As a practitioner, you will need to be knowledgeable about special needs and learning disabilities in order to:

• understand the nature and severity of learning difficulties your students might have
• know when to refer students to the special needs department for diagnostic assessment
• interpret the results of the diagnostic assessment
• plan appropriate programming and accommodations (extended times for tests, special chairs) for students with learning disabilities and other kinds of special needs
• learn about assistive technology

You may want to take a tour of the special needs department and find about the protocol for referring learners who may have special needs and/or learning disabilities. You can also find out what PD opportunities are available – both inside and outside the college. For example, one of the literacy netwo rks (Literacy Link South Central) is currently offering (until June 2004) online learning disabilities training and has developed a comprehensive package of training materials to go with it. One experienced LBS college practitioner recommended the OLC publication, Best Practice & Innovations – Learning Disabilities.

TASK: Ask other practitioners about different teaching strategies and methods they use in the classroom, e.g., how they adapt material to individual learning styles, how they help learners become more self-directed, how they use technology in the classroom and how they respond to students with learning disabilities and/or other special needs.

notes:

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________