Teaching Learning Disabled Students

Thoughts of classmate Emily Wachsman (2010)

The focus on prevention seems to be a common thread with

many of the disorders we have talked about. The focus on

prevention, at least on paper, seems to make our jobs a heck

of a lot more difficult. There are a lot of disorders out

there that we will encounter. That is a lot of information to

keep track of and stay on top of; it’s no wonder teachers

feel so inadequately prepared to deal with learning disabled

students. It’s overwhelming! However, as I read more about

different aspects of learning disabilities, I am becoming

convinced that we don’t know how to effectively treat and

teach to each individual disorder. The common element seems

to call for teacher understanding and acceptance that each

student is going to have their own unique hurdles to

overcome. Being accepting and finding ways to work with kids

on an individual basis will work regardless of their

exceptionalities; it is at least a positive and nurturing

place to start when working with kids. As time goes on,

certainly we can find things that work specifically for kids

that may need some more specialized help. When I think about

it this way, I don’t worry as much about how I will ever be

able to manage teaching students successfully.