Vocabulary

a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual abilities – большие различия между уровнем достижений и интеллектуальными возможностями

legible handwriting – четкий разборчивый почерк

letter reversals – перестановки букв

spatial information – пространственная информация

to become jumbled – смешиваться

transmission – передача

receipt – получение

assignments – задания

due to difficulty discriminating numerals or letters – из-за трудностей в различении цифр и букв

processing – обработка информации

prioritizing tasks – установление приоритетности заданий

Answer the following questions:

1. What are the types of learning disabilities?

2. What learning disability makes a person mix up letters within words and sentences while reading?

3. What learning disability makes a person mix up words and sentences while talking?

4. What learning disability causes problems with producing legible handwriting?

Accommodations for students with learning disabilities

Examples of accommodations for students who have learning disabilities include:

Notetakers.

Audiotaped or videotaped class sessions.

Extended exam time and a quiet testing location.

Visual, aural, and tactile demonstrations incorporated into instruction.

Concise course and lecture outlines.

Books on tape.

Alternative evaluation methods (e.g., portfolio, oral or video presentations).

Providing projects or detailed instructions on audiotapes or print copies.

Reinforcing directions verbally.

Breaking large amounts of information or instructions into smaller segments.

Computers can be adapted to assist students with learning disabilities. A student with learning disabilities might find these accommodations useful:

Computers equipped with speech output, which highlights and reads (via screen reading software and a speech synthesizer) text on the computer screen.

Word processing software that includes electronic spelling and grammar checkers, software with highlighting capabilities, and word prediction software.

Software to enlarge screen images.

For math and science classes, examples of specific accommodations that are useful for students with learning disabilities include:

The use of scratch paper to work out math problems during exams.

Talking calculators.

Fractional, decimal, and statistical scientific calculators.

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) software for math.

Computer Assisted Design (CAD) software for engineering.

Large display screens for calculators and adding machines.

Accommodation needs of students with learning disabilities vary greatly by individual and by academic activity. Specific academic activities that may pose challenges and suggested accommodations in each area can be found in the following areas resources:

Large lectures

Group/work discussions

Field work

Science labs

Computer labs

Adaptive technology

World Wide Web pages

Writing assignments

International/travel programs

Work-based learning