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Courses >
Courses for Teaching Professionals > Working Successfully With Learning Disabled Students
 Learn how to successfully meet the diverse needs of the disabled students in your classroom from an experienced special educator. We'll dissect the whole special education process, from working with individualized education programs (IEPs) to helping students struggling with reading comprehension, math skills, and writing.
We'll also talk about fun games you can incorporate, tips for modifying your classroom, and lots of tested methods for bringing out the best behavior in your students. Whether you're already in the classroom, studying for the Praxis Special Education exam, or getting ready to work with students in a variety of settings, this course will prepare you to understand and empower your learning disabled kids. In this course, you'll discover easy, practical, and creative strategies that will help your struggling students find their light bulb moments!
This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Sara Hardin.
 Working with special needs students became a passion for Sara Hardin in seventh grade, when she volunteered at a summer camp for physically disabled children. Their willingness to keep trying new things, despite serious obstacles, impressed her and inspired her to become a special educator. She holds a master's degree in special education and has taught special education classes, mostly at the elementary level, for nine years.
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Requirements:
Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).
Syllabus:
All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.
| Week One |
| Wednesday - Lesson 01 |
One in seven Americans has a learning disability. That means that in your class of 28 students, four could have significant trouble keeping up with the basics. In our first lesson, we'll investigate what learning disabilities (LDs) are and define some common types of LDs that you'll see again and again in the classroom. After that, we'll take a few minutes to switch roles with our learners and see what it's like to try to work past an LD.
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| Friday - Lesson 02 |
Is Tamara having trouble with reading because it's not her favorite subject, or is something else going on? The process of identifying LD students is a long and sometimes tedious one. But with the proper expectations and the right dose of compassion, teachers can have success in the investigatory prereferral process. We'll discuss it in today's lesson.
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| Week Two |
| Wednesday - Lesson 03 |
In this lesson, we'll discuss IEPs, which are road maps that guide the learning curve of every LD child. Written specifically to address individual needs, these legal documents are both confusing and complicated. But once you know how to decode the language and the sections, it's easy to start using IEPs as the helpful tools they're meant to be.
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| Friday - Lesson 04 |
LD students receive IEP-mandated services in a number of ways. Whether they mostly stay in their classroom or spend some time in the special education room, they're going to learn a bit differently than other students. Today, we'll take a look at the common service locations that help LD students meet educational goals.
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| Week Three |
| Wednesday - Lesson 05 |
We all remember that one teacher who really made a difference in our lives. The right teaching strategies spell out the difference between a creative, engaging classroom and one that stagnates without reaching most of its students. In this lesson, we'll talk about the teaching strategies that make learning memorable for LD students.
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| Friday - Lesson 06 |
Word identification problems can make "cat" look like "can" or "pan." Imagine how hard it would be to read all the wrong words in all the right places. In this lesson, you'll discover smart strategies to help student find their words.
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| Week Four |
| Wednesday - Lesson 07 |
For students who have trouble reading, it's hard enough to just get the words right. But to pair those words with their meaning is a seemingly insurmountable task. In today's lesson, we'll go over how to chunk information so students can understand what they're reading and fall in love with texts.
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| Friday - Lesson 08 |
Writing poses quite a few challenges for LD students. Some of them have trouble holding their pencils, and others find it difficult to communicate what it is they're trying to say. Today, we'll take a tour of strategies that bring writing to life for students who often don't even realize all the neat things they have to say.
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| Week Five |
| Wednesday - Lesson 09 |
A lot of LD students dread math because it requires a lot of skills to come together seamlessly and at the same time: Reasoning, logic, number sense, writing, and computation are all key. But math doesn't have to be so scary. In this lesson, we'll discuss how to make all those numbers a little easier for LD students to manipulate.
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| Friday - Lesson 10 |
Even though the IEP gives you a general idea of how to help your LD students, you'll still need to explore new, innovative ideas to modify your classroom, assignments, and tests, and that's what we'll discuss in today's lesson. These modifications often spell success for the LD students who need just a little push in the right direction.
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| Week Six |
| Wednesday - Lesson 11 |
We've all had days when going to school was a drag. LD students are no different. Because school forces them to tackle big challenges head on, it's often their least favorite thing to do. This can lead to big behavior problems that you'll have to defuse creatively. We'll take a look at some great strategies in this lesson.
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| Friday - Lesson 12 |
The connection between home and school is a powerful predictor of the LD student's classroom success. So in our final lesson, we'll discuss the best ways to conduct meaningful parent-teacher conferences that help everyone unite behind an LD child in need.
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To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
Student Reviews:
"As a certified teacher who has been out of the classroom for many years and is now back in the field, it was just what I needed for considering a certification in special education. Thank you so much."
"EXCELLENT COURSE! I would highly recommend this course to any teacher that deals with any type of student. The teaching tips can be used for a seasoned or new instructor."
"Good information with lots of practical suggestions to try right away. Very useful."
"I highly recommend this course even to those veterans in the teaching profession. More students are being diagnosed with LD and we all need to be prepared to work with them."
"I loved Sara's positive and practical knowledge of the classroom. The additional resources she recommended were great. I would love to take some more classes under her."
"I will be co-teaching next year. This was a wonderful prep course and review of some valued strategies I hope to incorporate and revisit. Thank you so very much."
"Thank you for the fresh ideas to help LD children. I especially enjoyed the language arts and writing ideas."
"The instructor was very organized and thorough. I like the fact that she started with the basics and didn't assume what we already knew (or didn't know for that matter!). Sara has a great writing style and it made the lessons fun and easy to read. Thanks for a wonderful online class!"
"This class was very useful, especially for new teachers. I feel a teacher in any subject /grade would benefit and develop a better understanding of students with a learning disability."
"This was the very BEST internet class I have ever taken! Our instructor was wonderful, very interactive, and all lessons were relevant and useful!! I would look forward to taking any other course that this instructor teaches!!"
"I am not an educator. I [recently] retired from AACO Detention Center, I have a strong desire, no, a love to teach LD STUDENTS. The instructor kept my interest and left me wanting more! She did a super job and I will be looking for other classes to take with her."
"Wonderful course - loved the practical suggestions!"
"This class was very useful, especially for new teachers. I feel a teacher in any subject/grade would benefit and develop a better understanding of students with a learning disability."
"Good information with lots of practical suggestions to try right away. Very useful."
"I will be co-teaching next year. This was a wonderful prep course and review of some valued strategies I hope to incorporate and revisit. Thank you so very much."
"The course and instructor were excellent. The list of supplementary materials was very thorough and helpful when seeking further information on specific topics. The instructor was also very helpful when seeking information on keyboarding sites for LD students. This class is a must!"
"This is one of the best on-line classes that I have ever had. The instructor made learning interesting and fun. It is apparent that she knows her subject very well. If I had a child with a learning disability I would want her to be his teacher!"
"When I signed up for this course, I was looking for some help with LD students . I found this course to be very helpful and the instructor was awesome."
"Thank you, Sara, for providing such a valuable and informative class online. I appreciate being able to work towards both professional, as well as personal growth/development, with online classes. This class has impacted me both with my students in my Special Day class, as well as at home with my son, who has Discalculia. The format was clear, well-organized, and easy to navigate. I've checked out a couple of the resources you recommended from the library. It has been an absolute pleasure taking your class. Thanks again!"
To purchase this course, click the Enroll Now button below:
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