types it up for ALL students and distributes it. The schedules are hole punched and placed in the students 3 ring binders. My son has had NO missing assignments in this class because he always knows what to expect with plenty of warning. She also lists scheduled tests and quizes on the schedule. The classes he does best in follows some type of daily schedule. For example the first 5 minutes is spent turning in homework, recieving handouts or whatever, then the next 30-35 minutes spent on a lecture/activity or some form of teaching, the last 20 minutes or so spent on homework. Allowing the students time to start the homework in class gives the opportunity to ask questions if difficulties are encountered. A flexable teaching style is also helpful, what I mean by this is present information in more then one format. Try using a combination of audio, visual, and hands on. Try not to jump to conclusions just because a child seems tuned out does not mean they are not listening. Don’t assume because a child did not do an assignment it was because they chose not to, it could be they could not do it. Be available for your students let them know that you are there for them and will try to help them to the best of your ability.