This document discusses instructional strategies and resources for teaching students with special needs, including those with ADHD, hearing impairments, and learning disabilities. It defines key terms like disability, explains qualifications for special education services under IDEA, and reviews requirements for school systems to provide an appropriate education outlined in a student's IEP. Specific strategies and assistive technologies are presented for different disabilities to help teachers support students in accordance with their IEPs and adhere to federal special education law.

1. Teaching Students with Special
Needs
Instructional Strategies and Resources for Teaching
Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactive
Disorder(ADHD), Hearing Impaiments, and
Learning Disabilities

2. What is a disability in the most basic
sense of the term?
➲ Friend and Bursack define disability as a
“condition characterized by a physical,
cognitive, psychological, or social difficulty
so severe that it negatively impacts the
student's learning.

3. What qualifies a child as having a
disability as defined by the IDEA?
➲ According to the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), a child is determined to
have a disability if he or she has a diagnosis in
one of the following 13 areas (GA Dept. of Education, 2008):
➲ Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) Deaf-blind
➲ Hearing Impaired Emotional & Behavior Disorder(EBD)
➲ Intellectual disability(mild, moderate, severe, or profound)
➲ Othopedic Impairment(OI) Other health impairment(OHI)
➲ Significant development delay Specific learning disability(SLD/LD)
➲ Speech-language impairment Traumatic brain injury(TBI)
➲ Visual impairment(VI)

4. What qualifies a child as having a
disability as defined by the IDEA?
In addition to being diagnosed in one of the
thirteen areas, a student's disability must
also:
➲ Significantly impact his or her ability to learn
➲ Require that he or she receive special
education services as a result of the
disability (Rothstein & Johnson, 2010)

5. How is a disability defined in the Americans
with Disabilites Act and Section 504 of the
Rebilitation Act of 1973?
➲ A disability is defined as a condition that limits some
major life activity such as (Rothstein & Johnson, 2010):
 Reading Concentrating
 Thinking Communicating
 Operation of major bodily functions of the :
 Immune system (AIDS) Digestive system (Feeding tube)
 Excretory system (incontinence) Neurological system
 Respiratory system Circulatory system
 Endocrine system (ex. diabetes)

6. What is required of school systems
under IDEA?
➲ The IDEA mandates that students who have been diagnosed with
one of the thirteen qualifying disabilities receive an appropriate
education in the least restrictive environment.
➲ IDEA also mandates that these students be given appropriate
individualized instruction based on an Individualized Education
Program plan (IEP).
➲ Provide instructional strategies, accommodations,modifications,
and related services(as needed) as specified in the IEP.

7. What is an IEP?
➲ It is a program plan for students with an IDEA qualifying disability.
This plan which is developed by the IEP team outlines and
addresses the individualized educational goals, related services,
parental concerns, instructional and testing accommodations
(including district-wide assessments), transition planning, assistive
technology use, present level of academic achievement (PLAAFP),
and the least restrictive environment (LRE).

8. A Word About IEPs
➲ It is important to remember that teachers are mandated by the
Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to adhere to the
IDEA qualifying student's IEP plan.
Always Remember:
➲ IEPs are legally binding
➲ In other words, if IEP plans are not followed as prescribed, you are
breaking federal law

9. “Okay... How can a general education teacher
adhere to the IEP requirements as mandated
by IDEA?
➲ By using instructional and testing accommodations and
modifications that addresses the learning needs of the child as
outlined in the IEP
➲ By collaborating with Special Education teachers and other related
professionals
➲ By differentiating your instruction for all children as this is the
expectation under the Response to Intervention and Pyramid of
Interventions model (RtI/POI)
➲ By following the Behavior Intervention Plan for those students who
have one
Be an advocate for your students with special needs....

10. A Closer Look at Two IDEA Categories of
Disability....
➲ Deaf/hard of hearing
➲ Specific Learning Disability

11. A Closer Look at Two IDEA Categories of
Disability....
Deaf/hard of hearing
➲ IDEA defines “deaf” as hearing loss that “adversely” impacts a
student's educational performance due to an inability to
process linguistic information “with or without hearing aids”(
http://www.cec.sped.org retrieved: 6/17/2012)
➲ IDEA defines “hard of Hearing” as “a hearing loss (permanent or
intermittent) that adversely impacts a student's educational
performance but that allows the student to access some degree of
communication (with or without hearing aids)”(
http://www.cec.sped.org retrieved: 6/17/2012)

12. A Closer Look at Two IDEA Categories of
Disability....
Specific learning disability (or Learning disability)
➲ IDEA defines a student with a “learning disability” as one who
has average to above average intelligence. However, the
student is unable to achieve (academically) at an identical
rate of their peers. This is largely due to impairments in
information processing especially in “language-based
activities. Students with learning disabilities(LD/SLD) may
have difficulty following directions, concentration,
organization, time management, decoding and spelling words,
differentiating numbers, recalling math facts (
http://www.cec.sped.org retrieved: 6/17/2012).

13. A Closer Look at Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
➲ The American Psychiatric Association defines ADHD as a
behavioral condition that inhibits the ability to “focus on
everyday tasks and routines. Students who are diagnosed
with ADHD have difficulty with self-regulation, adapting to
changing situations (http://www.apa.org and
http://www.educationworld.com retrieved: 6/17/2012)
➲ Some characteristics of children with ADHD are
 Fidgeting Blurting out
 Impulsivity Inattention
 Low frustration tolerance

14. Instructional Strategies, Accommodations, &
Assistive Technology for Students with ADHD,
Hearing Impairments, & Learning Disabilities
Disability Instructional Strategies Assistive Technology
Hearing 
Use visual aids 
Cochlear implants

Reduce background noise 
TV/Video Caption Software
Impairment (HI) 
Reduce visual distractions 
Video Phone Conferencing w/text

Provide written directions 
Alarm Clock Signalers

Write key concepts and terms on WhiteBoard 
FM wireless receivers (Amplification devices)

Repeat directions and check for understanding
Specific Learning 
Use concrete manipulatives before using symbolic Graphic organizers

Provide practice in small manageable “chunks” Simple/concrete manipulatives
Disability 
Provide step by step instruction
(SLD/ LD) 
Use a multisensory approach to teaching new concepts, terms, etc.
Attention Deficit Place student in close proximity to teacher Calendar or Daily Planner
Reduce visual and distractions Graphic Organizers
Hyperactivity Reduce problem set
Disorder Break up tasks into smaller manageable tasks
(ADHD)

15. References
Assistive Technology Devices. (n.d.). Georgia Project for Assistive Technology. Retrieved
June 17, 2012, from http://www.gpat.org/Georgia-Project-for-Assistive-
Technology/Pages/Assistive-Technology-Devices.aspx
Adult Basic Education Disability Manual. (n.d.). Adult Basic Education Disability Manual.
Retrieved June 17, 2012, from http://manual.abedisabilities.org/
Assistive Technology for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing | Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation. (n.d.). Welcome to VocRehab Vermont | Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation. Retrieved June 17, 2012, from
http://vocrehab.vermont.gov/programs/rcd/assistivetechnology
CEC | Home. (n.d.). CEC | Home. Retrieved June 17, 2012, from http://www.cec.sped.org
Education World: ADHD: What Is It? . (n.d.). Education World: The Educator's Best
Friend. Retrieved June 17, 2012, from
http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/issues/issues148.shtml
Friend, M. P., & Bursuck, W. D. (2008). Including students with special needs: a practical
guide for classroom teachers (5th ed.). Boston, Mass.: Allyn and Bacon.
Rothstein, L. F., & Johnson, S. F. (2010). Special education law (4th ed.). Thousand
Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.