The first step is to find out as much information as you can about those children in your class who have learning or attention issues. Not every disability is the same (there are so many different types), and not all children who are hyperactive have Attention Deficit Disorder (and vice versa). This means assessing specific behaviors or learning difficulties and then investigating that child to the fullest, through files kept, previous teachers’ experiences, the principal’s knowledge of the student, and, most importantly, talking to the parents. Although there are some parents who withhold information or deny their child’s disability, many parents are more than willing to work with the teacher to help their child, especially since what goes on inside the classroom has an impact on that student socially as well as academically.

The second step is to make an educational plan/behavioral plan for that student. This means the teacher must be willing to modify expectations, assignments and tests, and make a behavior modification plan with a system of rewards and often consequences as well. It is crucial to teach a child “within his zone of learning.” This modification of methods and goals is not “giving in to the child” or “spoiling him,” any more than providing a ramp for a wheelchair-bound person would be “giving in” to him. In the case of an LD child, it is simply what he or she needs in order to learn.

Children with disabilities, and especially ADD or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) children, often tend to miss information. They may have a language processing disability that precludes their ability to process verbal or written information and affects their ability to express themselves. These children may not be able to read a paragraph in a textbook and answer questions on the information the way most kids can. Or, they may not be able to follow a classroom discussion. Often students with these difficulties pick up on one small detail, missing the entire point of the lesson.

Below are some basic modifications and issues to think about for LD or ADD/ADHD children:

For the student who has a visual perceptual /reading difficulty, some modifications might include:

Highlighting important points in their book before they are read.

Reducing the amount they need to read.

Providing guide questions before they read a section.

Stopping after each paragraph and helping them to underline the topic sentence or main idea of the paragraph. (If it is a homework assignment, then ask a parent to help with this.)

Giving the student extra time to finish an assignment.

Tape recording the paragraph and letting the pupil listen to it in a place where it won’t disturb the others.

For the student who has trouble with auditory processing, it would help to:

Provide a written outline of what will be discussed.

Repeat points often or have students paraphrase each other’s statements during the discussion.

Write key words or concepts on the board as they are brought up during the discussion.

Provide the student with a written summary of the discussion afterward, so he/she can refer to it in the future.

For the ADD/ADHD student, it is important to help them focus on the lesson at hand by doing some of the following:

Provide a highly ordered and predictable structure in the classroom.

Give clear directions, one step at a time. (These children are not usually good at following multiple directions.)

Provide a behavior modification plan with no more than one or two achievable goals to help them manage their conduct in class.

Structure short work periods with some breaks.

Give lots of positive reinforcement.

Shorten longer tasks.

Allow them to get up out of their seats and stand or move around a bit when they feel they need to.

Give them the extra time they need to finish a task.

Give them immediate and specific feedback in a firm but not angry tone when they are not behaving appropriately.

Set minimum goals and sharing them with the student.

Provide a place where that student can go or a pleasurable task that he/she can do when they have accomplished their goal, but feel they cannot stay in the classroom. ADD/ ADHD students usually work very well with younger children and could be helpful in “peer-tutoring” a younger child or being an aide in a classroom. This, too, should be done for short periods of time (15-20 minutes).

Tests:

Spelling should not be an issue.

Allow the student to express information using a chart, outline or even pictures if necessary.

Explain or paraphrase questions to aid in the student’s understanding.

Allow the student to take the test somewhere else that may be less distracting.

Give the student as much time as he/she needs.

Give them the opportunity to take an oral test instead of a written one.

Use different types of questions. Some students get confused by multiple choice.

Ultimately remember that the purpose of the test is to evaluate what the student knows or what skill he can perform, not to give a grade. If your test is not evaluating a particular student, then find another way to evaluate him/her.

Hebrew Reading:

Use different modalities-visual, auditory and kinetic.

Give each vowel a hand motion that can be done in conjunction with saying the vowel. Even though it might seem harder since the child has to remember both the hand signal and the vowel sign, it works for many children who have trouble remembering.

Provide one-on-one instruction or support for the student. If this means tutoring or removing the child for a period to work one-on-one with someone other than the teacher, then ask the principal to arrange it.

Do lots of hands-on activities and provide a lot of repetition and review.

Give individualized homework, so lessons can be reinforced throughout the week until the next session.

Teaching the learning disabled or ADD/ADHD child who is integrated into a regular classroom setting is not an easy task for any teacher. However, with a deeper knowledge of the specific relevant disabilities and the flexibility to make necessary modifications for that child, one can not only make the task less daunting, but actually be effective in educating all the children in that class. One need not feel that being fair means that every child in the class must be treated exactly the same. The best definition of fairness I ever heard was from a special education teacher named Richard Lavoie, who said, “Fairness is giving each child what he or she needs, not giving everyone the same thing.” Each child deserves, and has a right, to a Jewish education. If making modifications for specific children means they can learn, whereas without them they cannot, then it is our obligation to do whatever we must to help them learn.