Language Delay and Disorders 15as severe as his writing deficit. Andrew will receive inclusion therapy in the classroom for these
disorders, and the objectives for therapy will be blended into his academic curriculum. Although
Andrew could receive individual or small- group therapy in the speech- language pathologist’s
office, inclusion therapy is recommended so that he can better achieve his literacy goals.
The resource teacher explains her role in helping Andrew. As her title indicates, she will serve
as a resource for Andrew as he deals with his courses and learning disabilities. Andrew can leave
his classroom and go to the resource room whenever he has difficulty completing an academic
task. In addition, Andrew is scheduled for regular meetings with the resource teacher so that she
can help him with written homework assignments. The resource teacher and the speech- language
pathologist agree that Andrew is likely to overcome his writing prob lems without the aid of a
speech- to- type device, in which a person speaks into an embedded microphone and the machine
types what has been said while checking the grammar and spelling. Although some individuals
with learning disabilities require this device to succeed in school, the team feels that Andrew can
overcome his writing and reading disorders with the special ser vices offered by the school.
Andrew’s classroom teacher supports the special ser vices that are available to him and dis-
cusses her role in helping him. She will encourage him to seek help from the resource teacher when
needed and will adjust his assignments to accommodate his disability. For example, she will give
Andrew more time to take written tests, allow him to take them in the resource room, and, when
pos si ble, permit oral examinations. She will also confer with the speech- language pathologist
about integrating therapy goals with educational objectives.
According to the special education director, many children with learning disabilities discover
new cognitive and learning styles to overcome their prob lems. Gifted children with learning dis-
abilities often have unique ways of acquiring and internalizing information. Sometimes they can be
very creative, turning a disability into an asset. The special education director reviews the short- and
long- term objectives for Andrew and the criteria that will be used to mea sure his success in meeting
them. She then turns the meeting over to Andrew’s parents for questions, concerns, and comments.
Andrew’s parents express their gratitude for the time the committee members have given to
their son. They ask intelligent questions about the nature of the writing and reading prob lems, and
whether it is likely that Andrew will ever be able to perform normally in school. They ask what
caused the learning disabilities and how limiting they will be for Andrew throughout his life.
Members of the IEP team take turns answering the parents’ questions. The speech- language
pathologist reviews the nature of reading and writing prob lems and is optimistic. Andrew is likely
to learn to write and read with only minimal accommodations in school. For the prob lems that do
not resolve, he will be taught to compensate by developing alternative learning styles and skills.
The team agrees that the causes of learning disabilities have yet to be discovered, but that they
likely involve differences in brain structure and/or chemistry. The entire team agrees that Andrew
should prepare for college and that his learning disabilities will not be insurmountable obstacles.
They explain that the Americans with Disabilities Act and the IDEA have opened many previ-
ously closed doors for persons with disabilities. They also note that technological advances have
dramatically improved the lives of these people.