Individuals with learning disabilities may experience any of the limitations discussed below.  The degree of limitation will vary among individuals. Not all students with a learning disability will need CAMS (compensations accommodations, modifications, strategies) to perform in school and many others may only need a few CAMS. Regardless, each student’s case should be evaluated on an individual basis with an Independent Needs Assessment Protocol done by an Educational Strategist & Consultant or a Special Educational Needs Consultant (SEN).  The following is a sample of possible CAMS for students with learning disabilities.  Other CAMS solutions may exist so check with an Educational Strategist & Consultant or Special Educational Needs Consultant (SEN) for more information.          

Consider:

1. What limitations the student with a learning disability is experiencing?

2. How these limitations affect the student and the student's school performance?

3. What specific activities or tasks are problematic as a result of these limitations?

4. What CAMS are available to reduce or eliminate these problems?

5. Are all possible resources being used to determine possible CAMS?

6. Has the student with a learning disability been consulted regarding possible CAMS?  Does the student know how s/he learns best?

7. Once CAMS are in place, would it be useful to talk with the student and/or team to evaluate the effectiveness of the CAMS and to determine whether additional or different CAMS are needed?

8. Do parents and school staff need training regarding learning disabilities?

9.  Schedule time to meet with the Educational Strategist & Consultant or Special Educational Needs Consultant (SEN) to determine how to communicate needed CAMS with the school team and how to document.

CAMS:

Reading: Students with learning disabilities may have limitations that make it difficult to read text. Because it can be difficult to visually discern letters and numbers, these characters may appear jumbled or reversed. Entire words or strings of letters may be unrecognizable.

Reading from a paper copy:

Convert text to audio

Provide larger print
Double space the text on print material
Use color overlays (Irlen lenses) to help make the text easier to read
Provide materials that are type-written, in a font that is not italicized; if handwritten material must be provided, use print, not cursive
Have someone read the document aloud to the student
Scan the documents into a computer and use Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which will read the information aloud
Use a reading pen, which is a portable device that scans a word and provides auditory feedback

Reading from a computer screen:

Use voice output software, also called screen reading software, which highlights and reads aloud the information from the computer screen
Use form-generating software that computerizes class work, homework, outlines, and other paper activities
Use manual or electric line guide to help individuals "keep their place" on the computer monitor
Alter color scheme on computer screen to suit the student's visual preferences
Adjust the font on computer screen to suit the student's visual preferences

Spelling: Students with learning disabilities might have difficulty spelling, which can manifest itself in letter reversals, letter transposition, omission of letters or words, or illegible handwriting.

Allow use of reference materials such as dictionary or thesaurus
Provide electronic and talking dictionaries
Use word prediction software that displays a list of words that typically follow the word that was entered in a document
Use word completion software that displays sample words after someone starts typing part of a word
Allow peer or staff to proofread written material

Writing: Students with learning disabilities might have difficulty with the cognitive or the physical process of writing.

Cognitive process of writing: Students with learning disabilities might have difficulty organizing a written project, identifying themes or ideas, structuring sentences or paragraphs, or identifying and/or correcting grammar errors.

Use Inspiration software, a computerized graphic organizer
Use Texthelp Read & Write Gold, a software program assisting with spelling, reading, and grammar.
Provide electronic/talking dictionaries and spellcheckers
Create written forms to prompt the student for needed information
Allow the individual to create a verbal response instead of a written response
Permit use of reference books such as a thesaurus or dictionary

Physical process of writing: Students with learning disabilities may have difficulty with the physical process of writing. It may be difficult to fill in blanks, bubble in dots, line up numbers or words in a column, on a line, or within a margin. Handwriting may be illegible.

Provide writing aids
Use line guides and column guides
Supply bold line paper
Permit type-written response instead of hand-written response
Allow use of personal computers, including Alpha Smart, Palm, tablet PC, and Blackberry
Use Inspiration software, a computerized graphic organizer
Use speech recognition software that recognizes the user's voice and changes it to text on the computer screen        click to continue