What Our Students Said

A summary report of field research was conducted to better understand the 7,900 students in YRDSB identified with a Learning Disability in 2012. A total of 48 elementary and 56 secondary students participated in the study which involved 13 one-hour focus groups at 4 elementary and 4 secondary schools. The focus group interviews highlighted experiences, perceptions and opinions of students related to their Individual Education Plans (IEPs).

Our students with Learning Disabilities (LDs) provided us with many thoughts to consider. Below are the most prevalent messages that surfaced from the focus groups:

• The support provided by special education departments in general, and special education resource teachers (SERTs) in particular, was highly valued by students.
• Students appreciated when classroom teachers understood their IEPs and accommodated accordingly.
• School-based stigma and frustration were primarily associated with peers.
• Students perceived that the classroom teachers’ levels of understanding and implementation of IEPs was inconsistent.
• Students were often unclear about why they were being tested.
• Students noted having limited opportunities for student voice in the creation and ongoing development of their IEP.
• Students often felt anxious as they went through the identification process.
• Stigmatizing experiences were reported to be much more common in elementary school than secondary school, and elementary students with LDs were slightly more negatively impacted by these experiences.
• The decreased levels of stigmatization and frustration experienced in high school were perceived by students to be due to:
  • ​Being amongst a larger number of students with learning disabilities made having a LD less conspicuous, helped ‘normalize’ the exceptionality, and also gave them additional social networking options;
  • Enhanced overall levels of maturity among both identified and non-identified students made teasing and questioning less common; and
  • Greater understanding among students with LDs of how their IEPs support their learning, as well as greater awareness of their own learning.