In this article, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are defined, according to DSM-IV. What situations involving these disorders are covered by IDEA and Section 504? Best practices for working with the ADD/ADHD population of students are discussed as a proposed four-part “school-based model of intervention.”
All children with learning disabilities need charismatic adults in their lives at school. These are educators who enthusiastically and purposefully accept students for who they are and identify and reinforce the strengths of all students. They perceive all students as being capable of succeeding at academic and social demands as long as they are provided with appropriate interventions.
Many kids with LD have difficulty with the skill of REVISUALIZATION. This prevents them from calling up a picture into their mind’s eye. This perceptual weakness makes it difficult for LD kids to spell because they are unable to “picture” the correct formation of the word in their mind.
Kids hate being nagged, don’t we all? My colleague and friend, Bob Brooks tells the story of a young boy whom Bob was counseling. The boy was reluctant to take his prescribed daily dose of Ritalin and this was a source of ongoing conflict between him and his Mom.
This article outlines and describes steps that adults with learning disabilities can take to become self-advocates and to request accommodations or services in the workplace.
Because of their repeated failures in school, many LD kids are very sensitive to massive corrections of their written work. The sight of their compositions covered with red-penciled corrections, arrows, symbols and cross outs becomes a real morale buster for these kids.
Special education students need to be convinced often of their capabilities and need to try out new skills with the benefit of a safety net. The greater their belief in the likelihood of their success, the greater their effort is likely to be. That increased effort generally will result in greater success, leading to greater effort. Once that cycle can be established, student achievement is more likely guaranteed. Following are two of the student success stories from this year.
