Improving Test-Taking Skills of LD Adolescents

Abstract

More and more learning-disabled adolescents are now being served at the high school level. Usually these students have access to the services of a resource room and attend classes with their nonhandicapped peers. Once integrated in math, English, or civics courses, however, they are then faced with the difficult problem of taking tests, for which many do not have the necessary skills. To increase their test-taking skills they must learn systematic procedures through a team effort, including special education consultants, regular education teachers, and supportive personnel. Recent findings in behavioral psychology provide a basis for a multicomponent model to improve the test-taking skills of adolescents with learning disabilities. As with other complex activities, such efforts require first an analysis of the problems that present barriers to effective test taking and then a specification of procedures to alleviate the problems.