Get Some Numbers Down

Percentages of students with LDs likely to be a part of a general education setting in:
Language arts: roughly 50% Math: 62% Science: 74% Social Studies: 71% Foreign language: 90%

94% of students with LDs take at least one general education class per semester. 80% take one or more. 87% of students with LDs have few to none actual curriculum modifications. (Institute of Education Sciences)

Teachers, Step it Up!

Loiacono and Valenti found that teachers usually have low expectations for students with severe disabilities. They do believe, however, that proper training and experience would change these expectations. (Loiacono) After the implementation of PL94-142, inclusion did not receive support from all educators. Rheams and Bain found that this was due, again, to things such as past experience and success in teaching students with LDs. (Rheams) William Niles notes that teachers are outright scared that they wont have the ability to provide complete access to both the curriculum and activities for students with LDs. (Niles)

How We Help Both Students and Teachers

A proper inclusive classroom can provide:
a. the tools students with a variety of learning differences need to be successful in class b. the support teachers need to increase their general and personal teaching efficacy

Aims and Goals

Focus on your class Focus on key ideas
Learn about the skills, interests, and struggles of all your students
Make sure students know what will be expected of them in class. Set both long- and short-term goals. Target multiple learning preferences and styles.

Focus on presentation

Focus on assessment of strategies

Vary types of assessments used- standardized instruments, criterion-reference tests, and authentic assessments. Offer a choice in each situation (Niles)

Aims and Goals

Minimize student movement
Create fixed desk placements and groups. Change placements each semester as you get to know your students and can predict what sort of groups will be most beneficial. Pick a queue for transitions. Such as a bell or music. (ie. When the music begins, you get up to go to your next task. When it ends, make sure you are seated and ready to begin)
Offer an incomplete outline/reflection page for each student at the beginning of each class Have students with specialized roles (ie. Monitors for attendance, etc.) (Niles)

Minimize transition time

Minimize start-up problems

Aims and Goals

Maximize teacher movement, interaction, and assessment
Make the room set-up, physically comfortable for students but also fully accessible to the teacher(s) so that they can easily help, demonstrate, and observe Make sure groups are varied (ie. Learning ability, personal interests, gender, background) and have beneficial dynamics (ie. Place students who are struggling with students who seem to be able to help). This especially helps build an accepting environment for students with learning differences (Niles)

Maximize heterogeneous group assignments

Bibliography
Loiacono, V., & Valenti, V. (2010). General Education Teachers Need to Be Prepared to Co-Teach the Increasing Number of Children with Autism in Inclusive Settings. International Journal Of Special Education,25(3), 24-32. Newman, L., & National Center for Special Education Research (ED), W. C. (2006). General Education Participation and Academic Performance of Students with Learning Disabilities. Facts from NLTS2. NCSER 20063001. National Center For Special Education Research, Niles, W. J. (2005). Building a classroom management plan for inclusive environments: From fear to f.e.a.r..TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, 2(1), Rheams, T., & Bain, S. K. (2005). Social Interaction Interventions in an Inclusive Era: Attitudes of Teachers in Early Childhood Self-Contained and Inclusive Settings. Psychology In The Schools, 42(1), 53-63.