Synthesis 2 – High – Incidence Disabilities

            My classroom is filled with students who have learning disabilities and are mainstreamed into the general education classroom. Most of the students have ADHD and I find they have a number of characteristics that impact my classroom both positively and negatively. Most of these students are intelligent, witty, moody, confrontational, angry, insensitive to others and their feelings, high and low in disposition, disrespectful, sleepy, and non-readers. I choose literature which entices, entertains, and deals with issues prevalent to the needs of my students. I have found that they respond well to the drama genre. They love to read plays, act out the scenes, and write about the characters and the circumstances in which they find themselves. These are extremely positive teaching practices in my classroom. I work with these students in decoding, in fluency with vocabulary and reading skills, and in comprehension. These students struggle with both written and sometimes spoken language. They often have problems with spelling, handwriting is generally illegible, and writing/composing text is an activity they want to avoid at all costs.

            Some of my students with IEP’s have accommodations which state that testing with their special education teacher is an accommodation. Sometimes, this aspect of their Individualized Education Plan is used as an excuse to get out of the classroom and avoid their school work. I usually hesitate to send the student to their special education teacher and this is not a positive reaction on my part. At times these students fail to take their medication, do not take their medicine on purpose, or for various reasons their parents do not provide the medication. When the classroom has multiple students who have not taken their medication, having a good day is difficult for everyone.

            The students in my classroom who have ADHD have difficulty in maintaining relationships with their peers. From my perspective, this is generally due to their uncontrollable tempers and their hot and cold relationships with their friends. One day I may be redirecting a student or correcting someone and my ADHD kids will jump to their defense and verbally attack. The next day, the same students will verbally attack me if I do not correct the students rapidly enough. As I write, I know my primary difficulty with these students is their lack of manners. I also realize that many of them have not been instructed on the proper and correct way to speak, ask questions, or carry on a conversation. The ratio of students with and without ADHD is fairly equalized in the class. When the students come to class and have not taken their medication, it is difficult for them to function appropriately in the classroom. Behaviors may or may not include: frequent and repeated interruption of the teacher and their peers, impatient attitude, inappropriate language, and the inability to stay on task and to complete assignments. It is my desire to have continued patience and understanding with this group of students.