This document provides information on instructional practices for students with mild learning disabilities. It discusses the least restrictive environment principle, inclusion in general education classrooms, assistive technology, individualized education plans (IEPs), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and characteristics, specialized instructional strategies for students with ADHD or reading impairments, assistive technology tools, and teaching strategies for hearing impaired students. Examples of strategies include repeating directions, reducing assignment length, using background music, and ensuring new terms are clearly explained.

1. Instructional Practices For Students With Mild Learning Disabilities

2. According to IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), disabled students should have the opportunity to be educated with non-disabled peers.This is referred to as the least restricted environment.Inclusion in general education classrooms is essential to students with disabilities.Students With Disabilities

3. Assistive Technology: a term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them.Assistive Technology

4. A student who has trouble learning or who has been classified as having special needs, may qualify for an IEP.Some disabilities that may require an IEP include learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, hearing impairment, vision impairment, speech impairment and language impairment.Individualized Education Plan (IEP)

5. Act without thinkingHyperactivityTrouble focusingTrouble paying attentionTrouble following directionsTrouble functioning socially and academicallySymptoms are present over a long period of time Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Symptoms

6. About half have specific learning disabilitiesMost have problems in reading and writingHave difficulty performing in schoolMay require specialized instruction with or without assisted technologyKids With ADHD

7. Make sure you have the student’s attentionRepeat directions and have the student repeat them back to youPlace instructions on an audio tape so the student can play them back if neededReduce length of assignmentsAllow students to use computers, calculators, and other aidsSpecialized Instruction For Students With ADHD

8. Give choices and variation to assignments to keep the student interestedAssign another student as a “study buddy”Play soft background musicIntegrate student’s interests in assignmentsUse games to reinforce materialSee it, Say it, Write it – to reinforce student’s memoryAlternate TestingSpecialized Instruction For Students With ADHD

9. Preview the topicClarify difficult vocabularyDetermine the main ideaSummarize key ideas in the lessonOffer to read written material aloud (including material written on the board or projector)Choose textbooks with less difficult words and texts that offer a clear meaningReading teaching strategies can often follow strategies for teaching the hearing impairedTeaching Strategies For Reading

10. Speak slowly and naturallyIf the student uses an interpreter, speak to the studentBreak up long sentencesMake sure the antecedent of a pronoun is clearWhen introducing new terms, repeat the word several times and use it in different contextsAvoid passive verbs, expressions of negation, and wordinessTeaching Strategies For Hearing Impaired

11. Abbreviation expandersAlternative keyboardsGraphic organizers & outliningPaper-based computer penPortable word processorsProofreading software programsSpeech recognition software programsSpeech Synthesizers/Screen ReadersTalking spell-checkers/electronic dictionariesWord prediction software programsAssisted Technology Tools For Writing

12. Quicktionary Reading PenIntel ReaderSpecialized Computer SoftwareAudio BooksSpeech synthesizers/screen readersTape RecordersAssisted Technology Tools For Reading

13. Text telephonesComputerized Speech RecognitionClose-Captioning TVFM SystemsVisual AidsSpecialized Computer SoftwareAssisted Technology For Hearing Impaired

14. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_Restrictive_Environmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technologyhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/iep.htmlhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/learning/iep.htmlhttp://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/learning/adhd.html#http://www.ldonline.org/article/8088References

15. http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/learning.html#sect5http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods/learning-disabilities/6735.htmlhttp://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/hearing.html#sect2http://www.readingrockets.org/article/33078#abbreviationhttp://www.greatschools.org/special-education/assistive-technology/reading-tools.gs?content=948http://www.synapseadaptive.com/edmark/prod/tw/default.htmReferences