The term ‘Learning Disabilities’ is an umbrella term that encompasses many different experiences that students may have. Some of the learning disabilities that students can have that fall under this term include:
- Dyslexia
- Dyscalculia
- Dysgraphia
- ADHD
- Executive Functioning
Under IDEA, a “Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.”
Students with learning disabilities may have trouble with focus, reading, writing, math, and more. To support these students, teachers should always give clear and direct instructions for students to process easily. In teaching lessons, teachers should scaffold instruction, give students probing questions to help process their thinning, and teach through specific steps. Students with learning disabilities may use different assistive technologies including, graphic organizers, speech to text, and audiobooks.
In 2011, a font called OpenDyslexic was created by Abelardo Gonzalez as a free, accessible font for people with Dyslexia that helps them better process words correctly. The font features “heavy weighted bottoms to indicate direction and help reinforce the line of the text” (CITATION). Although there hasn’t been a direct study on the efficacy of OpenDyslexic, many people who are Dyslexic utilize this font to help them read. People can download the font or get a font converter as an app on their devices to make all their documents use this font.
OpenDyslexia Font by Abelardo Gonzalez
In the classroom, teachers can use art as a way to connect learning for students with learning disabilities. Dance is an excellent art form for those with learning disabilities as it helps build student’s sequencing skills and rhythm while performing arts, like theater can allow students to immerse themselves and actively participate in learning a new topic.
As motivators and inspiration for students, teachers can feature different well-known figures within the classroom. These figures can show students that they are still capable of great things. Some artists with learning disabilities include:
- Daniel Radcliffe (Dyspraxia) – Actor
- Tommy Hilfiger (Dyslexia) – Designer
- Anderson Cooper (Dyslexia) – Reporter
- Whoopi Goldberg (Dyslexia) – Actor
Need to look at this information quickly? Download the Learning Disabilities Cheat Sheet Here!