EASI Street to Science and Math for K-12 Students

Providing children with disabilities a solid foundation in basic skills is the single-most important aspect of ensuring that they can enter and succeed in college and the work place. This is especially true in the math and science fields, as students must fully understand the fundamentals before they can move on to advanced study or work. Children who are not properly prepared, children who not build strong foundations, children who are moved along when they have not mastered the basics, are almost certainly doomed to failure. There are several basic issues facing students with disabilities. First, there is an attitude among teachers, administrators, and sometimes even parents, that students with disabilities can't do math or science. Second, students with disabilities are often waived out of math and science course work in K-12, which means that they don't develop the basic foundational skills in these fields. This also makes it impossible for many students with disabilities to meet national standards in science and math. Third, students with disabilities are not getting adequate training on adaptive computing technology. Fourth students with disabilities who are studying science and math face problems finding math and science texts that are accessible. Fifth, students with disabilities often require extra help in making the transition from one level of education to the other and from the educational setting to the workplace. Sixth, students with disabilities and their parents must learn to advocate for the appropriate technology and other accommodations necessary for them to succeed in education and the workplace. NEGATIVE ATTITUDES AND AWARENESS ISSUES The negative attitudes that K-12 students with disabilities face parallel those that adults with disabilities face. A 1989 study by the National Science Foundation (Changing America, 1989) reported that the single most significant barrier faced by individuals with disabilities is the negative attitudes on the part of faculty and employers. This is particularly harmful because not only does it deny or limit some students' entrance into the fields of science, engineering and math, but it almost ensures that those individuals will never be able to enter science, engineering, mathematics or technology-related careers when they enter the workforce. Parents, teachers and service providers can a great deal to help students face and debunk those negative attitudes. Often, all it takes to get teachers, administrators and parents to believe that students with disabilities can math and science is to show them the tools and accommodations available. LOWERED EXPECTATIONS AND WAIVED REQUIREMENTS The perception that students with disabilities are not capable of doing work in science and math is often reinforced by teachers and parents. Too often students with disabilities are not held responsible for the work that is being done by their peers, and teachers from preschool on will often have lower expectations for students with disabilities. Many teachers in the early grades are so pleased that a student with a disability can any of the class work. She is just amazing, is the attitude. And We don't want to make her work harder than her friends is the justification for lowering expectations and waiving requirements for students with disabilities. Unfortunately, many parents buy into this argument as well. Some schools have been experimenting with extending the time that elementary and secondary schools provide for students with disabilities to learn basic skills. This can include doing one year's worth of work in two years' time. However, some parents and teachers have raised the issues of the importance of having students move ahead with their social groups and of the perception that retention is only for students who are in real trouble at school. Perhaps it's time to rethink the issue and convince parents, teachers and school administrators that more time to master the basics is a likely option for many students with disabilities. …