"I'm Bright Enough to Do It, Even Though Sometimes I Feel I Can't Do It": Perspectives of High School Students with Learning Disabilities About Existing Supports to Achieve Graduation

Abstract

Little evidence exists about how students with Learning disabilities (LD) recognize, understand, and utilize existing supports to ensure successful graduation from high school. In this article we ask: What are the supports available to high school students with LD that help them graduate? (a) What/who are some school-based supports they identify? (b) What/who are some non-school supports they identify? We share data from semi-structured interviews with forty high school students. Findings reveal: teacher support in the form of pedagogical choices, individualized support, and after-school support; counseling expertise in the form of academic advisement and emotional support; effective family-school collaboration; discrete family support outside of school; and various forms of self sustenance. Implications of these findings are discussed before recommendations are made to various stakeholders in the school community with the view to improving supports of students with LD toward helping them successfully graduate.

Examining Learning Disabilities in Schools through an Intersectional and Equitable Lens

“…Across the U.S., students with LDs constitute 34% of all students with disabilities, accounting for 4.5% of all students in schools [28]. For students without disabilities, 84% graduate, whereas 65.5% of students with disabilities graduate, indicating a need to further identify the necessary supports for students with LDs [28].…”

“…Across the U.S., students with LDs constitute 34% of all students with disabilities, accounting for 4.5% of all students in schools [28]. For students without disabilities, 84% graduate, whereas 65.5% of students with disabilities graduate, indicating a need to further identify the necessary supports for students with LDs [28]. For example, after LD identification, students with LDs receive special education services, including learning in a separate classroom specifically designed for students with disabilities, a concept known as least restrictive environment (LRE) [29].…”

“…Particularly for students of color who were diagnosed with LDs, they mentioned the importance of teacher support, availability of school counselors, additional programs, and the importance of connection between school and family to support their educational outcomes [28].…”

“…Student perspectives reported that they benefitted from flexible pedagogical and adaptive instructional choices that were responsive to their needs [28]. However, students reported that responsive instruction depended primarily on teachers' abilities to prepare and effectively communicate their curriculum that is responsive to their students' needs [28].…”

“…Student perspectives reported that they benefitted from flexible pedagogical and adaptive instructional choices that were responsive to their needs [28]. However, students reported that responsive instruction depended primarily on teachers' abilities to prepare and effectively communicate their curriculum that is responsive to their students' needs [28]. In this sense, this can be understood as evidence of LDs as the lack of appropriate instruction responsible by the school and teachers, as opposed to the labelling of students as having low achievement.…”