According to the U.S. Department of Education, the number of students receiving special education through federal programs rose from 3.7 million in 1976-1978 to 4.4 million in 1986-1987, a 19-percent increase. The number of students receiving services for learning disabilities, currently the largest category of handicap, increased by more than 140 percent.
A specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperpect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations. It is estimated that 2 percent of adolescents have some type of learning disability, making this the msot common type of handicap. Learning disabilities also include perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain disfunction, and dyslexia. The term does not include students who have learning problems that are fundamentally caused by visual, hearing, or motor handicaps, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
However, a controversy exists around the identification of learning disabled. Some specialists claim that at least half the students labeled as learning disabled could be more accurately labeled as slow learners, as students with second-language backgrounds, as students who misbehave in class, as those that absent often or move from school, or as average learners in above average school districts.
Another controversy exists surrounding what type of intervention program should be used to help learning disabled students. One concern that specialists at the secondary level have is the emphasis recent reforms have placed on academic goals. Secondary teachers working with learning disabled students will have to work harder to help these students keep up with the demands of the curriculum. One remedy is to balance the curriculum for learning disabled student with what is called a "functional" approach, in which students are taught life or living skills that will aid the student in employment opportunities beyond high school.
What can be done in the science classroom to help learning disabled students? Charles Coble and colleagues suggest that focusing on structure in the science classroom will benefit the learning disabled student. He suggest that structure is important because of the perceptual and cognitive difficulties that the learning disabled student has in being unable to mask out extraneous stimuli to deal with the task at hand. He suggests a number of ways to promote structure:
1. Establish a routine2. Limit-choices
3. Ensure that the student is attending
4. Give the student clues to facilitate remembering
5. Sequence instruction
6. Be specific in criticism and praise
7. Provide visible time clues
8. Confer with the LD teacher
9. Develop empathy
Science education has much to offer the learning disabled student. Providing a hands-on curriculum within the a structured environment can provide the twin needs of the learning disabled: struture and motivation. For example Coble outlines some ways to modify science instruction for some learning disabled characteristics (Figure 11.20).
LD
Student Characteristic Modification
in Science Classroom 1. The LD student
may lack coordination: drop equipment, cut self using
strippers. Use plastic
containers; teach use of wire strippers 2. Equpment and
material may distract the impulsive student. Clear desk of
extraneous equipment. Use one item at a time and collect
each after use. Package materials for activities that reduce
distractions. 3. Impressed with
the end-produce the LD student misses the scientific
concept. Ask questions which
emphasize cause-effect relatioships. Ask a series of
sequential questions. 4. LD student
generalizations may be incorrect. Anticipate possible
misconceptiions and discuss differences before errors are
made. 5. The LD student
may have difficulty comprehending abstract terms and
concepts. Begin at the
concrete level and move move step by step to the abstract
level. Use demonstrations, models, and pictures. 6. LD student may
have a reading disability. "Rewrite" the text
using a highlighter to emphasize important information.
Teach "mapping" strategies to give students an alternative
way of "reading" text material. Have volunteers tape the
textbook. 7. The LD student
may lack exploratory drive. Used
forced/interesting choice strategies. Give students
structured options. 8. The LD student
may explore in a random, purposeless manner. Use the direct
teaching model.