The role of special education for students with learning disabilities

Abstract

Students with learning difficulties (LD) in New South Wales, Australia are generally enrolled in regular classes and their educational attainments remain the responsibility of the classroom teacher. The size of this group is generally estimated to be as high as 30% of students (Ashman & Elkins, 1998). This paper focuses on the teaching of this group, who do not have a diagnosed disability but who appear to require particular or specific teaching to improve their learning. Teachers need a clear understanding of the direction their teaching should take for these students within their management of the whole class because these students and their parents generally expect that they will have access to regular curricula.