The Teacher's Perspective On Kids With Ld
December 3rd, 2008

For a teacher, handling a child with a learning disability can be more than a challenge. There are so many kids in the classroom and having to deal with constant interruptions from an LD child due to frustration or lack of concentration can be disturbing to all. How a teacher handles the challenge of a learning disabled student is individual. It is much better for a teacher to accommodate their personal style for one that better suits the needs of the LD child. This will keep the child's attention longer and keep frustration and behavior issues to a minimum. One must be patient and remember that the LD child doe not like to behave in a negative manner. They cannot express themselves sometimes like their peers. Teachers must have knowledge for what to expect from the child. Talk with the parents to find out the child's needs prior to starting the school year. This will better prepare you for what to expect and what accommodations are required.

Ask if the child has problems with misbehaving. What are the child's triggers so you can intervene prior to the catastrophe? Many LD students cannot express themselves verbally and will act out inappropriately to let off steam. Get ideas from the parents what they do to ward off negative behavior, ask the school counselor for suggestions as well. It is important that a teacher teaches a child self-management and control as well as reading, writing, and arithmetic. If the child is easily distracted, ask how to best keep his or her attention. Ask in what type of environment the child learns best, must it be very quiet or does the child need background noise. Find out if he or she is better with small groups of kids sitting close together or does better when sitting close to the teacher and away from others. You want to promote the child to be able to do his or her best. You will want to find out in advance if the child has problems with sitting still. A fidgety child cannot only be distracting to the other students but to the teacher as well. Make sure you allow time for physical movement through out the day this will benefit all kids.

For a child with a learning disability, the teacher can seem like the bad guy if they are constantly being punished. Remember that they don't understand what is wrong and just know they are frustrated. Don't punish the child or scold them in front of their peers. This will not make matters better and the child will learn to fear you. This could cause them to act out more. Find out what works to keep the child engaged in learning and even send him or her on "special" errands to the office or other classrooms to let them stretch their legs in a non-disruptive way. Be available or have teacher's assistants or parents to help in the classroom. This will give you time to spend with an LD child who might be too embarrassed to ask for help. Make sure you ask the child if he or she understands or to tell you what the assignment means. This will offer some discrete time with the child while the volunteers or TA is helping other children. LD children will work hard and want to succeed. If a teacher makes sure they comprehend what is expected the child will give 150%.

Know what the child's weaknesses are so you can help them overcome them appropriately and with little frustration. Make room to give them extra time to complete the work if need be and make testing accommodating. This will cut down on the child's anxiety and help keep them focused and calm. Make sure all tests are conducted from the intellectual method that best suits the child's needs. A verbal test might be a better choice for some LD children. Testing might also have to be done in private. Know your LD students strengths as well. You want to give them things that encourage interest and build self-esteem. The higher the self-esteem of the learning disabled child the better they will tackle challenging ideas and work. Praise them often for a job well done. This will make them want to work hard to please you. Having a child with a learning disability can be a blessing to a classroom and not just a challenge. They add flare and a special dynamic to any class. Being a teacher means making a difference to a child. Make a difference and give a good foundation to an LD child

---

Please use the form below to comment on this page:

Name:
Email Address:	(kept private)
Comments:
Let me know if my message is replied to:	yes
Please enter the digits 513 in the box. This keeps away spam robots:

PHP Warning: Unknown(): Unable to load dynamic library 'C:\Program Files\HSphere\3rdparty\PHP\PHP5\ext\php_curl.dll' - The specified module could not be found. in Unknown on line 0 PHP Warning: Unknown(): Unable to load dynamic library 'C:\Program Files\HSphere\3rdparty\PHP\PHP5\ext\php_gd2.dll' - The specified module could not be found. in Unknown on line 0 PHP Warning: Unknown(): Unable to load dynamic library 'C:\Program Files\HSphere\3rdparty\PHP\PHP5\ext\php_mysql.dll' - The specified module could not be found. in Unknown on line 0