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Supporting Students with LD
The information and resources in this site are designed to assist Job Corps staff in providing services to students with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactive disorder.
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Click on the links (at right) to find resources and information on a variety of topics related to supporting and managing students with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactive disorder.
Need information in a hurry or have a burning issue you need to discuss, call your regional disability consultant.
Background
| Web Resources | |
| LD at a Glance, National Center for Learning Disabilities The National Logitudinal Transition Study Learning Disabilities and Special Learning Needs |
Job Corps serves students with a variety of disabilities including those with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (AD/HD). An individual with a learning disability typically has that learning disability for life. Learning disabilities range in their level of severity, from mild to severe and an individual may have more than one type of learning disability. Some individuals learn to compensate so well that the disability is no longer problematic; others have to use a variety of strategies and supports in order to maneuver through life successfully. Approximately one third of people with LD also have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), which makes it difficult for them to concentrate, stay focused or manage their attention to specific tasks.
Understanding the specific challenges and learning strategies to deal with LD directly at every stage can alleviate a lot of frustration. Many of the challenges it poses can be overcome through the use of proper accommodations. Learning disabilities do not have to stop someone from achieving their goals and fulfilling their dreams.Students with learning disabilities and/or AD/HD generally can be reasonably accommodated within the Job Corps program and prepared for placement into competitive employment.
The Connection to Employability
Prior to the economic changes and the technological revolution of the last few decades, an individual with LD could successfully compete in a "hands-on" environment, where reading, writing, and computing was not always critical to the functions of the job. Now employers not only want their employees to possess the basic skills of reading, writing, and math but also skills in critical thinking, problem solving, and reasoning. Successful employees also must exhibit positive personal qualities and be effective communicators.
This poses numerous challenges for individuals with LD or AD/HD who not only have to overcome cognitive processing difficulties but who may also have difficulties with social competence (e.g., accepting criticism and change, managing pressure, making inferences, being sensitive to others). These social skills deficits may be reinforced by previous negative experiences by individuals with LD or AD/HD arising from academic and social failures, rejection, and the attitudes of others. If an individual's social and emotional functions are not addressed, they still may face discrimination even with accommodations for LD or AD/HD. Consequently, the impact LD and AD/HD has on education/training programs is significant.
Improving Service Delivery
To more effectively serve individuals with LD or AD/HD in Job Corps, each center should develop a service strategy that, at a minimum, includes:
A staff trained in the basics of AD/HD, LD, and special learning needs
Learning style inventories to identify student learning preferences
Programs and services designed to accommodate learning and attention disabilities
Knowledge of appropriate and reasonable accommodations for classroom, training, and/or workplace environments
Resources for transition services
Accommodating All Learners
Although the purpose of this webguide is to provide assistance in the improvement of service delivery to students with learning and attention disabilities, the resources and suggested strategies can also be used to improve service delivery to students who have not been diagnosed with a learning or attention deficit disability but who may be having difficulty succeeding in Job Corps—a universal design approach (See Learning Strategies).
