June 2008 — News
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Addressing the Needs of Students with Disabilities in Math (Part 1)
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Students can have a range of physical, cognitive, sensory, and learning disabilities that affect their entire lives. Any of these might pose unique academic challenges, particularly when learning mathematics. The good news is that technology is removing barriers for the education of students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Unfortunately, not all software is based on principles of universal design, and what might work well for one student might not work for another. Thus, knowing what's available and its suitability for use with particular groups of learners challenges many classroom teachers and school systems.
Often, teachers' attitudes, their preconceived notions about what students need, their presentation styles for lessons, and lack of training in strategies for teaching students with special needs complicate the learning process. I suspect that my undergraduate training to teach mathematics in regular classrooms was much like that of many other educators. It did not include appropriate methodologies for teaching special populations. However, I recall the year, well before the infusion of computers in education, when a blind learner, accompanied by his scribe, became one of my students in an algebra class. It was a wake up call to expand what I knew.
Inclusion has changed what teachers now need to know to help all learners succeed, along with the fact that many learners with disabilities are not exempt from passing state mandated standardized tests. I'm still learning about the advancements in technology that enable learners with disabilities to master mathematical concepts just like anyone else. Let's examine some of those. In part 1 of this series, I present the nature of accommodations and assistive technologies that might be needed in math classes. You'll also find resources for expanding your own knowledge base on inclusion, teaching strategies, and products appropriate for individuals with disabilities. In part 2, you will find details about specific products from several vendors, which have been designed with specific disabilities in mind for learning and communicating math. Some of those are appropriate for all learners. Several vendors noted also produce software and learning support tools for other subject areas, making this series of value to all K-12 educators and parents.
