Pollution in Austin

Dyslexia, Hearing Impaired, ADHD

General strategies for students with dyslexia:

• Use an overhead projector with an outline of the lesson or unit of the day.
• Provide clear photocopies of your notes and overhead transparencies, if the student benefits from such strategies.
• Provide students with chapter outlines or study guides that cue them to key points in their readings.
• Repeat or re-word complicated directions. Frequently verbalize what is being written on the chalkboard.
• Outline class presentations on the chalkboard or on an overhead transparency.
• Outline material to be covered during each class period unit. (At the end of class, summarize the important segments of each presentation.) Establish the clarity of understanding that the student has about class assignments.
• Give assignments both in written and oral form.
• Pace instruction carefully to ensure clarity.
• Present new and or technical vocabulary on the chalkboard or overhead.
• Use straight forward instructions with step-by-step unambiguous terms. (Preferably, presented one at a time).
• Write legibly, use large type; do not clutter the blackboard with non-current / non-relevant information.
• Use props to make narrative situations more vivid and clear.

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• Bring to the student's attention science role models with disabilities with a similar disability to that of the student. Point out that this individual got ahead by a combination of effort and by asking for help when needed.
• Obtain feedback from your hearing impaired students at every opportunity as an indicator of the student's level of understanding.
• If the student lip-reads:
  • Have students sit clser to the lecturer.
  • Look directly at the student.
  • Speak slowly, naturally, and clearly.
  • Slowing down slightly may help.
  • Do not exaggerate your lip movements or shout.
  • If you have a mustache, keep it well trimmed.
• If the student uses an interpreter:
  • Speak directly to the student rather than to the interpreter.
  • Signing may be distracting at first, but you and the other studentswill soon become accustomed to the interpreter's presence.
  • Give the student and the interpreter outlines of the lecture or written material, in advance, so that they can become familiar with new technical vocabulary.
  • Interpreters should not give their opinion of a student's progress as this can violate the student's rights.
  • Provide scripts of video and laser media when possible for both the interpreter and the student with a hearing disability (with or without captioning).
  • The interpreter is not to answer lesson related questions from the student with a hearing impairment. The student should direct all lesson related questions to the instructor.
  • The interpreter should stand closer to the section of the chalkboard that is being used by the instructor, thereby allowing the student to simultaneously see both the signs and the writing on the board.
• When writing materials for hearing impaired students:
  • Break up long sentences.
  • Reduce difficult vocabulary load.
  • Reduce concept density.
  • When using a pronoun be sure that the antecedent is very clear.
  • Do not omit words such as: "that" where such words will clarify a sentence connection.
  • Stay with simple coordinating conjunctions (e.g., but, so, for, and) and avoid less common transitional words (e.g., however, as a consequence, nevertheless, although).
  • Keep cause-and-effect expressions in a very simple in form.
  • Keep conditional expressions which influence the meaning of a statement to a minimum (such as; if, when, assuming that, suppose, provided that, etc.).
  • If there is no other way to avoid using a difficult word, include a brief explanation in parentheses, however keep parenthetical explanations to a minimum.
  • If an important basic or technical word is to be taught:
  • Make meaning and application absolutely clear.
  • Use context as a memory aid.
  • For a new term, repeat the word numerous times in a variety of contexts.
• Certain language forms are generally to be AVOIDED:
  • Passive voice verbs.
  • Negative forms of verbs and other expressions of negation.
  • Too many modifying forms, such as prepositional phrases, relative clauses. (If a relative clause must be used, the relative pronoun [who, which, that, where, etc.] should be next to the word to which it refers).
  • Stylistic embellishments, such as rhetorical inversions.
  • Colloquial and idiomatic expressions.
  • Cut wordiness while retaining simple English.
  • Avoid the use of idioms.
  • Avoid standing in front of windows or light sources that may silhouette the instructor and hinder visual cues.
  • Begin explanations with concrete examples, working from the concrete to the abstract.
  • Present only one source of visual information at a time.
  • Erase the chalkboard except for the items being discussed to reduce "visual pollution."
  • Engage the attention of the student with a hearing impairment before communicating with the class.
  • If possible, face the light source and keep your hands away from your face when speaking.
  • Use an FM audio trainer for hard-of-hearing students.
  • If a lip reader, refer to General Strategies.
  • Use captioned films/videos/laser disks, whenever possible.
  • If the student with a hearing impairment does not understand, try repeating. If the student still does not understand, rephrase a thought or use a different word order.
  • Repeat the questions other students in the class asked so that students with hearing impairments know what you are refering to.
  • Maximize the use of visual media.
  • It is crucial that students with hearing impairments have good note takers. It is impossible to simultaneously lip-read and take notes, or to watch/read an interpreter and take notes.
  • Carbonless note taking paper can be used. The paid or volunteer note taker needs to take legible notes and then give the student with a hearing impairment the original (or a copy).
  • Obtain feedback from your student at every opportunity as an indicator of the student's level of understanding.
  • For reinforcement repeat new vocabulary in different contexts.
  • Sequence topics so that new material is related to that previously learned.
  • The use of visual aids is most helpful since vision is the student's primary means of receiving information.
  • Use written announcements (assignments, due dates, exam dates, changes in the class schedule, special event dates, etc.).
  • If ambiguities or difficulties arise in the home concerning assignments or lessons, have the parents make a note of these difficulties. Follow-up in written detail.
  • Provide an outline in advance of the lesson/activity to give to the student in advance, also list your expectations.
  • Write all homework assignments, class instructions, and procedural changes on the chalkboard.
  • Use captioned films, videos, and laser disks.
  • Use interpreter where needed (see general strategies).
  • Avoid seating the student in heavy traffic areas.
  • Reduce excessive noise as much as possible to facilitate communication.

General strategies for students with ADHD:

• Bring to the student's attention science role models with disabilities with a similar disability to that of the student. Point out that this individual got ahead by a combination of effort and by asking for help when needed.
• Student monitoring, self management, discipline, and encouragement can be a very important aspect for academic success. Below are the two basic aspects of AD/HD facilitation.
• Self-monitoring techniques can be very effective in the school setting. Self-monitoring of attention involves cueing the student so that he/she can determine how well he/she is attending to the task at hand. Cueing is often done by providing an audio tone such as a random beep, timer, or the teacher can give the cue. The student then notes whether he/she was on or off task on a simple recording sheet. Self-monitoring techniques are more likely to be effective when tied to rewards and accuracy checks.
• Behavior management techniques must often be used in the learning environment. By examining a student's specific problem behavior, understanding it's antecedents and consequences, teachers can help students with AD/HD to develop behaviors that lead to academic and social successes.
• Provide supervision and discipline:
• Monitor proper behavior frequently and immediately direct the student to an appropriate behavior.
• Enforce classroom rules consistently.
• Avoid ridicule and criticism. Remember that students with AD/HD have difficulty staying in control.
• Providing Encouragement:
• Reward more than punish.
• Immediately praise any and all good behavior and performance.
• Change rewards if they are not effective in motivating behavioral change.
• Find alternate ways to encourage the AD/HD students.
• Teach the student to reward himself or herself. Encourage positive self-talk (e.g., "You did very well remaining in your seat today. How do you feel about that?"). This encourages the student to think positively about himself or herself.
• Bring to the student's attention science role model who has a disability similar to that of the student with an impairment. Point out that this individual got ahead by a combination of effort and by asking for help when needed.
• Reduce the amount of materials present during activities by having the student put away unnecessary items. Have a special place for tools, materials, and books.
• Reward more than you punish, especially with positive reinforcers.
• Try to be patient with an AD/HD student.
• Seat students with AD/HD in the front near the teacher with their backs to the rest of the class. Be sure to include them as part of the regular class seating.
• Place these students up front with their backs to the rest of the class to keep other students out of view.
• Surround students with AD/HD with good peer models, preferably students whom the AD/HD student views as significant peers.
• Encourage peer tutoring and cooperative/collaborative learning.
• A class that has a low student-teacher ratio will be helpful to a student with AD/HD.
• Avoid all distracting stimuli. Try not to place students with AD/HD near air conditioners, high traffic areas, heaters, doors, windows, etc.
• Avoid transitions, physical relocation, changes in schedule, and disruptions.
• Be creative! Produce a somewhat stimuli-reduced study area with a variety of science activities. Let all students have access to this area.
• Encourage parents to set up appropriate study space at home, with set times and routines established for study. Also, use this home area for parental review of completed homework, and periodic notebook and/or book bag organization.
• Educational, psychological, and/or neurological testing is recommended to determine learning style, cognitive ability, and to rule out any learning disability (LD is common in about 30% of students with AD/HD).
• A private tutor and/or peer tutoring will be helpful to a student with AD/HD.
• Have a pre-established consequences for misbehavior, remain calm, state the infraction of the rule, and avoid debating or arguing with the student.
• Avoid publicly reminding students on medication to "take their medicine."

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