Transition from high school to postsecondary
training can be a critical time for young adults with learning disabilities.
As they leave the high school setting, many young adults with learning
disabilities are entering vocational training settings or the college
environment. Within these environments, these young adults might be
in need of accommodations to help them succeed in their training/education.
KEY TERMS
USED TO DESCRIBE A SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES
Specific Learning Disability (from
IDEA) - a disorder in understanding or in using language, spoken
or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen,
think, speak, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations; individual
has average to above average intelligence.
Dyslexia - has deficits in visual, auditory, or motor process
which interfere with reading and reading comprehension; might have
difficulties with learning to translate printed words into spoken
words with ease.
Dysgraphia
- has deficit in writing; may include lack of organization, clarity,
unity, fragmentation of written concepts, mechanical errors, reversals,
transpositions, and omissions of letters or words; spelling may be
poor, handwriting may be illegible, and written ideas may be disorganized
and incomprehensible.
Dyscalculia - has deficit with numbers or remembering facts over
a long period of time; might have spatial problems and difficulty
aligning numbers into proper columns; might have reversal of numbers
and difficulty in mathematical operations.
Dyspraxia
– has problems with messages from the brain being properly transmitted
to the body; though the muscles are not paralyzed or weak, they have
problems working well together; might cause speech problems as well
as poor posture, poor sense of directions &/or difficulty with
actions such as throwing and catching.
Auditory Perceptual Deficit – has difficulty in receiving accurate
information from the sense of hearing; there is no problem with their
hearing, just in how the brain interprets what they hear; might have
problems with understanding and remembering oral instructions, differentiate
between similar sounds, or hearing one sound over a background noise.
Visual Perceptual Deficit- has difficulties receiving and/or processing
accurate information from their sense of sight; might have a problem
picking out an object from a background of other objects or seeing
things in correct order.
ACCOMMODATIONS
FOR CLASSROOM
For lecture setting:
tape recorders or micro tape players
note takers
hard copies of notes provided by the
instructor or other student
outlines, double spaced, with key words provided by the lecturer
or note taker
all printed materials - double-spaced
and with larger print
notes on disks
lap top computer for note taking
spelling masters (some have voice
synthesizers)
calculators (some have voice synthesizers)
books on tape (Recording for the Blind)
printed materials may be scanned into
the computer and screen reading software can be utilized
For reading and writing activities:
reading machines (such as Arkenstone, Reading Edge, Bookwise)
word processing programs (such as WordPerfect, Right Writer, Grammatik,
TextHelp)
Soundproof by Humanware which is designed for professionals with
LD
Recording for the Blind (books or textbooks on tape)
electronic dictionaries/spelling checkers (some may have voice synthesizers)
highlighters (to remember important facts or to color pairs of numbers
a different color - might reduce chance of error in copying a long
series of numbers)
For test-taking:
quiet environment
extended time
test on the computer
reader, scribe or oral tests
double-spaced, with large print
index cards, blank paper, and/or ruler (help keep place on line)
tape recorder (to hear what is on the test &/or to dictate answers)
use of a proctor to rephrase test questions that are not clear to
the student
Others:
substitute a course for a required course
a detailed syllabus to give ample time to complete reading and writing
assignments
ACCOMMODATION EXAMPLES
FOR LEARNING
DISABILITIES - POSTSECONDARY
A student with learning
disability had difficulty taking notes. A tape recorder was
provided during lectures, with the tape transcribed at home at the
student's own pace. The cost was $60.
A college student with dyslexia,
dyscalcula, and memory problem had difficulty reading textbooks
and completing assignments. As an accommodation, a loaned computer
with Arkenstone Reading software was provided to the student. This
computer had voice output and scanned printed material. The computer
was available to use until the student completed school. The cost
was $6,250.
An electronics repair student with
LD had difficulty reading. A tape recorder was provided to the
student for lectures. Books on tape were provided, as was access/enrollment
to a "survival reading skills" class. The cost was $125.
A student with LD was having
difficulties with finishing tests in the allotted time. The university
provided many accommodations: scribe, reader, extended time and oral
tests. The cost was $0.
A student with dyslexia and ADD
was accommodated by the use of a speak and spell dictionary, as well
as an organizer. We weren't given the total cost.
A student with dyscalcula was
given extra time and a separate room for testing. He was also allowed
to use an algebra software on his classwork and homework. The cost
was the cost of the software.
A student with dyslexia was given
as an accommodation a peer assistant, who shared his notes and clarified
points. The student was given extra time for reading assignment.
RESOURCES: LEARNING
DISABILITIES AND ATTENTION
DEFICIT DISORDER
