Dealing with Learning Disabilities Essays -- Education Psychology Essa

Dealing with Learning Disabilities â€Å"He’ll know things one day, but not the next†. â€Å"She is seeing or writing words or numbers backwards.† â€Å"She has difficulty grasping simple concepts†. These are comments made by teachers who have classified certain students in their classroom as having the unfortunate burden of a learning disability. A learning disability is â€Å"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 imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations†(Metzger, 1983, p7). Students with learning disorders may exhibit difficulty learning in a number of ways. Such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia all contribute to learning disabilities. Students that suffer from visual, auditory or motor handicaps, mental retardation, or emotiona l disturbance endure these same learning disabilities, but are usually more severe. These select students with diverse handicaps may encounter barriers that obstruct their success in education. When such barriers occur, adaptive technology is the appropriate solution. Adaptive technology is available for students on all different levels with numerous diverse learning disabilities and has played an important role is assisting these students to develop necessary skills for their academic success. In the home, classroom, workplace, and community, adaptive technology is enabling individuals with disabilities to be more independent, self-confident, productive, and better incorporated into the mainstream (Kelker, 1997). Educational Encyclopedias define the technology of ... ...the potential psychological stress and possible negative social ramifications of having to rely continually upon others† (Raskind & Bryant, 1997). It is quite obvious to comprehend that adaptive technology has proved to be an effective tool for special education students along with any other individual with a disability. There is an adaptive piece of easily accessible technological equipment for any disability one is attempting to overcome. Such powerful tools within a learning environment offer numerous directions through which to reach special education students and to adapt the learning environment to the students’ needs. The adaptive technologies available within today’s educational arena have the ability not only to develop the skills of a disabled learner, but also to help a student in need attempt to receive thenormal, good quality education they deserve.