Discription of Research Question

Strategies and adaptations for students with learning disabilities in science education

Recently in learning about the true nature of science, I became curious about how those characteristics fit with the child who has a disability, more specifically a Learning Disability. If science is all about curiosity, exploration, and experimenting in a non-linear method, how does all of that affect the LD child who is dependent on clearly defined step-by step directions or is too afraid to allow him or herself to make a mistake? Science is primarily experiment and exploration based, in the quest for knowledge (aka. evidence) in which there is not necessarily one “right” answer but multiple forms of evidence that are continually modified or developed. So how does the LD child learn to embrace the nature of science when it seems to contradict a major characteristic of their being? If the LD child is terrified of making mistakes, or acting without a clear predefined path, what strategies or adaptations can be implemented to help support these learners? What are some specific adaptations or strategies that teachers can do to help students with learning disabilities benefit from their science education? These are the questions to which I plan on discovering and highlighting information on for teachers to use in teaching and facilitating science learning experiences that support individuals with Learning Disabilities.