The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), enacted in 1975, mandates that children and youth ages 3–21 with disabilities be provided a free and appropriate public school education. 1 in 5 children in the U.S. have learning and thinking differences like dyslexia and ADHD. In the school year 2018–19, the number of students who received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was 7.1 million (National Center for Education Statistics). At the same time students with learning disabilities (LD) dropout of high school at nearly three times the rate of all students. 57 percent cited disliking school or having poor relationships with teachers or peers. There are many ways to help kids who learn and think differently thrive in school and in life. At the same time only 30 percent of general educators feel strongly that they can successfully teach kids with LD. More training and resources are needed to help diverse learners thrive in general education classrooms. There are many ways to help kids who learn and think differently thrive in school and in life.
Students with reading comprehension problems
For students who have trouble reading, it’s hard enough to just get the words right. But to pair those words with their meaning is a seemingly insurmountable task. If a teacher can identify this issue and learn how to chunk information, students can understand what they’re reading and fall in love with texts.
Students with written expression problems
Writing poses quite a few challenges for students with LDs – some may have trouble holding their pencils, and others find it difficult to communicate. If teachers learn strategies that bring writing to life for students who often don’t even realize all the neat things they have to say, that will make a big difference for students and help to thrive in school and in life.
Managing student behavior
Every student has had days when going to school was a drag. Students with LDs are no different. Because school forces them to tackle big challenges head on, it’s often their least favorite thing to do. This can lead to behavior problems that teachers will have to defuse creatively. If a teacher knows how to model behavior and what proactive actions a teacher can take to prevent behavior problems, it will help both sides – teacher and student with LD communicate better and improve relationships.