Monitor students closely for signs of learning struggles. Poor retention of material, impulsive behavior, difficulty with concentrating, poor reading ability, coordination problems, writing difficulty and poor understanding of the concept of time are all signs that a student might have an undiagnosed specific disability.
Read cumulative school files. Many times, those files contain helpful information on students who have disabilities or who are just struggling learners.
Seek out information on specific disabilities. Being able to help a student with a disability requires knowing as much as possible about their disability and learning needs. Workshops and consultations with school specialists are ways to get more information.
Follow any 504 or special education accommodation plans. Many students with disabilities are placed in 504 or special education programs. 504 services are protections under the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and they ensure that all students with any disability receive needed accommodations, including academic accommodations. Special education services are also federal mandated and are accessible to students who need modified instructional content or more intense supports. Both of these programs require specific individualized learning plans that are developed by a committee.
Provide differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction provides a variety of individualized supports to students during instruction and independent work. The Learning Disabilities Association of America recommends providing visual supports, regular feedback, small steps for work assignments and prompts for strategies as some of the instructional supports that are helpful. Modeling processes and strategies, providing extra time for responses, checking for understanding and offering alternative assignments are also helpful.
Refer students to student assistance teams when needed. The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act both require early interventions for students. All schools should have teams in place that can help develop those early interventions. If regular classroom interventions are not helping a student sufficiently or if you suspect an undiagnosed disability, then ask to staff that student with the team. That team staffing is the first step toward a more comprehensive learning plan, and, possibly, a referral for a formal evaluation for that student.