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Resources for Supporting Learners with Disabilities - Digital Promise

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Explore how real-life discipline scenarios could be handled in alternate ways and consider the benefits of different approaches.

Educators for Social Responsibility worked hard along with the Bronx Design and Construction Academy to build a justice-oriented framework for handling behavioral issues in school. Some of the key ideas involved in their restorative justice campaign include taking a three-tiered approach that begins with preventative measures, active student input and open dialogue.

Every school is different, but, in any setting, students benefit from the opportunity to actively think through realistic disciplinary situations and consider different ways of handling them. The role-playing activities in this toolkit will allow your students to do just that and to engage in open, sophisticated reflection about the benefits of different ways of dealing with school discipline.

Essential Questions

1. What is discipline?

2. What is justice?

3. What is restoration?

4. What are the most just or fair ways to handle disciplinary issues in school?

Procedure

1. View one or more of the following videos to familiarize yourself further with restorative justice:

2. Explain to your students that you will be talking about restorative justice, a method of handling behavioral issues that might arise in schools or communities. Ask your class what "justice" means to them, and explain that for the purposes of this lesson, you will be talking about justice both in terms of fairness and in terms of righting wrongs. Discuss how your students see these issues as relevant in their school and community. If necessary, provide them with the Joey story from "Restoring Justice" to help them begin brainstorming.

3. After you have come up with a working definition of "justice," follow the same procedure for the word "restorative." Get students to the point of understanding what restorative justice is: a system of righting wrongs that aims at solving problems and moving forward rather than punishing or simply preventing future repetition.

4. Solicit some student examples of disciplinary issues in school that they feel have been handled with and without student input. Explain that a key element of restorative justice is that consequences happen with adults and students in active dialogue. Explain that restorative justice aims to repair, or restore, the student's sense of self (self-restoration) as well as their relationship to peers and the community (social restoration). Break students into pairs to discuss times they might have had to do such restoration, at home or school, even if they didn't have a name for it.

5. Allow students to watch one or more of the following videos to help them get a sense of what restorative justice can look like. Give them time to discuss what they have seen. (Note: Be sure to preview videos in advance to ensure they are appropriate for your students.)

6. Break students into small groups and give each group one of the role-playing scenarios and the Get Started Using Restorative Inquiry handout (taken from "Restoring Justice"). Instruct groups to plan two different ways to role-play their scenario: once illustrating a punitive approach, once with a restorative justice approach.

7. Allow students plenty of time to act out their scenarios with their classmates as the audience.

8. Bring your class back together, and have them share thoughts and ideas that came up during the role-playing. Ask students to write independently in journals about the following questions:

9. How do you think restorative justice is beneficial to students, schools and communities?

10. What elements of restorative justice seem particularly challenging, especially in your school context?

11. Describe a situation from your home or school when you think a restorative justice approach might have been beneficial.

12. If there is additional time, have students come up with their own, realistic scenarios to role-play. These can be fictional or draw upon real recent situations.

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Explore how real-life discipline scenarios could be handled in alternate ways and consider the benefits of different approaches. Educators for Social Responsibility worked hard along with the Bronx Design and Construction Academy to build a justice-oriented framework for handling behavioral issues in school.

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Accommodating Students with Dyslexia in All Classroom Settings

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The International Dyslexia Association prepared this fact sheet describing reasonable accommodations involving materials, interactive instruction, and student performance to help children with learning problems in general education and special education classrooms.

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Copyright ©2020 * All rights reserved | AbilityPath is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 94-1156502)

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Teaching students about disabilities doesn't have to be as hard as we make it out to be. From a young age, curious children are being sent the wrong message about those who look, think, and act differently from them. Therefore, as they grow up, many don't know how to interact properly with or treat the disabled. Educating students about different types of disabilities, some of which their peers may have or will have in the future, is extremely beneficial not only to the individual student but also to those with disabilities.
Resources
It can be quite a daunting task to teach students about disabilities. However, it isn't something you have to do on your own, as there are more resources available on the internet than you may think.
Lesson Plans
Leaders 4SC Forces: Leaders 4SC provides a variety of Task Forces that provoke students to think critically about key issues as they roleplay as decision-makers and brainstorm well-detailed solutions. Each Task Force comes with step-by-step instructions, Google slide templates to be used with virtual breakout rooms, and topic-specific questions to get students started. The activities can be completed either individually or as part of a group. Some relevant Task Forces are Resource Allocation for Special Needs Program, Licensing Parents, and Designer Babies Rules and Regulations.
Articles
20 Ways to Teach Non-Disabled Kids About Their Disabled Peers : A Day in Our Shoes published a useful article, which recommends various articles and lesson plans for teaching students about disabilities. (Some of the resources may overlap with those provided above or below.) The article is mostly geared towards parents who want to bring disability awareness to their children's schools, but the resources provided are useful for anyone wanting to teach about disabilities in the classroom!
Informational Sites
Invisible Disabilities: List and General Information : Disabled World published a page about invisible disabilities, which are not always fully recognized in the disability community. This page provides information explaining how some disabilities can be invisible to the human eye and a list of some invisible disabilities, including chronic pain, mental illness, fibromyalgia, lupus, lyme disease, endometriosis, etc. If students or teachers want to learn more about some of these invisible disabilities, Disabled World provides links to pages specifically relating to an individual disability.
Conclusion
One of the most important things to remember when teaching students about this tough subject is to put an important emphasis on having empathy. Empathy is "the experience of understanding another person's thoughts, feelings, and condition from his or her point of view, rather than from one's own" (Psychology Today). Though the majority of students will (hopefully) never be able to fully grasp the true feeling of what it is like to have a disability, they should be encouraged to put themselves in a disabled person's shoes. Though they're not easy shoes to fill, considering having a life with a disability may cause students to have more of an overall understanding of the subject and what some around them face each day.
Additional Resources

1. Understanding Disabilities : Teaching Tolerance provides a lesson plan allowing students to research an assigned disability, discuss the basic facts and main challenges someone with the disability overcomes each day, and learn how to communicate sensitively with someone who has a disability.

2. Learning to Give: This website provides various lesson plans about disabilities for students of all ages. Lessons about overcoming disabilities with adaptations, sensitivity and philanthropy, respecting those with disabilities and various cultural backgrounds, and more are accessible through this site.

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Teaching About Disability - Educators 4 Social Change

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IntroductionTeaching students about disabilities doesn't have to be as hard as we make it out to be. From a young age, curious children are being sent the wrong message about those who look, think, and act differently from them. Therefore, as they grow up, many don't know how to interact...

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Are you a parent or teacher with students who have learning differences? Children with ADHD, reading disabilities, dyslexia and other disorders can experience more struggle than their peers. They may have difficulty performing tasks, focusing on lessons, remembering concepts and adapting to changing routines.

Fortunately, you can help students who are struggling. Here's how to support a child with learning difficulties in school.

1. Use Chunking Technique

According to Harvard psychologist George Miller, people can only handle between five and nine pieces of information at a time. Chunking, however, is a learning technique that allows you to take advantage of long-term memory and handle more concepts.

Teachers can aid students in the learning process by breaking down lessons into small chunks that build upon one another. Each block should reference material from previous ones to connect concepts and utilize repetition.

For example, if students must read a long chapter for the night's homework, you can divide it into manageable sections, and end each with a task where the student summarizes what they read. After reading the entire chapter, have them reread each summary.

VIDEO: A Teaching Technique for Teachers of Students with Learning Disabilities

2. Organize Information Visually

Many students with learning difficulties process information visually. Teachers and parents can use those skills with comprehending lessons. For instance, after reading a chapter in a book, ask the student to draw a picture representing what they read.

You can also take advantage of visual organizers to help students process their thoughts. When the class reads a novel, have them chart out a cause-and-effect organizer. The effect is the big event in the story, the climax where everything comes to resolution. The causes are what led to that event and made it happen. ( Cause and Effect Chart: https://prnt.sc/stutol).

3. Appeal to Multiple Senses

To improve comprehension and retention when studying, incorporate multiple senses.

For children who are visual learners, you can try:

Hanging up pictures and setting up models

Highlighting information in different colors

Asking students to create lesson-based art

For those who prefer audio-based lessons, you can:

Listen to books on tape or read aloud

Watch a video with accompanying audio

Utilize rhymes, chants and language games

Some kids are kinesthetic learners, those who learn through:

Lessons with finger paints, puzzles or sand

Modeling objects or designs in clay

Using small objects to represent numbers

Tactile teaching involves the sense of touch, such as:

Pairing counting with clapping or other movements

Using a highlighter to color-code passages while reading

Manipulating materials, like blocks, to visualize a scene

4. Personalize Online Tutoring

Outside of the classroom, online tutoring can mimic in-person sessions and help students solidify their understanding of certain concepts. Before the meeting occurs, students can upload materials, including previous quizzes, tests, and homework. The tutor can then review them and bring along any additional items that may prove helpful.

With personalized tutoring, students can ask questions and receive feedback that meets their specific needs. Online professionals are well-versed in adapting their strategies to students with learning disabilities. Despite sessions taking place on the computer, kids can still use text chat, write on a virtual whiteboard, share their screen and record lessons to review later.

5. Incorporate Mnemonics

Mnemonics are techniques that help students understand and organize the information they read through visual and audio cues. They typically rely on the use of keywords, rhymes and acronyms. For example, most of us learned about the Great Lakes in school with the mnemonic device HOMES - Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Eerie, Superior.

Don't use an acronym for all concepts. Instead, pick out keywords you can relate to visuals. For example, the scientific name for the common frog is Ranidae. The keyword you pick out might be "rain." To help students remember the name, you can show a picture of frogs hopping in the rain.

Cater to Every Student in the Classroom

If you want to learn how to help students with learning disabilities, follow the strategies above. By adjusting how you present topics and provide information you can ease their anxiety and encourage their quest for lifelong learning.

About the Author: Alyssa Abel is an experiential education writer who covers a variety of topics from learning styles to emerging methodologies. Read more of her work on her blog, Syllabusy.

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Strategies For Teaching Children With Learning Disabilities

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Learn the strategies and how to help a child with learning difficulties in school. Use these tips to encourage their quest for lifelong learning.

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Read the latest blog articles to stay up to date on news from Chicago Public Schools.

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Special Need & Education Resources for Educators - TeacherVision

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Special education curriculum strategies, classroom management, and resources for students with different learning needs. We’ll help you figure out ways to create an inclusive classroom, adapt, and supplement your classroom materials.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience more obstacles in their path to success than the average student. The symptoms of ADHD, such as inability to pay attention, difficulty sitting still, and difficulty controlling impulses, can make it hard for children with this diagnosis to do well in school.

To meet the needs of children with ADHD, schools may offer

ADHD treatments, such as behavioral classroom management or organizational training;

Special education services; or

Accommodations to lessen the effect of ADHD on their learning.

Classroom Treatment Strategies for ADHD Students

There are some school-based management strategies shown to be effective for ADHD students: behavioral classroom management and organizational training.

The behavioral classroom management approach encourages a student's positive behaviors in the classroom, through a reward systems or a daily report card, and discourages their negative behaviors. This teacher-led approach has been shown to influence student behavior in a constructive manner, increasing academic engagement. Although tested mostly in elementary schools, behavioral classroom management has been shown to work students of all ages.

Organizational training teaches children time management, planning skills, and ways to keep school materials organized in order to optimize student learning and reduce distractions. This management strategy has been tested with children and adolescents.

These two management strategies require trained staff-including teachers, counselors, or school psychologists-follow a specific plan to teach and support positive behavior.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that the school environment, program, or placement is a part of any ADHD treatment plan. AAP also recommends teacher-administered behavior therapy as a treatment for school-aged children with ADHD. You can talk to your child's healthcare provider and teachers about working together to support your child.

Special Education Services and Accommodations

Most children with ADHD receive some school services, such as special education services and accommodations. There are two laws that govern special services and accommodations for children with disabilities:

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

The support a child with ADHD receives at school will depend on if they meet the eligibility requirements for one of two federal plans funded by IDEA and Section 504: an individualized education program (IEP) or a 504 Plan.

What are the main differences between the two Plans?

IEPs provide individualized special education services to meet the unique needs of the child.

A 504 Plan provides services and changes to the learning environment to meet the needs of the child as adequately as other students.
Learn more about IEP and 504 Plans [PDF - 2.75 MB]
Accommodations

IEP and 504 Plans can offer accommodations for students to help them manage their ADHD, including:

Extra time on tests;

Instruction and assignments tailored to the child;

Positive reinforcement and feedback;

Using technology to assist with tasks;

Allowing breaks or time to move around;

Changes to the environment to limit distraction; and

Extra help with staying organized.

There is limited information about which types of accommodations are effective for children with ADHD. However, there is evidence that setting clear expectations, providing immediate positive feedback, and communicating daily with parents through a daily report card can help.

What Teachers Can Do To Help

For teachers, helping children manage their ADHD symptoms can present a challenge. Most children with ADHD are not enrolled in special education classes, but do need extra assistance on a daily basis. The National Resource Center on ADHD provides information for teachers from experts on how to help students with ADHD.

Here are some tips for classroom success.

Communication

Give frequent feedback and attention to positive behavior;

Be sensitive to the influence of ADHD on emotions, such as self-esteem issues or difficulty regulating feelings;

Provide extra warnings before transitions and changes in routines; and

Understand that children with ADHD may become deeply absorbed in activities that interest them (hyper-focus) and may need extra assistance shifting their attention.

Assignments and Tasks

Make assignments clear-check with the student to see if they understand what they need to do;

Provide choices to show mastery (for example, let the student choose among written essay, oral report, online quiz, or hands-on project;

Make sure assignments are not long and repetitive. Shorter assignments that provide a little challenge without being too hard may work well;

Allow breaks-for children with ADHD, paying attention takes extra effort and can be very tiring;

Allow time to move and exercise;

Minimize distractions in the classroom; and

Use organizational tools, such as a homework folder, to limit the number of things the child has to track.

Develop a Plan That Fits the Child

Observe and talk with the student about what helps or distracts them (for example, fidget tools, limiting eye contact when listening, background music, or moving while learning can be beneficial or distracting depending on the child);

Communicate with parents on a regular basis; and

Involve the school counselor or psychologist.

Close collaboration between the school, parents, and healthcare providers will help ensure the child gets the right support.

Parent Education and Support

CDC funds the National Resource Center on ADHD (NRC), a program of Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). The NRC provides resources, information, and advice for parents on how to help their child. Learn more about their services.

How to best advocate for your child

Understand your child's diagnosis, how it impacts their education, and what can be done at home to help.

Understand your child's IEP. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask.

Speak with your child's teacher.

When possible, obtain written documentation from teachers, administrators, or other professionals working with your child.

Know your rights.

Play an active role in preparing your child's IEP or 504 Plan.

Keep careful records, including written documentation, communication between home and school, progress reports, and evaluations.

Try to maintain a good working relationship with the school while being a strong advocate for your child.

Communicate any concerns you may have about your child's progress or IEP or 504 Plan.

Encourage your child every day, and work with your child to create a system to help with homework and other school projects.

What every parent should know

More Information

Reference

1. Evans S, Owens J, Bunford N. Evidence-based psychosocial treatments for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology 2014;43(4):527-551 [Read overview]

2. DuPaul GJ, Chronis-Tuscano A, Danielson ML, Visser SN. Predictors of receipt of school services in a national sample of youth with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders Published online December 10, 2018. [Read summary]

3. Harrison JR, Bunford N, Evans SW, Owens JS. Educational accommodations for students with behavioral challenges: A systematic review of the literature. Review of Educational Research 2013;83(4):551-97.

4. Moore DA, Russell AE, Matthews J, Ford TJ, Rogers M, Ukoumunne OC, et al. School-based interventions for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review with multiple synthesis methods. Review of Education. Published online October 18, 2018.

5. https://chadd.org/for-parents/individuals-with-disabilities-education-act/

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To meet the needs of children with ADHD, schools may offer ADHD treatments, special education services, or accommodations to lessen the effect of ADHD on their learning.

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Digital Promise is an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit organization that aims that contains information such as technology tools, and resources to work with a wide range of students with disabilities.
Since, the world in education has evolved tremendously due to COVID, especially in learning abilities, this site provides direction on hybrid learning information, and webinars that steer educational leaders in a direction that accommodates all, especially in a safe setting. It is also a major element in providing information on a spectrum of learning disabilities AND abilities.
Digital Promise has several options on it's homepage, that include the projects that have been done, research, networking, and the learning that is done. One can easily navigate through the site and get accessible knowledge and content on what the site is aiming for.
One of it's most notary options on the site is lessons and resources based off of reinventing the classroom with three technological sites that build on learner performance, and progress. AS many students are transitioning to Ipads, Chromebooks, and etc, having websites that are supportive and helpful is something Digital Promise prides itself on.

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Toolkit is a resource and guide to implement restorative justice practices, and partner with communities to provide informative guides on cultural unity and equality.  It is a resource for not only educators, but students to connect and learn on the many ways they can revolutionize the educational system that has gone against minorities.
This site provides articles, guides, lessons, films, webinars, frameworks, and reflections that aim to provide the necessary guidance and tools for all seeking engagement.
As one navigates through the site, they come across options such as classroom resources, professional development, and magazine/publications to dive into the information on teaching "anti-bias," education to all levels of education.
The site explores on building literacy and socio-emotional skills that prepare the youth on understanding the expectations of social justice standards.  It also explores the many ways students can become engaged in the classroom, and explains how to reach students and amplify their voices.

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Reading Rockets is a website that focuses on students with Dyslexia and how to provide a safe and inclusive classroom for them.
It goes in depth on the various methods and support educators can do in order to help students with dyslexia. Reading Rockets also goes over various accommodations that can be used such as, teaching with a recorder, provide a copy of the lecture, or writing key points and words on the board.
The site even breaks down a systematic step guide on how to target the disability and understanding what steps must be taken in order to help the student.
In addition, the site explains why the resources given can be detrimental in a students learning progress. Given that a classroom is diverse and has a wide range of learning abilities, by focusing on dyslexia it can uplift all students progress, and focus on students improvement.

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Ability Path is the ultimate resource center that works with different businesses, organizations, and community groups that aim to help students with disabilities. The site discusses about education readiness programs, IEP's, and growth charts for students.
Every article that is provided on the site details the importance of inclusivity and progression of students with disabilities. Articles such as, "The IEP: Addressing Bullying with a Child's IEP," and "What are Designated Instructional Services (DIS)," provide insight on services, and informative research to give students with disability the upmost support and tools to succeed.
Articles and information such as this site is to bring about awareness, and bridge the community to an understanding and attentive light on students with disabilities. Ability Path also aims for parents and guardians to engage learning outside of the classroom, and that there are opportunities for their children.

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Educators 4 Social Change discusses the social and educational change teachers must make for students with disabilities. It is a site that enforces teachers to accommodate their classrooms, and provide opportunities for ALL students to succeed.
The site goes over diverse lesson plans that cover various disabilities, and the methods teachers can shift to in order for perception and grasp of understanding from students.
It also provides various articles that divulge in useful facts, information, and centers that have additional information on students with disabilities.
Through teachers giving insight on classroom settings, and their own experiences bridges the teacher community to provide classrooms that are engaging and perceptive. The lesson plans, and the instructions evokes awareness and understanding on dealing with various learning abilities.

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Strategies For Teaching Children with Learning Disabilities is pretty much straight forward information presented in an organized way. The website provides visual aids such as pictures, links to charts, and videos to help educators find representations of said strategies.
The site numerates different strategies and resources educators can use and the reasons why they are helpful. It explains how it's important to have personalized tutoring, how to effectively appeal to students with various needs.
One of the most detailed point in this website is the importance of having categories and intentional approaches to learning. For instance, the need to organize the material based on the visuals provided in class or the need to appeal to the senses.
Through the five strategies the author presents, an educator is given insight to ways to expand the inclusivity of the class. It is also filled with various tabs that hold a platform for blogs and other related topics that an educator can navigate to become more informed.

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Chicago Public Schools have incorporated this idea of learning through the lens of Restorative Justice or otherwise known in educational psychology as a social reconstructive approach. This idea stems from the notion that the restoration lies with people and a system.
Through this, staff and students alike adopt a mindset that helps them amend, fortify, and question relationships in a manner that is useful and reconstructive. This guide and toolkit provides insight into the process of making meaningful connections in the classroom through the Multi-Tier Support Systems and having an inclusive classroom. It also allows for educators and staff to understand the scope of Restorative Practices, where it stems, why it's important and most important how to incorporate and implement into the curriculum and lesson plans.

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Special Need and Education Resources for Grades K-12 does exactly what the title states. This website opens with a section with three compartments. The first being a a guide to create opportunities for appropriate social behavior, followed by a suggestion on the best ways to support students with special needs, and lastly a resource to prepare for an IEP meeting.
This site also includes different article links that allow the audience to explore in a more meaningful and detailed way the topics that we are most interested in. Such is the case for those educators or staff members that would like to learn about behavior, or curriculum resources. The site has a summary on what special education is and, again, it's followed by the five other subcategories that allow for educators to support students by being informed.
This site not only helps educators but it aims and giving families an insight into what special education is and how staff and professions prepare to accommodate students in the general education classroom. More importantly, it provides worksheets, references, and teacher resources at the bottom of the page so that it is accessible to all who come across this site.

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The CDC gives one of the most simple and straight forward overview of what it means to have ADHD and being a student. This website gives not only educators, but the general public a description on ADHA in the classroom. It goes on to describe characteristics of students who have ADHD and the resources both the family and the teachers have to help the student succeed.
This site also helps families understand what the plans their students have in the classroom instruction, either through an IEP or 504, students are able to be given accommodations in their education. It also gives a link for those who wish to be informed on the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan are.
The site provides a list of different communication, assignment tasks, and plans educators have in order to approach the students' education in the appropriate way. Something unique about this website is that it give parents a list of things they can do to become more vocal advocates about their child and their needs, and it includes links to pdf articles for parents to view laws that applies to them and their families.

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This article focused on the importance of not misinterpreting students' lack of comprehension with disabilities. The authors highlight the various factors that ELL (emergent bilinguals) students, and how language factors might lead to misdiagnosing a student who is emerging into a new language to have learning disabilities.
The study also highlighted how important MTSS and RTI are to helping differentiate students who need academic support to those who need special educational approaches. It discussed a new concept called Management Development Program (MDP) which allows for educators and school sites to reinforce and push forward MTSS/ RTI in elementary settings.