Examples of Overall Difficulties:

• Slow in completing classwork and tests

• Incomplete homework or tests

• Difficulty working quickly and efficiently

• Difficulty following multi-step directions

• Difficulty taking notes

• Difficulty responding to questions due to lag time

• Lacks automaticity of rote information

• Poor work completion

• Difficulty scanning and quickly determining important information on a page

• Slow decision making skills due to inability to free working memory

• Difficulty keeping up with conversations

• Difficulty with daily routines and transitions

Overall Strategies

• Explicitly teach self-monitoring strategies that help students set goals and rate their success related to timely completion of tasks

Accommodations

• Provide ample time to complete assignments and tests

• Shorten repetitive assignments

• Limit amount of time spent on daily homework assignments

• Allow time to respond orally or prepare student with question before calling on him/her

• Reduce the amount of writing and copying, especially if it is a less important part of an instructional task

• Give simple written directions, and speak slowly when giving oral directions

• Start routines early to avoid rushing and feeling anxious

• Grade student based on mastery of information rather than work completed

• When introducing new concepts, provide student with outline of lesson, and use multiple means of presentation to reinforce new concepts

Examples of Math Difficulties

• Difficulty working problems quickly on paper

• Slow mental math skills

• Low fluency related to math facts

Math Strategies

• Use computerized math programs that focus on increasing the automaticity of math facts

• Use repetition of facts

• Practice math facts using flashcards and incremental rehearsal of facts

Accommodations

• Allow the use of math aids when completing multi-step problems

Examples of Reading Difficulties

Basic Reading:

• Slow rapid naming skills

Reading Fluency:

• Slow word retrieval

• Slow response time

Reading Comprehension:

• Weak reading fluency impacts comprehension of text

Reading Strategies

• Model fluent reading by reading aloud

• Use choral reading

• Practice with sight words using flashcards and incremental rehearsal

• Engage student in repeated readings of familiar text

• Encourage re-reading of a text until speed criteria is met

• Preview reading materials

• Teach students to monitor for understanding of text while reading

• Teach summarization skills

Accommodations

• Use audio books to address fluency weaknesses

• Summarize information orally if necessary

• Monitor understanding of text while reading

Examples of Writing Difficulties

• Slow writing skills (motorically)

• Struggles to quickly organize and complete written tasks

• Low writing output

• Resistance to writing tasks

Writing Strategies

• Model and teach the use of sentence starters or sentence frames and other graphic organizers to help the student generate and organize his/her thoughts

Accommodations

• Allow the use of speech-to-text programs when appropriate