Strategies for Working with Students with Disabilities

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Strategies for Working with Students with
Disabilities

• Sandi Patton
• North Harris Montgomery Community College
  District
• District Director of Disability Services
• July 30, 2007

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Workshop Objectives

• Upon completion of training, participants will
  have greater understanding of
• Legal Requirements
• Universal Design
• Overview of Types of Disabilities
• Basic Strategies and Resources
• Specific Disabilities and Tips
• Rights and Responsibilities

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Legal Considerations

• IDEA
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Section 508

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IDEA

• Provides free and appropriate public education in
  the least restrictive environment
• Entitlement

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Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973

• "No otherwise qualified individual with
• a disability shall, solely by reason of
• his/her disability, be excluded from
• the participation in, be denied the
• benefits of, or be subjected to
• discrimination under any program or
• activity of a public entity."

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Section 508Rehabilitation Act of 1973

• Section 508 establishes requirement that federal
  government, and by extension through the
  Assistive Technology Act of 1998 , state
  government also, procure information technology
  that is accessible.
• A revised version of Section 508 was approved in
  August, 1998 which makes strong recommendations
  for web accessibility
• Only covers federal agencies or state agencies
  that receive Tech Act funding

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Americans with Disabilities Act

• Extends coverage of Section 504 to employment,
  public and private educational institutions,
  transportation providers, telecommunication,
  regardless of presence of any federal funding.

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Universal Design

•  
• "The design of products and environments to be
  usable by all people, without the need for
  adaptation or specialized design ."

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Learn About Learning Styles

• Teaching Visual Learners
• Teaching Auditory Learners
• Teaching Kinesthetic Learners
• Applying Learning Styles Strategies for Students
  with Learning Disabilities
• Multi-Sensory Approaches

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Strategies to Help ALL Students

• Remember that strategies that help students
  with disabilities typically benefit ALL of the
  students in your class!

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Organization and Technology Pave the Way

• Everyone benefits from outlines, copies of
  overheads.
• Technology can remove the barrier for some types
  of learning disabilities
• Optical Character Recognition with Voice Output
• Voice Activation
• E-text and Electronic Access
• Digital Tape Recorders

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Treat Each Student as an Individual

• Invite Disclosure
• Remember that Each Student is Unique
• Talk Privately with Each Student about Individual
  Needs
• Discuss with the Student How to Best Accommodate
  Needs and How Accommodations will be Implemented

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Build Your Support Team

• YOU know the essential requirements of the course
• The STUDENT knows his/her limitations, based upon
  disability
• Your DSO COUNSELOR knows the accommodations
  needed for access
• RESOURCES, both at the college and in the
  community, can provide supplemental support

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Working with Disability Services Office at your
Campus

• Your colleges Disability Services Office will
  determine what accommodations are appropriate for
  the students with disabilities who are in your
  class and can assist you with implementation
  strategies.

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Other Resources

• Assistive Technology Lab
• Learning Center
• Assessment Center
• Community Resources
• Websites

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SPECIFIC DISABILITIES

• Tips for Success

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Disabilities

• Learning Differences (including LD and ADHD)
• Blindness and Low Vision
• Deafness and Hard of Hearing
• Psychiatric Disabilities
• Mobility Disabilities
• Other Orthopedic Disabilities
• CP, MD, MS, amputees, arthritis, etc.
• Chronic Health Disabilities

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Typical Accommodations for Students with
DisabilitiesThere are NO Typical
AccommodationsCase-by-Case Basis

• Examples of Possible Accommodations
• Extended Time for Testing
• Exams in Assessment Center
• Use of E-text for Textbooks and Exams
• Notes, Copy of Overheads, Tape Recorder
• Use of Technology for Reading or Writing
• Use of Calculator, Color Coding
• EXCEPT WHEN THESE ARE THE SKILLS THAT YOU ARE
  EVALUATING AND THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE
  CURRICULUM

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What is a Learning Disability ?

• A learning disability is a disorder of one or
  more cognitive processes and may impact a
  students ability to process reading, produce
  writing, and/or comprehend math. Additionally,
  executive functioning may be impacted.

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Tips for Working withStudents with Learning
Disabilities

• Incorporate elements of Universal Design into
  instruction.
• Plan ahead. Students with reading disabilities
  may need materials in an alternate format.
  Prepare syllabus, handouts, exams ahead of time.
• When possible, always use textbooks that have
  electronic texts available if needed.

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• Use multi-sensory approach in class.
• Provide outlines of lectures.
• Present lecture material in a sequential, logical
  manner (as appropriate).
• Invite students with disabilities to privately
  meet with you to discuss any special needs.
• Respect the confidentiality and dignity of each
  student.

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Tips for Working withStudents who are Blind

• Discuss impact of vision loss with student
• Organization and early planning are key
• Work closely with college resources to provide
  alternate formatting for print text, selecting
  when possible texts that publishers can provide
  in alternate format
• Use descriptive language
• Encourage the use of assistive technology
• Printed materials on computer disk, and/or on a
  Web page, and e-mail

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Special Tools and Techniques for Working with
Students who are Blind

• Audiotaped, Braille, or electronic notes,
  handouts, and texts
• Raised-line drawings and tactile models
• Braille signage and auditory warning signals
• Adaptive/assistive equipment ( talking
  thermometers and calculators tactile timers),
  Optical Character Recognition, speech output,
  Braille printer and refreshable Braille
• Increased time on tests, alternate formatting,
  Etests

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Tips for Working withStudents with Low Vision

• Impact of residual vision
• Seating near front of class good lighting
• Large print books, handouts, signs, and equipment
  labels
• CCTVs (including microscope magnification)
• Assignments in electronic format
• Software to enlarge screen images
• Software to adjust screen colors

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• Extended time for testing
• Tests broken into segments
• Magnification devices
• In-class assistant
• Note taker, tape recorder
• ETests

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Tips for Working withStudents who are Deaf

• Age of onset
• Sensory neural, conductive, mixed
• Oral vs. Sign
• American Sign Language
• Deaf Culture

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• Interpreter
• Captioning
• CART, Cprint, TypeWell
• Captioned videos
• Visual warning systems
• Identify speakers in the room and repeat what is
  said
• Note taking
• Face class when speaking
• Avoid backlights
• Speak directly to student

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Tips for Working withStudents who are Hard of
Hearing

• May use assistive listening devices
• Lip reading myths
• Types of accommodations
• Isolation
• Repeat as needed
• Face students
• Use visual aids
• Copy of overheads

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Tips for Working withStudents with Psychiatric
Disabilities

• All students must abide by student code of
  conduct
• Myths surrounding students with psychiatric
  disabilities
• Safe haven
• Emergency protocols

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Accommodations that may be Helpful

• Extended time for testing
• Exams in Assessment Center (separate room)
• Note taker, tape recorder
• May need to be excused from public speaking, if
  appropriate
• May need to leave room
• May need to bring water to class
• Medication may slow/alter thinking

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Tips for Working withStudents with Mobility
Disabilities

• Architectural barriers may be encountered
• May use mobility assistance (wheelchair, power
  chair, crutches
• Furniture may need adjusting to provide access
• If there are limited barriers, students may
  require minimal accommodations

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• Respect personal space, including chair
• Sit, kneel if talking for extended time
• Offer assistance, dont force it
• Report architectural barriers
• Dont presume disability handicap
• If disability impacts hands/arms also, additional
  accommodations may be needed

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Tips for Working withStudents with Orthopedic
Disabilities

• Needs vary greatly depending on students
  individual disability
• May or may not be visible
• May impact students ability to write, walk, sit
• May result in episodes of excessive pain
• Medication may result in altered patterns of
  thinking and/or behavior

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• Be aware that needs may vary, depending on
  flare-ups
• For hands/arms extended time for tests
• Extended time for tests
• Note taker/tape recorder
• Adaptive writing devices
• Assistive technology
• For legs/back/feet
• May need adjustable furniture
• May not tolerate extended sitting

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Tips for Working withStudents with Chronic
Health Disabilities

• Attendance issues may need addressing
• Distance education and independent learning can
  be option
• Health and disability challenges may fluctuate
• Discuss individual needs with student
• Be cognizant of accommodations that may be needed
  during flare-ups
• Consider options for make-up work, independent
  work, attendance considerations, and incompletes
  as appropriate

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Rights and ResponsibilitiesStudent

• Right to
• Be evaluated based on ability, not disability
• An equal opportunity to learn and to participate
  in and benefit from the academic community
• Appeal decisions concerning accommodations
• Responsibility to
• Self-Identify
• Provide documentation of disability
• Meet and maintain the institutions academic and
  technical standards and Code of Conduct

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Rights and ResponsibilitiesProfessor

• Right to
• Require ALL students to meet and maintain the
  institutions academic and technical standards
• Teach in an environment supportive of learning
  and free of disruption
• Responsibility to
• Comply with all aspects of The Rehabilitation Act
  of 1973 and ADA (as apply to higher education
• Refer students with disabilities who
  self-identify to DSO
• Implement reasonable accommodations that are
  prescribed by the DSO
• Maintain confidentiality when working with
  students with disabilities
• Treat every student with dignity and respect

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Rights and ResponsibilitiesDisability Services
Office

• Right to
• Require documentation of disability and need
  prior to making accommodations
• Require ALL students to meet and maintain the
  institutions academic and technical standards
• Work in an environment supportive of learning and
  free of disruption
• Responsibility to
• Comply with all aspects of Rehab Act of 1973 and
  the ADA, as apply to higher education.
• Maintain confidential records for students with
  disabilities
• Protect and maintain confidentiality
• Prescribe/support reasonable accommodations for
  students with disabilities