Overview
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a brain disorder marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.
Possible challenges
Inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity are the key behaviors of ADHD. Some people with ADHD only have problems with one of the behaviors, while others exhibit both inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity.
- Inattention means a person wanders off task, lacks persistence, has difficulty sustaining focus, and is disorganized; these problems are not due to defiance or lack of comprehension
- Hyperactivity means a person seems to move about constantly, including in situations in which it is not appropriate, or excessively fidgets, taps, or talks. In adults, it may be extreme restlessness or wearing others out with constant activity
- Impulsivity means a person makes hasty actions that occur in the moment without first thinking about them and that may have high potential for harm, or a desire for immediate rewards and inability to delay gratification. An impulsive person may be socially intrusive and excessively interrupt others or make important decisions without considering the long-term consequences
- Poor executive function struggles with performing complex tasks that rely on planning or decision making. Executive function is responsible for: paying attention; initiating tasks and staying focused on them; organization and planning; regulating emotions; and self-monitoring.
Suggestions for instructors
- Break down assignments into smaller tasks. This helps with time management and organizational skills, which are two areas where ADHD students struggle
- Use a highlighter with the entire class to note key words and phrases on handouts
- Ask students to work together: This reduces anxiety and promotes inclusivity
- Give step-by-step directions both verbally and in written form
- Use multi-sensory teaching strategies (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic)
- Encourage and assist students in finding note-takers, using assistive technology, and staying organized and up to date
- Use color and graphic organizers to illustrate important concepts and connections
- Provide Q & A or review sessions
- Allow students to choose their own assignments so students are motivated to complete the task by focusing on an area of special interest
- Encourage self-regulation strategies, such as raising their hand to speak
- Specify key points at the beginning of lecture and restate them at the end
- Communicate with the student to get his/her feedback on what works and what doesn’t. Discuss your concerns if inappropriate or disruptive behavior is a problem in the class.
Common Accommodations
Extended time for in-class essays, exams, and quizzes; alternate location for exams; recording of lectures; notetakers; text-to-speech and/or voice recognition computer systems.
For more information:
Overview
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms people experience. ASD occurs in all ethnic, racial, and economic groups. Although ASD can be a lifelong disorder, treatments and services can improve a person’s symptoms and ability to function.
Possible challenges
- Difficulty with social communication and interaction, such as trouble making and keeping friends, and misunderstanding another person’s point of view or actions
- Restricted interests/repetitive behaviors, such as repeating words or phrases, having intense interests in certain topics, insistence on routine, and being more or less sensitive to sensory stimuli
- Not all people with ASD will show all behaviors, but most will show several.
Possible strengths
- Being able to learn things in detail and remember information for long periods of time
- Being strong visual and auditory learners
- Excelling in math, science, music, or art
NOTE: Previously, people could be diagnosed with one of several separate conditions (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)). These separate conditions have now been combined into one diagnosis called “Autism Spectrum Disorder.”
Suggestions for instructors
From Moorpark English Professor Kara Lybarger-Monson
- Be consistent with organization of class time and content
- Minimize bright lights, loud sounds, and strong smells
- Ask the student how you may clarify the material
- In group settings, give each person in the group a task
- If there are behavioral issues, explain to the student what is expected and suggest a behavioral modification
- Type up the lecture or print the PowerPoint ahead of time and provide as a copy at the beginning of class or online so students may print it
- Allow assignments to be typed
- Provide ample time to complete quizzes and assignments in class
- Provide the material through various modalities: Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic
- As a general practice, create clear guidelines for expectations, use cues to transition between activities, repeat expectations, and be consistent
- Refer the student to ACCESS
Common Accommodation
Extended time for in-class essays, exams, and quizzes; alternate location for exams; recording of lectures; notetakers; text-to-speech and/or voice recognition computer systems.
For more information:
Overview
A hearing disorder is the result of impaired auditory sensitivity of the physiological auditory system. A hearing disorder may limit the development, comprehension, production, and/or maintenance of speech and/or language. Hearing disorders are classified according to difficulties in detection, recognition, discrimination, comprehension, and perception of auditory information.
Types of Hearing Related Disabilities
- Hard of Hearing – an individual who has a mild-to-moderate hearing loss who may communicate through sign language, spoken language, or both
- Deafness – a hearing impairment that is so severe that the individual is impaired in processing linguistic
NOTE: The term “hearing impaired” used to describe an individual with any degree of hearing loss may be deemed offensive to may deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.
Possible challenges
- Reading Skills – may have trouble with reading aloud and silently due to lack of familiarity with the language and lack of understanding of the connection between language and the printed word
- Written Language Skills – difficulty with vocabulary, grammar, and word order; difficulties taking notes
- Oral Language Skills – difficulty learning by lecture, difficulty taking oral exams/ giving oral presentations
- Mathematical Skills – may lack general vocabulary and the basic mathematical vocabulary needed to be able to understand math concepts/processes; communication with others may be difficult, meaning students may not be able to engage in mathematical processes such as problem-solving
- Social Skills – difficulty participating in classroom discussions.
Common Accommodations
Preferred seating in the classroom, use of alternative media, peer notetakers, and/or real-time captioning services
Suggestions for instructors
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing students will usually require seating at the front of the classroom, near to and facing the instructor, to make optimum use of visual cues
- Clearly spell out expectations before the course begins (e.g. grading, material to be covered, due dates, etc.)
- Speak directly to the student as you would a hearing student. Avoid third person speech
- Give assignments both orally and in written form to avoid confusion
- Announce reading assignments well in advance
- Repeat questions from others in the classroom before answering
- If necessary, allow students to demonstrate mastery of course material using alternative methods
- Attract the attention of the student with hearing loss before speaking with a cue such as a tap on the shoulder or wave
- Don’t encourage sign language interpreters to do the student’s thinking or work for them.
For more information:
Overview
A learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects how individuals with average or above average intelligence take in, retain, and express information. A learning disability is not a disorder that a person outgrows. Learning disabilities should not be equated with intellectual or emotional disabilities, although learning disabilities can coexist with other conditions.
Possible challenges
- Reading Skills – slow reading rate, difficulty understanding material, skipping words or lines
- Writing Skills – difficulty with sentence structure, spelling and proofreading, poor handwriting, slow written production
- Oral Language Skills – difficulties may include concentrating on and comprehending spoken language, oral expression, speaking grammatically correct English, and following oral directions
- Mathematical Skills – incomplete mastery of basic facts, reversing numbers (e.g. 123 to 321 or 231), confusing operational symbols, copying problems incorrectly, difficulty understanding concepts
- Organization and Study Skills – time management/organization difficulties, inability to recall what has been taught, difficulty preparing for and taking tests
- Attention and Concentration – trouble focusing, fluctuating attention span, easily distracted, hyperactivity
- Social Skills – inability to detect social cues, lowered self-esteem
- Visual-Motor Skills – difficulty copying from the board, poor memory for visual material, poor spatial judgment/awareness
- Time Management – difficulty planning and prioritizing, switching tasks
- Memory – difficulty retaining information, poor retrieval skills, poor visual or auditory memory
Suggestions for instructors
- Keep instructions as brief and uncomplicated as possible.
- Clearly define course requirements, grading criteria, exam dates and assignment due dates. Provide reminders and advance notice of any changes.
- Present material using multiple modalities (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic)
- Start each lecture with a brief outline of material to be covered that period, and at the conclusion of class, briefly summarize key points
- Present new or technical vocabulary on the board, using PowerPoint, or on handouts. Use terms in context to convey meaning
- Give assignments both orally and in written form to avoid confusion
- Announce reading assignments well in advance for students who are using recorded materials
- Allow time for clarification of directions and essential information
- Provide study guides or review sheets for exams
- Facilitate student use of approved accommodations
- Stress organization and ideas rather than mechanics when grading in-class writing assignments
- Encourage use of campus support services (tutoring, writing center, health center, etc.)
- Refer students who are struggling to ACCESS for Learning Disability assessment (if not already registered with ACCESS).
Common Accommodations
Alternate Media (e-text), recording of lectures, peer note-takers, additional time for test-taking in distraction-reduced environment, use of computer, spelling and grammar check, assistive software, and/or calculator on exams.
For more information:
Overview
Students with psychiatric disabilities experience significant emotional difficulty that may or may not have required treatment in a hospital. Psychiatric disabilities affect people of any age, gender, income group, and intellectual level.
Anxiety Disorders
- Panic disorder is the sudden onset of paralyzing terror or impending doom with symptoms that closely resemble a heart attack
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder is persistent distressing thoughts (obsessions) that a person attempts to alleviate by performing repetitive, intentional acts (compulsions) such as hand washing
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by specific symptoms that result from exposure to terrifying, life-threatening trauma, such as an act of violence, war, or a natural disaster
Mood Disorders
- Major depression is an extreme or prolonged episode of sadness in which a person loses interest or pleasure in previously enjoyed activities
- Bipolar disorder (also referred to as manic-depressive illness) is the alternating episodes of mania (“highs”) and depression (“lows”)
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of major depression that occurs in the fall or winter and may be related to shortened periods of daylight
Schizophrenia Disorders
Symptoms are categorized as either “negative” or “positive.”
- Negative symptoms include social isolation or withdrawal, loss of motivation, and a flat or inappropriate affect (mood or disposition).
- Positive symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorders.
Suggestions for instructors
- Spend extra time with the student, when necessary, and assist the student in planning assignment sub-phases and in time management by scheduling follow-up meetings or lessons at specified intervals.
- Be flexible with deadlines.
- Clearly define course requirements, the exam dates, and assignment due dates.
- Provide advance notice of changes.
- When in doubt about how to assist the student, ask him or her as privately as possible without drawing attention to the student or the disability. Keep instructions as brief and uncomplicated as possible.
- Clearly define course requirements, grading criteria, exam dates and assignment due dates. Provide reminders and advance notice of any changes.
- When teaching, state objectives, review previous lessons, and summarize periodically.
- Allow time for clarification of directions and deadlines.
- Provide alternative ways for the students to do tasks (e.g., substituting oral for written work).
Common Accommodations
Alternate methods to complete assignments, time extensions for assignments and exams, recording of lectures, provision of advance copies of syllabi, and consultations for study skills and strategies.
For more information:
Overview
A health disability is a condition in which there is a dysfunction of one or more of the body’s systems. Chronic pain and genetic disorders may also be health conditions that are disabling. To be considered a disability, the health condition must cause an educational limitation. Many of these conditions are cyclic or unstable. As a result, the need for accommodations may fluctuate or change frequently.
A physical disability is a physical condition that affects a person’s mobility, physical capacity, stamina, or dexterity. Physical characteristics may include paralysis, altered muscle tone, an unsteady gait, loss of, or inability to use, one or more limbs, difficulty with gross-motor skills as walking or running, and difficulty with fine-motor skills such as writing.
For more information: DO-IT, University of Washington
Though certainly not an exhaustive list, we regularly work with students who have:
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Cerebral palsy
- Chronic pain
- Diabetes
- Epilepsy/seizure disorder
- Epstein Barr/Fibromyalgia
- Genetic disorders
- Heart disease
- Digestive disorders (e.g. Crohn’s disease or IBS.)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV+)
- Lyme disease
- Lupus
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular dystrophy
- Musculoskeletal injuries (e.g. back injury)
- Renal (kidney) disease
- Spinal cord injury
- Spina bifida
Suggestions for instructors:
- Without compromising instruction, be as flexible as possible with attendance and assignment completion due dates.
- Provide lecture outlines, study guides, and review sheets so students missing class can keep up.
- If necessary, allow students to demonstrate mastery of course material using alternative methods.
Overview
A Traumatic Brain Injury is sudden physical damage to the brain which may be caused by things such as a car crash, gunshot wounds to the head, objects falling on the head, falls, assaults, or strokes. According to the World Health Organization, Acquired Brain Injury is damage to the brain, which occurs after birth and is not related to an inherited or a worsening disease. This may be caused by stroke, bleeding in the brain, lack of oxygen to the brain, infections in the brain, toxic exposure, fluid build-up in the brain, and brain tumors.
Possible challenges
- Physical Changes – problems with walking and sitting, slurred speech, chronic pain including headaches, fatigue
- Cognitive Changes – problems with comprehension, organization, decision making, and vision, easily distracted, poor memory, confusion, impulsiveness, lack of social filter
- Emotional Changes – irritability, mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, and anger management problems, emotional or behavioral outbursts
- Social Changes – awkwardness or inappropriate behavior due to difficulty reading social cues, self-isolation, trouble with social and work relationships
Common Accommodations
Time extensions on assignments and exams, recording of lectures, instructions presented in more than one way, alternative plans to complete assignments, peer note-takers, course substitutions, priority registration, consultations regarding study skills and strategies, and/or alternative print formats.
Suggestions for instructors:
- Keep instructions as brief and uncomplicated as possible.
- Clearly define course requirements, exam dates, and assignment due dates. Provide advance notice of any changes.
- Present lecture information using several different modalities.
- Use more than one way to demonstrate or explain information.
- Have copies of the syllabus ready no less than six weeks prior to the beginning of the semester so alternative format textbooks can be provided in a timely manner.
- When teaching, state objectives, review previous lessons and summarize periodically.
- Allow time for clarification of directions and essential information.
- Provide study guides or review sheets for exams.
- Provide alternative ways for the students to do tasks (e.g., substituting oral for written work).
- Provide assistance with proofreading written work or refer student to writing lab/tutor where available.
- Stress organization and ideas rather than mechanics when grading in-class writing assignments.
For more information:
Overview
A vision impairment is a physical condition that impacts how, or if, a student can use their vision as a learning channel. It can be a genetic, congenital, or a condition due to illness, injury, or a degenerative disease.
There are four degrees of vision loss:
- Partial Sight – the field of vision is impaired
- Low Vision – corrected acuity of no better than 20/70
- Legally Blind – corrected acuity of central vision is no better than 20/200
- Totally Blind – no use of sight
NOTE: There is no “typical” student with a visual impairment. There is a wide range of visual abilities as well as different levels of independence and personal skill using the recommended technology and accommodations.
The types of needed accommodations also vary. Many students need only tape recorders, magnifying devices, or enlarged text. Other students may require readers and scribes, Braille text, raised drawings, and assistive technology. Some may require only color overlays or lighting conditions that differ from those found in a regular classroom. If blind from birth, the student may have difficulty with verbal descriptions of visual images, materials, and abstract concepts.
Suggestions for instructors:
- Ensure all course materials and CANVAS content are accessible to assistive technology users. Consult with ACCESS's Alternate Media Specialist, Shirley Ruiz, if you have concerns about the accessibility of your course content.
- Put your syllabus and other information for students online.
- Try not to vary from your syllabus as textbook conversion will take place in the order of use you have indicated.
- Use interactive and cooperative learning, whenever possible.
- Read aloud whatever you are writing on the board or overhead.
- Encourage and assist the student in finding a peer notetaker, recording lectures, taking exams with accommodations, and using assistive technology as authorized and appropriate.
- If necessary, allow students to demonstrate mastery of course material using alternative methods (e.g. extended test time, enlarged text, oral exams, or use of tactile models).
- Provide adequate opportunities for questions and answers, including review sessions.
Important: The student is the best source for explaining what works best for them.
For more information: