Chapter 2 High-Incidence Disabilities

The high-incidence disabilites discussed in this chapter are so common that I would imagine most teachers have several in their classrooms each year.  The most common one I see each year is ADD and ADHD.  Learning disabilities and speech and language impairments would be the second most common that I see.  Emotional and behavioral disorders seem to becoming more and more common each year and is something I feel the regular classroom teacher often doesn't have the skills to effectively handle.  I have not had a case of Asberger's in class, but I have interaction at church with a child who has this disability.

Each year in my class I have several students with the ADHD or ADD diagnosis.  While I think these disablities are grossly overdiagnosed there are some students that have a true diagnosis.  For these students I try my best to find accommodations that will help them.  Having them work at my reading table with me sitting there with them often helps when they are having a praticulary difficult time focusing.  Just being in close proximity helps those with ADHD as well as the students with behavioral issues.  Students with learning disabilites usually are pulled for one to two periods as day for extra help, and I find putting assignments on the computer that fit their particular needs also helpful.  They usually enjoy these assignments and they can do them on their own.

There are many challenges each day with these students.  With my ADHD students finding one on one time with them can really be beneficial, but finding that time can be really difficult.  The biggest problem I face is not only trying to help them focus, but keeping them from distracting others.  Another challenge I have this year is a learning disabled child.  She is functioning on a kindergarten/first grade level academically and at about a kindergarten level socially.  She leaves for two periods a day for reading and math help.  When she is in my room I have computer programs for her for her math and reading practice, but social studies and science is another story.  Everything must be read to her.  For tests this is no problem, but on a regular day when I give an assignment I feel all my attention must go to her.  Our social studies and science curriculum are difficult for the average student and impossible for her on her own.  Other students also need my help and I feel they are not getting the attention they need.  I have tried getting another student to work with her, but because she is socially so far behind the other students she cries and gets upset very easily or she gets silly and disrupts.  This is one I struggle with daily and would love some help with.

Some of the things I would like to improve on would be finding more strategies and better strategies to deal with these disabilities.  Very often what works for one child will not work for one with the very same disability so an arsenal of things to try is needed.