Learning disabled students are by definition are students who we believe
have the intellectual power to learn mathematics, put in the effort to do
so, have the appropriate background and study skills, and still fail. Their
achievement does not match their apparent aptitude. Testing can reveal
deficits in receiving information or processing information (but, in my
state, the cost must be born by the student unless it was done in their
pre-college education). Once documented as LD, my understanding is our
institutions are obligated by ADA to provide appropriate interventions to
help these students learn. Straightforward interventions include allowing
extra time on tests, allowing students to listen to music during an exam,
teaching multi-modally, encouraging students to take notes for each other
(photocopy or use pressure sensitive paper) so that those students who
simply cannot listen and take notes can still learn, distinguishing
directions from problems on tests with different colors/type faces, and so
on.
The most difficult scenario, in my opinion, involves those students who
have memory deficits (learning a multi-step algorithm is difficult if not
impossible) or reasoning deficits, particularly when abstract symbols are
involved. We have a provision where our core math requirement can be met
with a formal Logic course. This doesn't help a student with reasoning
deficits much but it is difficult to conceive of such a student making it
through the rest of the college curriculum anyway. I had a student this
semester who had a stroke six years ago. She could add fractions perfectly
one week and be starting over the next week. We know the cause of her
disability which seems to make it more legitimate. Other students
experience the same thing but can't point to a stroke as the cause.
We all have students who are whiners and who test our patience. We start to
think that anyone student who claims math anxiety or disability just needs
to change their attitude. I think it is a bit more complicated than that
for many students in this situation.
--Laura
____________________________________________________________________
Laura Bracken bracken@lcsc.edu
Division of Natural Science and Mathematics Office: 208-799-2484
Lewis-Clark State College Fax: 208-799-2064
500 8th Avenue
Lewiston, ID 83501
_____________________________________________________________________
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