Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities: Creating Successful Educational Journeys for All

Abstract

All students have the right to a high-quality education. For students with learning disabilities, special education services play an essential role in supporting their educational journey. Through specialized instruction, high leverage practices, and specialized services, students with learning disabilities are provided with access to curriculum while maintaining a least restrictive environment. Highly-trained special education teachers collaborate with general education teachers and a variety of specialized professionals to create an individualized education plan designed to fit unique needs and establish customized goals. Special education teachers provide targeted instruction and frequent progress monitoring to help students achieve their goals. With intentional design, the implementation of inclusive practices provides students with disabilities access to learn and grow alongside nondisabled peers in a safe and supportive environment. The use of social-emotional learning (SEL) practices sets the stage for creating understanding and welcoming learning spaces in classrooms and throughout a school building. To illustrate the importance of each essential component to the IEP process as well as fostering inclusive environments through the integration of SEL practices, this capstone paper will provide a literature review, case study, and identification of interventions.

Keywords: special education, learning disabilities, inclusive practices, social-emotional learning (SEL), specialized instruction