On the federal level, a specific learning disability is defined as "a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using the spoken or written language . . . [resulting] in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical calculations" (quoted in Sabornie, 1997). The Education for All Handicapped Children Act, PL 94-142 of 1975 provides schools with a set of procedures to follow for all students with disabilities, even those with mild disabilities: Schools must identify such students, prevent discrimination, provide the best learning environment, and write individualized education programs.

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Rehabilitative Services documents the percentage of students between ages 6 and 21 with disabilities who were served in regular classrooms increased by 20 percentage points between 1986 and 1996 (See Table 1). Not only has the number of students with disabilities increased in the regular classroom, but also the number in resource rooms has correspondingly declined, thus, increasing the workload of the general classroom teacher and those who must guide and instruct them in special education strategies.
 
 

Disability Type	Percentage Point Change of # in Regular Classroom	Percentage Point change of # in Resource Room
All disabilities	+ 20%	- 15%
Specific learning disabilities	+ 27%	- 24%
Speech of Language Impairments	+ 21%	- 20%
Serious Emotional Disturbance	+ 15%	- 13%
Mental Retardation	+ 8%	+ 3%

Table 1. Percentage Point Change Between the 1985-1986 and 1995-1996 Academic Years of Students Ages 6-21 with Disabilities Educated in Various Educational Environments, by Selected Disability Types (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Rehabilitative Services)

In this Special Education Project, I explore how I can best accommodate students with disabilities in my physics classroom and give them support they need to succeed. Because physics is a course with weighty mathematical prerequisites and is not a graduation requirement, I was not surprised to discover that the learning disabled students in the class have difficulty with the written language. I chose to work Maxwell Butterfield throughout the semester, developing strategies in order to meet his needs. Fortunately, my mentor had already planned to include a reading and writing project for the physics honors students providing a venue for testing strategies for accommodating Maxwell's disability and enhancing his strengths.
 

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