Students with learning disabilities in teacher education programs

Education faculty are dedicated to preparing competent teachers. At the same time, they must provide reasonable accommodations in the teaching and evaluation of qualified students with disabilities, in compliance with the mandates of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This article describes some of the reasons that students with learning disabilities (LD) choose teaching as a profession, and the difficulties that some students with LD have in teacher preparation programs. It discusses the underlying legal and ethical issues encountered when working with students with LD in teacher education programs, as well as some ways to enhance success. The term learning disabilities is used since not all teacher candidates will have a language-based reading, spelling, and written expression disorder or dyslexia. It is assumed, however, that approximately 80 percent or more will have dyslexia.     

Dispositional factors affecting motivation during learning in adult basic and secondary education programs

Research indicates that about a quarter of adult students separate from formal adult basic and secondary education (ABE/ASE) programs before completing one educational level. This retrospective study explores individual dispositional factors that affect motivation during learning, particularly students’ goals, goal-directed thinking and action based on hope theory and attendance behaviors, and self-perceptions of competency based on affective domain attributions about external and internal obstacles to learning and employment, and demographic factors. Among 274 ABE/ASE students, those learners who made an education gain in 1 year significantly differed from those who did not in only a few dispositional or demographic variables; and by educational level they significantly differed in a wide variety of dispositional and demographic variables. These findings suggest researchable questions and programmatic considerations that may lead to future innovations that improve learner persistence.     

Effective literacy instruction for adults with specific learning disabilities: implications for adult educators

Adults with learning disabilities (LD) attending adult basic education, GED programs, or community colleges are among the lowest performers on measures of literacy. For example, on multiple measures of reading comprehension, adults with LD had a mean reading score at the third grade level, whereas adults without LD read at the fifth grade level. In addition, large numbers of adults perform at the lowest skill levels on quantitative tasks. Clearly, significant instructional challenges exist for adults who struggle with literacy issues, and those challenges can be greater for adults with LD. In this article, the literature on adults with LD is reviewed, and evidenced-based instructional practices that significantly narrow the literacy achievement gap for this population are identified. Primary attention is given to instructional factors that have been shown to affect literacy outcomes for adults with LD. These factors include the use of explicit instruction, instructional technology, and intensive tutoring in skills and strategies embedded in authentic contexts.     

Students with learning disabilities within the context of inclusive education: issues of identification and school management

This paper reports findings of a case study carried out in two elementary mainstream schools in Turkey. The main aim of the study was to investigate the role of identification and school management within the process of educating students with learning disabilities in mainstream schools. Interviews with stakeholders, observations and documentary analysis yielded the following broad themes: (a) referral and identification was often carried out with little consideration of preventive and holistic approaches; (b) identification based on narrow assessment guided the educational content, influenced school climate and teacher practices and (c) school management bodies assumed little responsibility to plan, coordinate and evaluate the education provided to students with learning disabilities. Outcomes of this study can guide good practice and policy regarding identification and school management in Turkey as well as other countries going through similar processes in terms of educating students with learning disabilities in mainstream schools.     

A follow-up study of recent special education graduates of learning disabilities programs

This study investigated the postschool vocational and community adjustment of recent special education graduates from a southwestern metropolitan school district. Sixty-four students with learning disabilities (LD) who had attended self-contained classes at 12 high schools were randomly selected. A questionnaire, administered either via the telephone or in person, was the source of data. Thirty-eight of the LD sample were in competitive employment. In general, the LD students received very few community services. For the most part, they received no agency support after graduation. Most of the LD subjects lived with parents or other relatives and most had a driver's license and car. Implications for postsecondary services and future research are discussed.     

Discrepancy formulas and classification and identification issues that affect diagnoses of learning disabilities

The identification of learning-disabled students has been plagued by the use of definitions that are conceptually and operationally incongruent and by classification systems that are inconsistent with identification procedures. The variety of methods and formulas used results in differing rates of identification and diverse findings for the same samples of students. The advantages and disadvantages of the most common discrepancy formulas and the multiple regression discrepancy method are compared. Both the educational significance and the statistical significance of test scores should be taken into consideration during the identification process, and consonance between LD definitions and identification criteria must be achieved in order to reduce the variance that occurs with LD classification.     

Vocational education and students with learning disabilities

This inquiry focuses on the status of nearly 500 students with learning disabilities in 17 state-operated regional vocational-technical schools in a northeastern state. The inquiry addressed four primary concerns: patterns of assessment, career choice, school marks, and attendance. The data indicate that a variety of instruments were used in the assessment process and that the overall grade equivalent levels of attainment ranged between fifth- and seventh-grade levels. Children defined as learning disabled participated in a large number of vocational trade specialties and some 50% or more had school marks indicating that they were passing in these areas. Attendance was high. Many children with learning disabilities successfully perform in competitive vocational education programs designed to produce proficiency at the level of journey person.     

Increasing access to learning for the adult basic education learner with learning disabilities: evidence-based accommodation research

Accommodating adult basic education (ABE) learners with learning disabilities (LD) is common practice across many instructional, testing, and work settings. However, the results from this literature search indicate that very few empirically based studies are available to support or reject the effectiveness of a great deal of accommodation implementation. In addition, in light of the profound changes to literacy taking place in today's digital, networked, and multimodal world, technology is redefining traditional concepts of accessibility and accommodation.     

Variables related to the decision of young adults with learning disabilities to participate in postsecondary education

This article examines the relationship between specific factors and the decision to participate in postsecondary education by young adults with learning disabilities. Data concerning 539 subjects with learning disabilities were included in this study. T test and chi square indicated that involvement in extracurricular activities while in high school, use of community resources, intelligence quotient, and reading and mathematics grade equivalent scores were important factors that differentiated between subjects choosing to participate or not to participate in postsecondary education during the year after high school. Implications and recommendations for secondary school curriculum are discussed.     

Attention performance in young adults with learning disabilities

Attention acts as the mind's “gatekeeper” by regulating and prioritizing the stimuli processed by the central nervous system. It is essential for cognitive performance, memory, and behavior, and we know that even slight deficiencies in attention compromise learning. Basic neuroscience research further indicates that attention consists of (fairly) independent subcomponents, which rely on distinct neural structures, and serve different functions in everyday behavior. Disturbances of brain function, such as those suggested to be related to learning disabilities, may lead to different patterns of attention performance (i.e., some attention systems may work sufficiently well, while others are substantially impaired). The present experiment describes a pilot study that aimed to characterize the extent and range of individual variations in attention performance in persons classified as learning disabled. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that attention is not uniformly impaired in these individuals. Rather, we expected some subcomponents to be more severely impaired than others, and substantial heterogeneity in the individual “deficit patterns.”The Test of Everyday Attention (TEA) was used to assess visual selective attention, attentional switching, sustained attention, and auditory–verbal working memory in students with nondyslexic learning disability (LD group) and matched controls. The group comparison revealed a significantly weaker performance in the LD group. Analysis of subtest-specific scaled scores further indicated great individual differences in the performance pattern. Thus, in each student with LD, we found normal performance in at least two subtests, while other subcomponents where severely impaired. The study supports the idea of differential attention deficits in the learning disabled, and suggests individual patterns of “strengths and weaknesses.” Taking the relationship of attention and learning into account, this finding is important with respect to the design of individual learning programs and the teaching techniques chosen for the acquisition of skills and knowledge.     

Vocational-technical programs: follow-up of students with learning disabilities

Recent research has examined the role of vocational-technical training in facilitating the transition from school to work of adolescents with learning disabilities. The present study provided 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up data on such students who had attended vocational-technical programs. Matched groups of students without disabilities from vocational-technical programs, as well as randomly selected students without disabilities from regular high schools, were also included for comparisons. Results of the study raised several questions about the value and purpose of vocational-technical training for adolescents with learning disabilities.     

A homogeneous group of persons with learning disabilities: adults with severe learning disabilities in vocational rehabilitation

The results of a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment of adults having learning disabilities (LD) and participating in vocational rehabilitation are presented. The subjects were found to have low-average general intelligence; lower verbal than performance IQs; attention, reasoning, and auditory memory deficits; academic achievement at the fourth-/fifth-grade level; language problems; and low self-esteem. These results were contrasted with other studies of adults with LD in vocational rehabilitation, and all studies on this population reported similar findings. A comparison of studies of adults with LD who were clients of vocational rehabilitation with those in college or employed and with those who had been labeled as learning disabled in childhood indicated that the adults with LD in vocational rehabilitation seem to constitute a homogeneous group of persons with severe deficits. The need to subtype learning disabilities by severity and criteria for making such determinations are proposed.     

Study skills and the education of students with learning disabilities

This article discusses an area of education for students with learning disabilities that is often neglected. The topic of study skills education, although not new to education in general, has only recently been emphasized in the literature for students with handicaps. An overview of the study skill proficiency (or lack of it) of students with learning disabilities is provided, followed by the presentation of 15 student study skill strategies designed to assist students in their use of various study skills. These strategies may be employed appropriately and effectively with many students with learning disabilities provided that individual needs and abilities are considered. The article concludes with a discussion about the implementation of a study skills program, including guidelines to follow in this process.     

The adult outcomes of children with learning disabilities

The results of four follow-up studies of learning-disabled children are reviewed. A comparison of results among the studies and of analyses of individual variation within the studies suggest some factors associated with long-term outcomes. It is argued that in many cases learning disabilities are not a lifelong handicapping condition, especially if adequate treatment is provided during childhood.     

Persisting problems of adults with learning disabilities: self-reported comparisons from their school-age and adult years

The issue of persistence of learning disabilities into the adult years was investigated. The study examined the self-reported comparisons of problems resulting from learning disabilities during school-age years (retrospectively) and in adult years. The responses of 133 adults categorized as highly successful and moderately successful in employment showed that both groups deteriorated markedly in the areas of functioning typically included in diagnostic and remediation efforts. This established a case for persistence and highlights an important issue for those who are directly or indirectly concerned about adults with learning disabilities.     

Variables related to the type of postsecondary education experience chosen by young adults with learning disabilities

This article examines selected variables related to the type of postsecondary education experience chosen by young adults with learning disabilities (N = 225). A one-way analysis of variance was utilized to identify significant differences between groups participating in alternative postsecondary education experiences. Variables related to use of community resources, community mobility, participation in vocational education while in high school, autonomy, peer influence, and gender were found to be significant factors that differentiate among groups. Recommendations for further research are discussed.     

Barriers preventing parental involvement in mainstream education of children with specific learning disabilities: parent perspectives

This study aims to investigate the barriers to parental involvement in Jordanian mainstream schools from the parents’ perspective. A 36-item questionnaire that addressed five domains was designed specifically for this study and distributed to 206 parents of children with specific learning disabilities. The results reveal that the main barrier to parental involvement relates to parents’ beliefs, followed by barriers related to mainstream schools’ teachers and team work, while ‘available facilities’ was viewed as the least significant barrier. The results indicate that there were statistically significant differences regarding parental income level for each of the five domains and the overall scale, but there were no differences attributable to parents’ educational levels and gender. Based on these findings, a number of suggestions and recommendations are made.