Can professors find out about a student's LDs under ADA?

[healthy11]

Many parents on this forum express frustration that their children's teachers don't seem knowledgeable or sensitive to their special needs. Conversely, there are some very concerned teachers who notice issues and yet parents don't want to hear that their child may in some way be "different." I know that in K-12th grade, a teacher can contact school representatives, such as a social worker/school psychologist, and ask that a student be observed and potentially evaluated for learning issues. Does anyone know what a college instructor can do, if he/she has a student who has NOT self-identified as having an LD, but who is clearly struggling to pass a class, even though it's just the 2nd week of the semester?

My husband is an adjunct professor at a local community college, and he mentioned that this is the first time he's encountered a kid who seems totally "lost." Given our son's LD's, my husband is aware of accommodations, but he said the guy has not admitted to having issues or needing accommodations. Nevertheless, my husband told me that he spent almost half the class trying to work 1:1 with the guy, even though there are a dozen other students. The most "revealing" incident was during a laboratory portion of the class, when the student claimed he was done, and turned in a sheet with random numbers. My husband asked the guy how he got those answers, which should have involved taking different measurements across components on a circuit board, but the kid couldn't explain. My husband realized the guy had assembled less than half of the necessary parts, even though everything was clearly spelled out in the instructions. My husband doesn't think it's a just a case of a reading LD (not being able to read directions,) because even when he sat down to show the student which parts to put in which locations, the guy couldn't retain the information. My husband said the guy got 10% on his first quiz, and there is no way he can pass the class at the rate he's going. It's too late for the student to withdraw and get any tuition refund. My husband can't sit 1:1 with the kid the entire semester, but isn't sure what he should do, since the guy has not even admitted having a disability. Any suggestions?

[eoffg]

Hi Healthy,

That is a difficult situation for your husband?
Under Privacy Laws, the only way that your husband could find out
Is to ask the student. But the student doesn't have disclose anything.

The difficulties he described, do fit with a math disorder and Dyscalculia.
While this effects math, it can also seriously effect the ability to follow instructions/ directions.
The student might had a diagnosis when at school?
But schools generally have little if any understanding of Math Disorders.
So that the student is quite likely aware of his difficulties, but not really understand them?

Which can make it difficult to advise a college instructor about, if they don't understand their difficulty?
How to explain, that they have a difficulty with 'following instructions'?
Though it would also be difficult for your husband to raise the question of an LD with the student?
Also if the student needed to get a diagnosis, or an updated evaluation?
Then the student would have to pay for it, which most students can't afford?

Though what is more important, is to identify how to help the student?
With difficulties with 'following instructions', and mental organization and working through procedures?
The greatest tool for this, are 'Graphic Organizers'.
So that every thing can be organized on screen, and seen how to work through.
Also used to explain and show their approach to others.

So that your husband could approach this, by introducing the student to Graphic Organizers'?
Their are free ones, but the problem with them? Is that they don't clearly demonstrate how to use them?

One of the best graphic organizer programs, is Kidspiration and Inspiration.
Which are good programs, but also have really good Tutorials, on how to use them.
Kidspiration is for children, but a lot of adults find that it does all they need.

But most importantly, both of them can be downloaded for a free 30 day trial.
Perhaps starting with Kidspiration for a month, to become familiar at a basic level.
Then try Inspiration, which has more features.

But I just checked, and it only costs about $50 to buy Inspiration, and $60 for both.

Though your husband could get the student to download the free trial, and also download it himself?
Then when he sits down to work with student?
He could help the student to explore how to use it.
So that the student becomes independent.

But as your husband becomes familiar with it?
He might come to recommend that all of his students use a graphic organizer?

Here's a link to the Inspiration website:

www.inspiration.com/inspiration

Rather than raising the issue of an LD with the student?
He could raise the subject of using a Graphic Organizer, and how it could be a helpful tool for the student to use.

[healthy11]

Thank you, eoffg, for the suggestion about graphic organizers. Unfortunately, my husband is not teaching a "traditional" academic subject, like English or Social Studies, but instead it is a Digital Electronics course. If the student really does have a math LD/Dycalculia, the class will only get more difficult and complex, and I doubt graphic organization would be enough to help.

The fact that the student did not even put half the parts on his circuit, and yet claimed that he made all the lab measurements (putting random guesses on the page), and he did not "get" what my husband was trying to explain even when they sat down 1:1, makes my husband (and me) feel it's unlikely that the kid will be able to master the material. There are 14 more weeks of the semester, and he's already 2 weeks behind.