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Teaching Students With Learning Disabilities

A Step-by-Step Guide for Educators

By: Roger Pierangelo, George Giuliani

Discover how to effectively meet the needs of students with learning disabilities!

Learning disabilities (LD) vary with each student, and teaching strategies for learners with LD must be responsive to individual differences. Aligned with the reauthorization of IDEA 2004, this step-by-step guide presents a comprehensive look at LD and discusses appropriate academic instruction, behavioral interventions, and classroom accommodations. General and special education teachers will find a glossary of terms and key topics such as:

Promoting positive social interactions
IEP development and educational placement options
Postsecondary education options, vocational assessments, and other transition services
The role of Response to Intervention (RTI)

Full description

Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781412916011
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2008
Page Count: 192
Publication date: May 29, 2008

Price: $39.95

Description

This book is a featured text in a Canter graduate course, Supporting Students With Learning Disabilities: Strategies for Success K-6.

"Provides the reader with a very clear understanding of the student with learning disabilities. This book addresses in detail all the possible processing weaknesses and provides strategies to help a student access the general education curriculum. It's something you can pick up, locate valuable information in, and refer to time and again."
—Esther M. Eacho, Special Education Teacher
Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

Discover how to effectively meet the needs of students with learning disabilities!

Learning disabilities (LD) vary with each student, and teaching strategies for learners with LD must be responsive to individual differences. Written in an easy-to-read format by experts in special education, this step-by-step guide presents a comprehensive look at learning disabilities, such as cognitive or memory deficits, social-emotional problems, and dyslexia, and discusses appropriate academic instruction, behavioral interventions, and classroom accommodations for learners with LD.

Aligned with the reauthorization of IDEA 2004, this resource also covers communicating with parents, the school's responsibilities in the special education process, and legal issues for educators and parents. General and special education teachers will find numerous reproducible forms, a complete glossary of terms, and information on topics such as:

Promoting positive social interactions
IEP development and educational placement options
Postsecondary education options, vocational assessments, and other transition services
The role of Response to Intervention (RTI)

Teaching Students With Learning Disabilities provides an invaluable set of tools to help teachers create a positive learning environment and foster a sense of belonging for all learners.

Key features

Developmental, step-by-step approach takes the reader through a variety of topics and procedures necessary for a realistic awareness of issues faced by teachers in working with parents of children with special needs
Written in an easy-to-read format, the book contains a wealth of tried-and-true suggestions drawing on the author's extensive experiences
The material is presented in such a way that it allows teachers to utilize its content to help provide parents with the most appropriate information and skills available during the special education process
The focus is on more practical and commonly required issues, avoiding any material that may be obscure and meaningless
Useful information can be immediately applied to the variety of experiences faced by those who work and live with children with disabilities
Contains an in-depth explanation of the school's responsibilities in the special education process
Legal concerns that need to be shared with parents and that all special educators need to know are addressed during and carefully discussed
Step-by-step explanations of the responsibilities and requirements involved in the IEP are spelled out so that teachers can explain this important piece to parents
Numerous reproducible forms

Author(s)

Roger Pierangelo

Roger Pierangelo is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education and Literacy at Long Island University. He has been an administrator of special education programs and served for eighteen years as a permanent member of Committees on Special Education. He has over thirty years of experience in the public school system as a general education classroom teacher and school psychologist, and is a consultant to numerous private and public schools, PTAs, and SEPTA groups. Pierangelo has also been an evaluator for the New York State Office of Vocational and Rehabilitative Services and a director of a private clinic. He is a New York State licensed clinical psychologist, certified school psychologist, and a Board Certified Diplomate Fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychology and Forensic Psychology. Pierangelo is currently president of The National Association of Special Education Teachers, executive director of The American Academy of Special Education Professionals, and vice-president of The National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education.

Pierangelo earned his BS degree from St. John's University, his MS from Queens College, Professional Diploma from Queens College, PhD from Yeshiva University, and Diplomate Fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychology and Forensic Psychology from the International College of Professional Psychology. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, New York State Psychological Association, Nassau County Psychological Association, New York State Union of Teachers, and Phi Delta Kappa.

Pierangelo is the coauthor of numerous books, including The Big Book of Special Education Resources and The Step-by-Step Book Series for Special Educators.

George Giuliani

George Giuliani is an assistant professor at Hofstra University's School of Education and Allied Health and Human Services, in the Department of Counseling, Research, Special Education, and Rehabilitation. He is the executive director of the National Association of Special Education Professionals, president of the National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education (NAPCSE), vice-president of the National Association of Special Education Teachers, and an educational consultant for various school districts. He has provided numerous workshops for parents and teachers on a variety of special education and psychological topics.

Giuliani earned Board Certification as a Diplomate Fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychology and Forensic Psychology from the International College of Professional Psychology. Giuliani is also a New York State licensed psychologist, certified school psychologist, and has an extensive private practice focusing on children with special needs. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, New York State Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, Suffolk County Psychological Association, Psi Chi, American Association of University Professors, and the Council for Exceptional Children. Giuliani earned his BA from the College of the Holy Cross, MS from St. John's University, JD from City University Law School, and PsyD from Rutgers University, The Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.

Giuliani is the coauthor of numerous books, including The Big Book of Special Education Resources and The Step-by-Step Book Series for Special Educators.

Table of Contents

Dedications

About the Authors

Preface

1. Overview of Learning Disabilities

IDEA Definition of a Specific Learning Disability

Overview of Specific Learning Disabilities

Key Facts About Learning Disabilities

Causes of a Specific Learning Disability

Age of Onset for Specific Learning Disabilities

Gender Features for Specific Learning Disabilities

Cultural Features for Specific Learning Disabilities

Familial Patterns for Specific Learning Disabilities

Co-morbidity for Specific Learning Disabilities

Discrepancy in Diagnosing a Learning Disability

The Exclusionary Clause

Characteristics of Specific Learning Disabilities

Educational Implications of Specific Learning Disabilities

2. Characteristics of Children With Learning Disabilities

Overview

Academic Achievement Deficits

Language Deficits

Disorders of Attention

Achievement Discrepancy

Memory Deficits

Cognitive Deficits

Metacognition Deficits

Social-Emotional Problems

Nonverbal Learning Disorders (NLD)

Motivational and Attribution Problems

Perceptual Deficits

3. Types of Learning Disabilities

Auditory Processing Disorders

Dyscalculia (Arithmetic Disorder)

Dysgraphia (Writing Disorders)

Dyslexia (Reading Disorders)

Dysorthographia (Spelling Disorders)

Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (Nonverbal Learning Disorders or NLD)

Organizational Learning Disorders

Social Cue Disorder

Visual Processing Disorders

4. Eligibility Criteria for Learning Disabilities

Step I. Becoming Familiar With the Characteristics of Students With Specific Learning Disabilities

Step II. Determining the Procedures and Assessment Measures To Be Used

Step III. Determination of Eligibility for a Diagnosis of a Specific Learning Disability

5. Responsiveness to Intervention (RTI)

Overview of Responsiveness to Intervention (RTI)

Purpose of RTI

Importance of RTI

Is RTI a New Approach?

Core Principles of RTI

Rationale for Replacing the Discrepancy Model With RTI

Major Issues Related to the Use of the Concept of Achievement-Ability Discrepancy

Why RTI Was Considered in the Process of SLD Determination

The Role RTI Should Play in the Identification of Children With Specific Learning Disabilities

Can RTI Be Used as the Sole Determinant for SLD Classification?

In the Big Picture, How Does RTI Fit Into the Determination of LD Process?

Continuum of Intervention Support for At-Risk Students

Parent Involvement, An Important Component for Successful RTI Programs

Fidelity

The RTI Process for Teachers

What Teachers Need in Terms of Professional Development and RTI

6. Effective Teaching Strategies for Students With LD

Academic Instruction

Behavioral Interventions

Classroom Accommodations

7. Promoting Positive Social Interactions Among Students With and Without Learning Disabilities in an Inclusion Setting

Introduction

Review of Inclusion

Principles of Effective Inclusion

Why Are Social Skills Important?

Social-Cognitive Skill Development

The Role of Social Skills at School

Strategies to Foster a Sense of Belonging in the Inclusion Classroom

Creating a Positive Inclusion Classroom Climate

Teaching Social Skills Through Role-Playing and Observation

The Inclusion Classroom Teacher's Power to Model Acceptance

Promoting Positive Social Interactions Among Students With and Without Learning Disabilities in an Inclusion Setting

8. IEP Development and Educational Placement Options for Students With Learning Disabilities

Overview of the IEP Committee

Members of the IEP Committee

Responsibilities of the IEP Committee

IDEA 2004 and IEP Committee Meeting: What to Know

Development of the Information Packet for Presentation to the IEP Committee

Required Forms

How Recommendations for Classification Are Made by the IEP Committee

Specific Educational Placement (LRE) Considerations According to IDEA 2004

Appealing the Decision of the IEP Committee

Other Roles of the IEP Committee

IEP Development

Components to Be Included in the IEP

Questions and Answers About the IEP Under IDEA 2004

9. Transition Services for Students With Learning Disabilities

The Transitional Process

The Intent of Transition Services

The Importance of Transition Services for Individuals With Learning Disabilities

The Introduction of Transition Services

The Individualized Transition Plan (ITP)

Transition Services

Special Considerations for Students With Learning Disabilities

Employment Services

Vocational Assessments

Leisure/Recreational Experiences

Advantages of Special Leisure Programs

Individual Concerns When Faced With Leisure Activities

Postsecondary Education Options

When to Begin College Planning

Understanding Legal Rights Pertaining to Postsecondary Education

Identifying the Desirable Characteristics of a College

Disability-Related Support Services

Assistive Technology

Glossary

References

Index

Reviews

"Provides the reader with a very clear understanding of the student with learning disabilities. This book addresses in detail all the possible processing weaknesses and provides strategies to help a student access the general education curriculum. It’s something you can pick up, locate valuable information in, and refer to time and again."

Esther M. Eacho, Special Education Teacher
Fairfax County Public Schools, VA

"This book provides numerous effective strategies that will help teachers meet a variety of student needs."

Alyssa M. Carter, Administrator of Federal Programs
Kuna Jt. School District No. 3, ID

"A tool for the practitioner looking for reasons and interventions. This should be on every principal's book shelf. Even parents could really benefit from reading about the journey they will be taking with their child."

Janette Bowen, Sixth-Grade Special Education Teacher
Junction City Middle School, KS

Other Titles in: Learning Disabilities | Special Education Instruction

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