Factors Affecting the Academic Performance of Students At Risk With Learning Disabilities

The main purpose of this study was to determine the specific learning disabilities, level of self efficacy, self esteem, multiple intelligences, parent and teacher's involvement of students at risks with learning disabilities and their relationships to academic performance of high school students at risk with learning disabilities in order to design a supportive classroom environment for these children.

This study was based on the theory that academic performance of students at risk with learning disabilities is dependent on the self-efficacy, self-esteem, multiple intelligences and parents and teachers' involvement. The self-efficacy includes general self efficacy and social self efficacy. The multiple intelligences includes the Linguistic Intelligence, Logical-Mathematical Intelligence, Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence, Musical Intelligence, Interpersonal Intelligence, Intrapersonal Intelligence, Spatial Intelligence, and Nature Intelligence. This study hypothesized that there is significant relationship between self-efficacy, self-esteem, multiple intelligence, parents and teachers' involvement to the academic performance of students at risk with learning disabilities.

The research design was descriptive using cross tabulation technique. The study was conducted at Gingoog City Comprehensive National High School,Division of Gingoog City, Region X. Philippines. The respondents of the study involved the thirty four ( 34 ) students at risk with LD. Five ( 5 ) sets of questionnaires were being administered to gather the needed data such as the Self efficacy Scale, Barksdale Self-esteem Evaluation Index ( SEI), Multiple Intelligence Developmental Assessment ( MIDAS) and Parent Involvement Checklist. Each questionnaire has undergone the test of validity and reliability. The statistical tool used were frequency, percentage, weighted mean and cross tabulation analysis.

It is concluded that most of the second year students at risk with learning disabilities have mild dyslexia, mild dyscalculia and mild dysgraphia. These students have suffered low general self efficacy, low and lack of social self efficacy and all of them have lack of self -esteem. Each of these students possesses different types of intelligences and although the said intelligences are low still, none of them has linguistic and logical intelligences and most of them have average general academic performance. The general self -efficacy and social self efficacy, self esteem, multiple intelligences do not significantly affect the academic performance of the students. However, teachers' support play a major role in the academic performance of LD at risk. While there is a low correlation between parents involvement and general self -efficacy and between parent involvement and multiple intelligences, the kind of parental involvement of the students do not affect the social self efficacy, self esteem, and academic performance of the students.

From this conclusion, the supportive classroom environment intended for students at risks with learning disabilities are consist of the following; knowledge about LD, establishing learning centers like reading centers, writing/ spelling centers, multiple intelligence centers, parent involvement nook, teachers' attitude, academic performance update, remedial reading intervention, accommodations and classroom size. With the right interventions in reading with parents, teachers and administrators' support, these children with LD can succeed in their lives and become worthwhile persons in the community and country as a whole.

Enrolling a Teenager With Aspergers Syndrome at a Therapeutic School

Aspergers syndrome is a disability that affects how a person relates to other people. People who have Aspergers may talk a lot about their hobbies but have problems in getting messages across other people or giving them a chance to talk. They may also have problems in understanding other people's feelings or their body gestures. Overall, it can be said that people with Aspergers have impaired communication with other people.

Aspergers is also demonstrated when people like their habits to be stringently observed and organized. They like everything to be at the right schedule and can be seriously frustrated when it is done in the "wrong" manner. The results of Aspergers vary and can range from formalized behavior to aggressive and anti-social behavior.

Secondary school can be highly upsetting for students with Aspergers syndrome given the secondary school's routine. Transferring classrooms and meeting new classmates and teachers can be extremely stressful for someone who likes everything to be "in place" or unchanging. A person who has Aspergers can also extend a lot of effort when speaking with others. While other students have better interpersonal relationship as they get older, people with Aspergers may find it tricky to maintain friendships.

A thesis by Petra Dewrang, a psychologist, investigates individuals with Aspergers from children between 14 and 18 years old. The thesis, which was based on interviews, self-evaluations and tests, found out that people afflicted with Aspergers were as comfortable as the comparison group. Although both Aspergers and comparison group established good relationships with their family, the former seems to have a difficult time building relationships outside the family sphere. With this, a therapeutic school can help people afflicted with Aspergers syndrome to gain more interpersonal skills, which permit them to relate with other people.

Hence, specialty schools such as an Aspergers school can help students get used to the school environment without much trauma. These schools have individualized programs that serve the needs of a person who struggles with a specific difficulty. For example, people with Aspergers can work with groups, such as clubs, that permit them to polish their hobbies. Although they are fascinated about a specific subject and have a difficult time keeping up with other subjects, personalized programs can help these adolescents concentrate on subjects where they are performing poorly.

Adolescents dealing with Aspergers can also experience burnout in terms of school work. Thus, facing homework can be even more daunting when they do not have colleagues to share it with. Therapeutic schools can work out with teachers to modify schoolwork for these students without actually lowering coursework quality. A school counselor can also help these students in developing positive attitudes in dealing with their interpersonal difficulties.