Memo #2

Research provides evidence that writing among special education and learning disabled students is in fact a challenge. As we have learned through our class reading and discussion, academic achievement ( including writing in high school ) plays a critical role in a student’s future academic and career success. High school is a time of increased academic focus for all students with or without disabilities as they transition to adulthood. According to the following articles, “Addressing the Academic Needs of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Secondary Education” and “Writing Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders : A review of Literature,” the development of composition skills may be challenging for students with ASD. Several reasons may account for this phenomenon according to Pennington. He states writing as a communicative act is a social event between the writer and audience. This requires an awareness and understanding of other’s perspectives. However, individuals with ASD have difficulty comprehending this. In addition, Pennington states that “researchers have demonstrated that a strong relationship exists between written and oral language development” (Pennington, p158. ) The communication deficits that are the cardinal feature of ASD, also serve as a great barrier to learning and acquiring essential writing skills. Fleury in his research also documents struggles that students with ASD encounter. Writing difficulties can also be attributed to the mechanics of writing, content related aspects of writing, visual motor speed issues, as well as difficulty with the complex tasks of being able to plan, generate text, organize, and revise. Taken together as Fleury explains, “ issues around fine motor, processing, and executive functioning can affect both the quantity and quality of the written product”( Fleury p71) Although children with Autism may experience difficulty developing writing skills, the acquisition of these skills is critical. Writing can be used in a variety of ways. These include writing texts to express ideas, access information and reinforcement, make requests, engage in dialogue or evoke emotional responses states Pennington. So the question remains, how do teachers instruct writing to students with special needs and learning disorders. What I found in the secondary sources somewhat surprised me, although I am not sure why. The reality, according to multiple sources, is that instruction is very similar to that of a non-disabled student. Where the pressure remains to have all students improve and meet specific standards, instruction resembles that of a general classroom. In the article “ Success for Learning Disabled Writers Across the Curriculum,” Sills identifies the need to classify students as visual, auditory or kinesthetic learners. He suggests making assignments that accomodate all three perspectives to reach every student and allowing physical relief for those that have difficulty concentrating. In addtion teachers can ask individuals to state their understanding of the assignment in order to check their comprehension. Providing reading guides, scaffolding and modeling are also techniques that teachers may find helpful during instruction. Allowing students to re-read and re-write several times with a specific focus in mind is also helpful. Lastly using the acronym SCAN will encourage the students to revise as needed before their final draft. Allowing un-timed writing in a low stress and low stakes environment is an accomodation that can foster the success of a challenged writer. To my surprise, I’m finding there is no magical method reported to teaching students with special needs. It boils down to the basics. Know your students learning style, instruct, scaffold, instruct some more, model, practice, revise, and revise again. Managing the classroom to provide a safe environment as well is a crucial component of instruction as well. Having an understanding of what writing instruction should look like in the classroom, I will be interested to see what the reality is in the world of special education.