Teacher Perceptions of Students' Understanding of Their Own Disability

Abstract

Teacher education programs typically provide pre-service teachers preparation in assessment and identification procedures used to identify students with learning disabilities. What may be missing from teacher preparation is the development of communication skills to thoughtfully and professionally teach children about their disabilities. This mix-method survey examines teachers' perceptions regarding students' knowledge and understanding of their learning disability; what teachers tell students about their identified learning disability; what specific activities, lessons, discussions teachers use to help students understand their disability; and how the disability affects the students' academic, social, and emotional lives. Results of the study reveal that teachers often speak in jargon and euphemism to children with disabilities. They use deflecting behaviors to pass the responsibility onto parents and the students themselves. Although teachers are aware of self-determination activities, they fail to implement them appropriately. Finally, the mix-method nature of the survey allow for more accurate descriptive results.