The pain that a troubled child causes is never greater than the pain that he feels. ~Rick Lavoie 1

What do ALL students need? 1. To understand and value learning goals* 2. To understand the learning process* 3. To be actively involved in their learning 4. Learning goals that relate to their interests and choices 5. Instruction matched to learning styles and strengths* 6. To see learning modeled by adults as exciting and rewarding 2

What do ALL students need? To experience success* To have time to integrate learning* Receive realistic and immediate feedback Involvement in evaluating their learning Appropriate rewards for performance gains A supportive, safe, well-organized learning environment 3

We all have ways we learn better… What’s your “style” or styles? How might your learning styles impact your teaching style? 4

Some students need more… Two Laws You Need to Know IDEA 2004 Chapter 14: Special Education in PA Refers to 13 types of identified disabilities that are entitled to an individualized plan (IEP) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act Reasonable accommodations for disabilities that interfere with at least one “major life activity” 5

The Fact is… Almost ½ of children with IEPs have IEPs for a Learning Disability ! 6 Speech/Language Impairment ~ Learning Disability~ Intellectual Disability~ Hearing Impairment~ Visual Impairment ~ Other Health Impairment ~ Physical Disability ~ Autism ~ Emotional/Behavior Disorder ~ Multiple Disabilities ~ Deaf/Blindness ~Traumatic Brain Injury ~Gifted & Talented

How do we know it’s a learning disability? Discrepancy Model Response to Intervention Model

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9 How Difficult Can This Be?

10 How Difficult Can This Be? How well did you perform the activities? What was “easy”? “difficult”? How did your performance make you feel? How do you think it would it feel to be challenged this way when it seems “everybody else” isn’t?

How Difficult Can This Be? “ The F.A.T. City Workshop” 11

As you watch: Note your own feelings as you watch the participants How does a learning disability impact a child’s ability to engage in classroom experiences? How does it impact a child’s behavior? Look for concepts and ideas that can help you support students with possible behavior and academic challenges Forgive the shoulder pads and giant frames… 12