LIFE SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE
 
Eleanor Higgins, Ph.D, Roberta Goldberg, Ph.D, & Marshall Raskind, Ph.D
The Frostig Center Pasadena, California August 2004
*Special thanks to Andrea Lombardi, Beverlee Paine and Chris Schneiders for their contributions
 
Funding for this guide provided by the Sharon Disney Lund Foundation & the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation
 

© Frostig Center 2005

 
LIFE SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

“I will always think of myself as a child with a learning disability. I don’t think it has ever really changed . . . it is a part of my life forever.”
33-year-old adult

Children with learning disabilities do what other children do - they grow up! Although many of the difficulties they experience in childhood may continue into and through adulthood, they can still lead satisfying, rewarding, and productive lives. 
The Frostig Center’s 20-year study tracing the lives of individuals with learning disabilities from childhood into adulthood, as well as several major studies conducted by other researchers, has shown that certain individual characteristics and life experiences can help lead persons with learning disabilities to successful life outcomes.  It is our belief that teachers can play an instrumental role in the success of children growing up with learning disabilities if they encourage the success attributes in their everyday curriculum.
This website is designed to help teachers understand these “success attributes,” as well as provide strategies and resources to foster them in their students.
The school years primarily focus on academic challenges.  However, ultimately, children with learning disabilities have to meet all the challenges of life as an adult.  We hope this guide will help teachers prepare their students to meet life’s obstacles, as well as achieve academic success.
 

LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

SUCCESS DEFINED
Success is not easy to define. It means different things to different people and may even mean something different at different times in a person’s life. Although views of success vary, there appear to be a number of things that most people include when they think of success: good friends, positive family relations, being loved, self-approval, job satisfaction, physical and mental health, financial comfort, spiritual contentment, and an overall sense of meaning in one’s life. Different individuals place lesser or greater emphasis on these various components of success.  Hopefully, as educators, we can help our students not only to achieve academically, but also to achieve a satisfying and rewarding life.  The question is “how?”  Fortunately, research has provided some answers.
 
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

SUCCESS ATTRIBUTE RESEARCH
This teacher’s guide is based on a 20-year longitudinal research project conducted by the Frostig Center in Pasadena, California.  The project has traced the lives of a group of individuals who were identified as having a learning disability in childhood and attended the Frostig Center between 1968 and 1975.  The purpose of the study was to identify those factors that lead to positive life outcomes in persons with learning disabilities.
We believed that making such determinations or “predictions” would be of tremendous value in helping students with learning disabilities reach their full potential and lead satisfying and rewarding lives.  We needed to understand why, despite similar backgrounds and learning difficulties, some of our students ended up as happy, satisfied, and productive members of society, whereas others were barely able to “keep their heads above water” emotionally, socially, and financially.  We needed to know why one former student is currently president of a software company, while his classmate is living out his days in a state penitentiary.
In an effort to gain such an understanding, we initiated a 20-year follow-up study designed to identify various factors in the lives of our students as they grew up that led some to “success” and others to “failure.”
In 1992, we reported the results of a 10-year follow-up study that focused on identifying the internal factors and external events in the lives of our study participants when they were young adults (18-22 years of age) that discriminated between those who were “successful” and those who were not.  Participants were identified as “successful” or “unsuccessful” using a multidimensional definition of success that included: employment, education, independent living, family relations, social relationships, crime/substance abuse, life satisfaction, and physical and psychological health.  Data were collected from interviews, standardized testing, and educational, psychological, and medical records.  A quantitative analysis of the data revealed few meaningful, significant differences between the successful and unsuccessful groups based on background variables (age, gender, family socioeconomic status, ethnicity, birth order, number of siblings, IQ, diagnostic category, or services received at Frostig), cognitive measures, or academic achievement.  It appeared that success might be related to other factors in the lives of these individuals.
A qualitative analysis proved more fruitful in revealing a set of “success attributes” that differentiated the groups, with the successful group illustrating greater self-awareness/self-acceptance of the learning disability, proactivity, perseverance, emotional stability, appropriate goal setting, and the presence and use of effective social support systems.  Further exploration of these attributes became a key goal at the 20-year follow-up when our study participants were adults (28-35 years old).
Additional questions were investigated in the 20-year follow-up study, the quantitative results of which were reported in 1999. Using a multidimensional view of success as in the 10-year study, participants were again rated either successful or unsuccessful. All available information was reviewed, including background information, current testing data, public records, relatives and other contacts, participant contacts, and most important, transcripts of the 2- to 6-hour interviews with participants. 
Again, initial quantitative analysis revealed no significant differences in background variables between the successful and unsuccessful groups.  The major goal of the 20-year study was to discover whether the presence or absence of the success attributes, would emerge as variables explaining these differences in life outcomes.  A series of statistical analyses showed that the success attributes were highly predictive of achieving life success, even more so than such factors as academic achievement, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and even IQ.
Although the statistical analysis was immensely valuable, and provided a springboard from which to develop interventions that promote life success, we wanted to develop a deeper and richer understanding of the success attributes.  Therefore, we conducted a qualitative analysis that focused on the “insider’s perspective,” that is, what the participants in the study themselves had to say - in their own words - about living with learning disabilities.    A detailed analysis of the interview transcripts provided such an understanding and was reported in another study in 2002.
The description of the success attributes presented in this guide is based upon this qualitative analysis and utilizes quotes from the participants themselves to shed further light on each success attribute.

Spekman, Goldberg, & Herman (1992).
 Raskind, Goldberg, Higgins, & Herman (1999). 
This is not to say that these factors do not have a substantial impact on the life outcomes of persons with learning disabilities, but rather that research has shown that the success attributes may play an even greater role. Consequently, such factors as extreme poverty or severe psychiatric problems can have a profound affect on someone’s life and even negate the influence of the success attributes.
Goldberg, Higgins, Raskind, & Herman (2003).

LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

UNDERSTANDING SUCCESS ATTRIBUTES
According to the research, the success attributes have shown a greater influence on life success than academic achievement, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and even IQ.  It is important to emphasize that not every “successful” individual possessed each of these attributes, and some attributes may be present to a greater or lesser degree.  Similarly, unsuccessful persons may have had some of these attributes, again to a greater or lesser extent.  Still, research has statistically confirmed that successful persons are much more likely to have these attributes, and that their presence increases the chances for positive life outcomes.
Although development of the success attributes does not guarantee success, any opportunity a teacher has to foster these attributes is a step towards helping their students reach their optimal potential and lead happy, satisfying, and rewarding lives.
A brief summary of each success attribute is presented below.  In the following, we will discuss each attribute by using direct quotes from the study participants to clarify each attribute and to provide a first-hand account of how attributes were expressed.  An emphasis is placed on comparing the experiences of successful and unsuccessful participants in order to capture more explicitly the essence of each success attribute and how it relates to achieving successful life outcomes.

Self-Awareness:  (1) recognition of one’s strengths, weaknesses, special talents, and passions; (2) acceptance of the learning disability; (3) ability to compartmentalize the learning disability - see it as only one aspect of oneself.
Proactivity:  (1) being actively engaged in world; (2) belief in power to control own destiny; (3) ability to make and act upon decisions and take responsibility for outcomes (4) willingness to consult with others; (5) flexibility in considering options.
Perseverance:  (1) persistence in pursuing goals despite adversity; (2) ability to modify goals; (3) ability to learn from hardships; (4) recognition of the value of adversity.
Goal-Setting:  (1) ability to set specific, yet flexible goals in a number of domains; (2) development of strategies and understanding of the step-by-step process necessary to reach goals; (3) setting goals that are realistic and attainable.
Presence and use of effective support systems:  (1) presence of clear and realistic expectations; (2) willingness to actively seek the support of others.
Emotional coping strategies:  (1) development of effective means of reducing and coping with the stress, frustration, and emotional aspects of learning disabilities; (2) maintenance of a positive and hopeful outlook.
 
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

SELF-AWARENESS
“As I said, I have dyslexia. I have never not had dyslexia, so it always has, and always will, affect my life. I don’t know what it’s like not to have dyslexia. I don’t know that I want to do life over again without it. It’s part of me. It will hinder me, as it has, and it will push me into places where I never would have gone.”
--33-year-old successful male
Successful people with learning disabilities are aware of the types of problems they have, including academic problems like reading and math, academic-related problems such as attentional or organizational difficulties, and non-academic difficulties such as motor deficits or emotional/behavioral problems. They are open and specific about their difficulties and understand how these affect their lives. As one study participant stated, “I wasn’t a behavior problem, I didn’t have attention problems.  “But  . . . I just couldn’t learn to read and write.”
Most important, successful individuals have the ability to compartmentalize their disability.  That is, they are able to see their learning difficulties as only one aspect of themselves.  Although they are aware of their learning limitations, they are not overly defined by them.  As one successful individual said:
“You know, everybody comes with a package. And yeah, there are things that I am good at and things that I am not so good at. Some of my limitations are reading and writing. But boy, when it comes to putting things together, reading plans, and chasing down problems, those are some talents, some skills that I was born with . . . I carved a different path and my whole life has been that way.”
Clearly, this individual differentiated his learning disability from his abilities in other areas, namely, “putting things together,” which enabled him to contain the effect of the learning disability and prevent it from negatively affecting his sense of self and well-being.  That is, his disability was reduced to a small piece of who he was and how he defined himself. 
Successful individuals with learning disabilities recognize their talents along with accepting their limitations.  This idea is expressed particularly well by one adult who stressed, “We all learn differently; we all have strengths and weaknesses.” Another adult with a learning disability shared, “It’s still there and I compensate . . . I think the problems that I had were no different than anybody else who is conscious of their weaknesses, and then some of their strengths.  Some people are not conscious at all.”
In addition to recognizing their strengths, weaknesses, and special talents, successful adults with learning disabilities are able to find jobs that provide the best fit or “match” with their abilities.  This is referred to as successful “niche picking.”  For example, an individual with severe reading problems, but exceptional skills in woodworking might find a successful career in cabinet making rather than as a copy editor.  A person with math deficits, but excellent writing abilities might shy away from a career in accounting, yet find success in journalism.  And, the individual with poor reading and writing, but strong oral language skills might pursue sales and avoid jobs requiring substantial written language abilities.
Unsuccessful people with learning disabilities, on the other hand, often fail to recognize both their strengths and limitations, accept their difficulties, compartmentalize their learning disability, and find employment that provides the best fit for their abilities.
 
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

PROACTIVITY
Successful adults with learning disabilities are generally actively engaged in the world around them - politically, economically, and socially. They participate in community activities and take an active role in their families, neighborhoods, and friendship groups. Additionally, they often step into leadership roles at work, in the community, and in social and family settings.  Successful individuals demonstrate the ability to “reciprocate” in relationships by adopting a care-taking role with family members or acting as mentors in various settings.  In contrast, unsuccessful individuals rarely take on such roles. 
Not surprisingly, successful persons with learning disabilities also believe that they have the power to control their own destiny and affect the outcome of their lives.  In talking about how he took charge of his college experience, one successful adult remarked:
“I actually didn’t take classes as much as I took professors. The way I got through college was I looked at the classes I was interested in and I was over at the professors’ office times telling them I’m going to need extra time; give me the ability to take the written exam orally. There are a bunch of exceptions and I just listed them out for these people.”
This quote demonstrates the kind of creative self-advocacy and initiative we frequently observed in successful adults.  In contrast, unsuccessful individuals tend merely to respond passively to events.
Successful persons with learning disabilities also show the ability to make decisions and act upon those decisions.  Additionally, they assume responsibility for their actions and the resulting outcomes.  In talking about how his shyness interfered with trying to meet a girl, one successful adult shared:
“I looked at that lesson and said, ‘OK, you blew it that time. What are you going to do? How are you going to overcome that situation?’ So I systematically started working on getting over my shyness . . . And last spring . . . “
Commenting on his career, another individual expressed:
“I think that I worked hard and I made choices instead of letting things happen.  I mean stuff that I haven’t actively gone and taken care of are the only things that I’m not as satisfied with.”
When things don’t work out, successful individuals generally take responsibility for the outcome and do not blame others.  Commenting on his career, the same individual expressed commitment to action, “Anything I’m going to do, I’m going to give it my all. Otherwise I’m not going to touch it.”
A willingness to consult with others while making decisions is also characteristic of successful people with learning disabilities.  For example, one successful adult shared how she consulted friends and family concerning a career change, eventually following her sister’s advice to pursue her strength in fashion design.  Successful individuals also appear to be flexible in considering and weighing options.  For instance, when faced with a career-ending knee surgery, one successful athlete was able to smoothly shift her career focus to a pottery business.  Another individual whose learning disability prevented him from passing required college courses, researched and transferred to a university that did not require those courses for graduation.
In contrast, unsuccessful individuals often do not recognize that situations can be altered, or that multiple solutions may exist.  Instead, they are either passive, making no decision, or conversely, stick rigidly to a simplistic, rule-based decision even if it ultimately fails.  For instance, one unsuccessful adult in the study continued to apply for secretarial jobs despite her severe reading and spelling disabilities.  She did not seem to understand why she was not being hired.  Unfortunately, she developed resentment toward potential employers, which in turn affected her interview skills negatively.  She continued to externalize blame onto the employers and eventually stopped interviewing altogether.

LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

PERSEVERANCE
Many persons with learning disabilities show great perseverance and keep pursuing their chosen path despite difficulties.  They often describe themselves in such terms as “I am not a quitter” and “I never give up.”  However, successful individuals demonstrate an additional important ability -- knowing when to quit.  Although they rarely give up on a general goal, depending on the situation, they may change the way they go about achieving it, thereby improving their chances for success. In other words, after repeated failure, these individuals are able to see and pursue alternative strategies for reaching their goal, or know when the goal itself might have to be modified.  Often they try several strategies until they find one that works.  One successful adult stated, “Once I have a failure, I can’t just dwell on that failure and restrict myself for the rest of my life. I’ll do something else.”
Successful individuals with learning disabilities use a variety of strategies that allow them to persevere.  They often find a way around the obstacle to their progress.  Some employ a “spray” approach, in which they simultaneously try a number of strategies until one works.  This is particularly evident in the group’s approach to college.  Successful individuals often made several starts at college, change universities to find accommodating programs for their particular needs, change majors, and seek and accept help from others on campus.
In contrast, unsuccessful individuals are not so flexible and often appear to be “beating their heads against the wall,” perseverating rather than persevering.  One former student, for example, clung to one college setting for 11 years as a communications major, even though her coursework would never lead to a job in that field since she was a social isolate with highly restricted expressive language.
Beyond simply not giving up, successful individuals indicate that they learn from their hardships.
One participant noted:  “I have failed many times, but I am not a failure.  I have learned to succeed from my failures.”
Another individual stated:
“In school they don’t teach students that every successful person had a number of failures.  If you really think about it, every successful person has had failure.  What sets apart a successful person from a professional failure is that a professional failure allows himself to be defeated and becomes defeated and you see them out on the streets.  A successful person looks at failure as a means to an end.”
Furthermore, successful people agree that difficult situations are often necessary for learning to take place.
Many successful individuals internalize their ability to persevere as an important area of strength, some elevating it to the status of a “special talent” of which they are very proud.  Although successful individuals report a variety of factors that serve to motivate and maintain their perseverance, all stress its importance in their lives.  A successful person stated:  “I am most proud of my ability to keep going.  I have learned to keep going no matter what people said.  No matter if it was inspired by anger or revenge or whatever, still it’s the ability to keep plodding along.”
In comparison, unsuccessful individuals often quit in the face of adversity and back away from challenges.  Even though they described themselves as perseverant, their detailed descriptions of incidents reveal they give up much more easily and quickly than their successful peers.

Next: Goal-Setting
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

GOAL-SETTING
Successful individuals set goals that are specific, yet flexible so that they can be adjusted to particular circumstances and situations.  These goals cover a number of areas, including education, employment, family, spiritual and personal development. In addition, the goals of successful persons with learning disabilities include a strategy to reach their goals.  That is, they have an understanding of the step-by-step process for obtaining goals.  One successful adult pursuing a career in the entertainment field stated:
“I always look at every move, like this particular move doing the video, as a stepping stone for the next project. That’s how I’m looking at it. As I said, the area I really want to move into is, I want to direct.”
Successful people also appear to have goals that are realistic and attainable.
“I’ll tell you something. I’m very realistic in terms of what I know I can do, what I possibly can do, and what I cannot do. That’s why I knew right off the bat that I was not going to be a doctor.”
31-year-old male
Many successful people with learning disabilities set at least tentative goals in adolescence, that provide direction and meaning to their lives.  A successful adult trained as a social worker said:
“When I was in late high school, I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. I was given the opportunity to baby-sit, and in the twelfth grade I worked at a day camp. I discovered that I was interested in children and that this may turn out to be a profession. So there was kind of a break and something to shoot for; some sort of self-direction.”
While successful individuals with learning disabilities have concrete, realistic, and attainable goals, unsuccessful individuals often have vague, unrealistic, or grandiose goals that are not in line with their strengths, weaknesses, or special abilities.  For example, an unsuccessful person at 35 years of age had a goal to “become vice president of a company, any company,” yet had difficulty holding even entry-level jobs and had no management experience, while another with severe reading, writing, and organization difficulties wanted to become an executive secretary.  Not surprisingly, both have been unsuccessful at their attempts to reach these goals and experience frustration and stress as a result.

Next: Presence and Use of Support Systems
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

PRESENCE AND USE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Both successful and unsuccessful individuals with learning disabilities receive some form of support and assistance from others over the course of their lives.  They frequently speak about the support, guidance, and encouragement provided by “significant others,” such as friends, teachers, therapists, co-workers, and family members.  As one individual shared about her father:
“He really was my greatest champion dealing with school, and he really worked hardest to get me into school, and for that I give him a lot of credit.”
Another adult with a learning disability reflected about an effective educational therapist:
“. . . she worked with me on visualization and memorization, and I think that’s helped me probably the most.  She taught me how to picture something in my head and keep it there, like a word.  That’s something that I still do now.”
A spouse is credited for one man’s success:  “My wife: she’s great.  I couldn’t do it without her by any means.”
However, there are differences between successful and unsuccessful individuals in terms of support systems.  To begin with, as successful individuals move into adulthood, they attempt to reduce their dependence on others.  In many instances they are able to switch roles with people who provided them with support in the past, finding themselves assisting and encouraging those who once helped them.  In contrast, unsuccessful persons with learning disabilities frequently are unable to “cut the cord” as they transition into adulthood and end up remaining highly dependent on others.  For example, a 35-year-old described his continued dependency on his family as follows:
“My parents built a guesthouse for me.  They built a mother-in-law addition to their house.  I live in their guesthouse on their property.  Basically, I keep it clean but that’s about it.  My car insurance is paid for by my parents.  They buy the food.”
Furthermore, the people who have provided support to successful individuals with learning disabilities generally hold clear and realistic expectations regarding life goals and outcomes for the people they supported, and guide them to identify realistic goals without being harsh or critical.  They are also able to help them change directions in attempting to achieve goals, or modify the goals, if necessary.  They are consistent and steadfast in their functioning as sounding boards for reality testing.  A successful adult with learning disabilities described the support from a workplace mentor:
“I guess you could say he rescued me. I was working at this place and going nowhere; probably getting canned.  I only had a couple of more months of work and he was able to take me out of the division I was in and put me back working on mini-computers. That made me very happy. He taught me a new programming language to work in and really helped me out. He’s one of the reasons I own this place.”
Finally, successful individuals with learning disabilities actively seek the support of others, rather than simply wait for someone to come to their aid when they need assistance.  They take the initiative to get help and are willing to accept help when it is offered.  One former student shared the following college experience:
“It was midterms.  I wasn’t getting C’s, I was getting D’s and F’s.  I looked like I was going to have to drop out.  If I was going to drop out, that . . . would have been the end of the world for me.  That was a real difficult year.  I made a recovery.  Systematically, I talked to my teachers, I talked to friends, and they helped me through that very difficult situation.”
By contrast, unsuccessful individuals are not as likely to actively seek support or accept it when offered.

Next: Emotional Coping Strategies
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

EMOTIONAL COPING STRATEGIES
All people with learning disabilities experience stress in their lives as a result of living with learning problems.  Such stress can be experienced in a variety of settings -- school, work, home, and social life.  In some cases, the stress can be so significant that it leads to psychological difficulties such as anxiety or depression.  One highly successful adult described her experience during the elementary school years:
“In childhood, I think that the critical events of my life had a lot to do with my learning disability.  I carried a lot of stress about that.  It was an impact because it was always there.  I felt like a normal child, but it was always there.  So every day of your life you have to sit down and do your homework and there was ‘didn’t you listen in school?  Don’t you have an example?  Didn’t the teacher tell you how to do it? . . .’ and then there would be tears because you can’t take it from school to home in your mind.  There’s tears and there’s family conversation and there’s tension.”
Although all persons with learning disabilities may experience disability-related stress, successful individuals appear to have developed effective means of reducing and coping with stress, frustration, and the emotional aspects of their learning disabilities.  In particular, there appear to be three components of successful emotional coping:
• Awareness of the situations that trigger stress
• Recognition of developing stress
• Availability/access to and use of coping strategies
For example, a successful adult with learning disabilities in our study manages her anxiety attacks by recognizing that (a) reading aloud in a group triggers anxiety, (b) physical symptoms such as rapid breathing are signs of stress, and (c) slow deep breathing reduces her anxiety.
Successful individuals have developed strategies for reducing stress and avoiding resulting psychological difficulties.  Such strategies include seeking counseling, asking others to do unmanageable tasks on the job, changing activities periodically so stress does not build up, expressing feelings, asserting oneself, utilizing peer support and encouragement, learning to ask for help, planning ahead for difficult situations, staying away from negative or critical persons, obtaining medication if necessary, working out differences with friends and family, and sharing feelings and experiences with sympathetic family members.
Whereas recognizing triggers and using coping strategies helps successful individuals with learning disabilities cope, unsuccessful persons with learning disabilities report being blindsided by events that cause stress.  When overly stressed or emotionally wrought, they have great difficulty thinking of potential resources -- both internal and external -- to help them reduce stress and regain stability.

Next: Guiding Principles

LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS ATTRIBUTE INTERVENTIONS
To date, no research has found the most effective way to teach the success attributes.  In fact, no research study has explicitly examined an intervention model aimed at fostering the success attributes.  However, a considerable body of learning disabilities research suggests guidelines for developing a model to foster the success attributes in students with learning disabilities.
The following seven Guiding Principles for fostering the success attributes are derived from a comprehensive research base on the most effective practices for enhancing the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral skills of students with learning disabilities.  In the absence of intervention research specifically focused on these attributes, we offer these Guiding Principles as a “compass” for developing a program to foster the success attributes,
1. Emphasize Strengths
2. Consider Multiple Settings
3. Use Multiple Formats
4. Teach Across the Curriculum
5. Consider Multiple Domains
6. Expand the Circle of Support
7. Personalize the Experience

Next: Emphasize Strengths
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

EMPHASIZE STRENGTHS
Historically, the field of learning disabilities has focused on remediating academic deficits demonstrated by students with learning disabilities.  Thus, both research and practice have been aimed at interventions to improve deficient skills in reading, writing, math, organization, memory, and social relations in educational settings.
Fortunately, many research-based interventions have been developed that improve skills in these areas.  However, despite a growing research base of effective academic interventions, and application of this research in the classroom by dedicated, knowledgeable, and insightful teachers, learning disabilities do not go away but follow students into and throughout their adult life. 
In another line of investigation, recent research has shed light on factors that lead individuals to successful life outcomes, despite their deficits. For successful individuals, a more productive strategy appears to be accentuating and developing strengths and abilities, rather than concentrating exclusively on improving areas of deficiency.
In our own research on success and learning disabilities, as well as research by others, we have shown that those individuals who found and pursued their strengths, abilities, and special talents were more likely to be successful than those who did not.  These individuals often found jobs or chose careers that provided them with the opportunity to showcase their abilities rather than expose their deficits.  Persons with learning disabilities who found employment that best matched their abilities had a greater chance of being successful.  This match between abilities and setting has been called “goodness-of-fit.”
Research also indicates that the chances for achieving a satisfying, rewarding, and productive life are enhanced by pursing activities and goals in which one is driven by interest, passion, and desire. Combining strengths and talents with such strong motivation can impart a powerful influence on life success.
Considering the above research findings, an intervention aimed at fostering life success should incorporate activities to help students explore strengths and talents while also recognizing and developing interests, motivation and passion. It is important for teachers to help their students understand not only their abilities and interests regarding academics within the school setting, but also areas beyond.  This includes sports, dance, music, art, business, etc.  Often students with learning disabilities know all too well what they cannot do, but have little opportunity to explore or pursue areas for which they may have talent or a high level of interest.
On the other hand, helping students to recognize a broad range of potential aptitudes can set the stage for a developing a satisfying, rewarding life, as opposed to one of repeated struggle and failure.
Gerber & Reiff (1991); Reiff, Gerber, & Ginsberg (1997); Goldberg, Higgins, Raskind, & Herman (2003); Raskind, et al. (1999).
Gerber, Ginsberg, & Reiff (1992).

Next: Consider Multiple Settings

LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

CONSIDER MULTIPLE SETTINGS
Since teachers primarily work with students within the classroom, it is easy to forget that students have a life outside of school.  Like everyone else, students with learning disabilities must function within home, social/recreational settings, and some older students, also in the workplace.  They must interact with family members, peers, community members, and in some instances coworkers.
Research indicates that children and adolescents with learning disabilities experience difficulties not only in school, but in these other contexts, as well.  For example, within the home, research has indicated that having a family member with a learning disability may have a negative effect on both parent-child and sibling relationships.  Furthermore, children with learning disabilities are often socially rejected by both their peers and adults.  Similarly, difficulties in reading, writing, spelling, math, organization and memory can cause problems within the workplace.
As students grow and move into adulthood, the difficulties they experienced in the school years often follow them - learning disabilities are a lifelong condition.  For example, problems arise in such areas as independent living, romantic relationships, marriage, child-rearing, and postsecondary education.
Considering the many settings in which students with learning disabilities have to function, as well as the difficulties they may encounter within these settings, it is important to think beyond the school in planning an intervention aimed at fostering life success.  Therefore, activities aimed at developing the success attributes must take into account the importance of these attributes in multiple settings and the manner in which they can be utilized to enhance positive outcomes within the various settings.  For example, perseverance is not only important in achieving academically, it is also necessary for enhancing family and social relations.  Similarly, one must not only learn to develop emotional coping strategies for school-related stress, but also for handling problems within the home and workplace.
Therefore, students need to participate in activities that get them thinking beyond the school setting and envisioning how the attributes relate to the various environments in which they will function during the course of their lives.
Goldberg, et al. (2003); Margalit & Heiman (1986); Roffman (2000). 
Bryan (1974); Pearl (2002); Wiener (2002).
Gerber et al. (1992).

Next: Use Multiple Formats

LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

USE MULTIPLE FORMATS
Although research in learning disabilities has not supported the notion that each child has a distinct and discrete “learning style” (e.g., “visual learner”), we do know that each child has his or her own strengths, weaknesses, interests, and preferences for learning. 
Some children with reading difficulties may benefit from listening to information (e.g., book on tape) or watching a movie.  Children with writing problems may be able to express themselves more effectively through speaking, drawing, constructing, or dancing.  In fact, multimodal instruction techniques (using sound, sight, touch, movement) have been found to be effective for students with learning disabilities.
Additionally, using technology  (e.g., computers) to present information to students with learning disabilities has been found to be an effective instructional strategy.  Multimedia/technologies may include the use of film, video, computer software, television, and the Internet.
Evidence also suggests that children with learning disabilities can benefit from group activities.  Some studies have shown small-group instruction to be one of the most effective strategies for students with learning disabilities, more so than one-to-one instruction.  Similarly, there is evidence that cooperative learning groups –small groups of children of different ability levels - are an effective way to develop self-concept and social relationships in students with learning disabilities.
By utilizing some of these formats when presenting the success attributes in the classroom, teachers enhance the likelihood that students will develop these attributes.
 
 
Kavale, Hirshoren, & Forness (1998): Snider (1992).
Higgins & Raskind (1995, 1997); Raskind & Higgins (1995); Oakland, Black, Stanford, Nussbaum, & Balise (1998).
Swanson & Hoskyn (1998).
Swanson & Hoskyn (1998).
Klinger & Vaughn (1998).

Next: Teach Across the Curriculum
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FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

TEACH ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
In order for students to understand and develop the success attributes to the fullest extent, success attribute activities must be infused across the entire school curriculum. 
Research informs us that students with learning disabilities are more likely to understand and transfer learning if they are consistently exposed to it across time and settings.  It is not enough to “teach” the attributes in one class session or lesson.  Rather, presenting opportunities for multiple activities and examples across varied content areas, time of day, and season of the school year enhances the possibility that students develop the success attributes.
An emphasis on real-life situations, reference to prior experience or knowledge, and material with high interest, have all been linked to positive learning outcomes for students with learning disabilities.  Any time these elements are incorporated into success attribute activities, the likelihood that they will be fostered increases.  For example, the concept of perseverance might be discussed relative to a historical figure in a history class (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr.), a famous scientist in science class (e.g., Thomas Edison), or a favorite sports star in physical education (e.g., Lance Armstrong).  Similarly, reading instruction might involve stories about the struggles and triumphs of famous people with dyslexia who persevered in the face of adversity (e.g., Whoopi Goldberg).
Beyond the classroom, “teachable moments” for highlighting the success attributes may be found during activities on the playground, in the library, or at lunch time.  For example, an assignment could be devised to interview the coach or librarian about a time in their life when they demonstrated perseverance.
In sum, generalization of the success attributes is enhanced through multiple activities and examples within a variety of school settings and content areas over time
 
Next: Consider Multiple Domains
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FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
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CONSIDER MULTIPLE DOMAINS
Through most of its history, the field of learning disabilities has focused on academic experience/behavior within educational contexts.  However, recent research has shown that having a learning disability is a lifelong condition that impacts many aspects of an individual’s life - not just school and academics.  Furthermore, we now know that successful individuals with learning disabilities appear to be able to apply the success attributes beyond the realm of academics to such domains as psychological/emotional (identifying feelings, managing stress, developing coping strategies, etc.); physical (health, nutrition, athletic skills, grooming); social (getting over an argument with a friend, making a new friend, apologizing, sticking up for someone else, sharing, listening being a “team player,” etc.); and philosophical/values (developing honesty, loyalty, kindness, managing violent impulses).
Similarly, attempts to foster development of the success attributes must extend beyond academic/cognitive domains in educational contexts into additional aspects of students’ lives.  For instance, in teaching self-awareness, one might begin by exploring academic self-awareness, then move on to physical self-awareness, and psychological/ emotional, social and philosophical/values self-awareness.  Similarly, when teaching goal-setting, be sure to provide experiences at setting goals in physical, social, psychological, and philosophical/values realms.         
Reiff, Gerber, & Ginsberg (1994); Goldberg et al. (2003).

Next: Expand the Circle of Support

LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
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EXPAND THE CIRCLE OF SUPPORT
This success attributes intervention model is intended primarily to be implemented by the classroom teacher in his/her classroom.  A more powerful approach involves expanding the “circle of support” beyond the classroom, and even the school itself. 
Within the school, additional support, input, and opportunities for “practicing” the success attributes may be provided by school counselors, school psychologists, and peers.  This “interdisciplinary support team” can also move beyond the school setting, to include parents, therapists, coaches, and mentors.  (Of course, confidentiality policies must be followed regarding any sharing of information regarding the student.)
It is clear from research with many different at-risk populations of children, including children with learning disabilities, that growing up with wide school, community, and familial support systems increases the chance for success in adulthood.   Furthermore, studies of curriculum designed to foster positive social skills and self-concept development in children with learning disabilities point to the increased effectiveness of programs that use both classroom teachers and counselors to effect change in student behavior.  Hence, an expanded circle of support appears to yield better results.
How might a success attribute be fostered within this expanded circle?  Let’s take perseverance for example.  It might start with introductory classroom activities about the attribute perseverance led by the teacher, as suggested in the next section on Success Attribute Activities.  For participating students, a follow-up discussion in a group or individual counseling session, or a social skills group conducted by the school psychologist could be arranged.  To widen the circle of support to peers, an in-service for members of the student council or the student conflict resolution team could be conducted by the group supervisor.  Finally, the circle of support could be expanded to include homework assignments, to have discussions with parents in the home, to practice particularly relevant success skills with the coach or activities with the Scout troop leader.
In sum, by having input from multiple sources and facilitating the opportunity for students to practice the elements of the success attribute perseverance in a variety of settings, with a variety of key adults and peers, the likelihood that a youngster will generalize the success attribute perseverance to other experiences in his/her life is dramatically increased.
Werner (1993); Gerber & Reiff (1991); Raskind et al. (1999).
Bryan (1999); Cosden, Brown, & Elliott (2002); Elbaum & Vaughn (2003).
 
Next: Personalize the Experience
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FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
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PERSONALIZE THE EXPERIENCE
Several authorities in learning disabilities have long stressed the importance of providing learning experiences that are interest-driven and of personal significance.  With this in mind, activities aimed at fostering  the success attributes should allow participants to personalize the experience by including their own interests, individual beliefs, feelings, and previous encounters relating to the success attributes. This also includes considering ethnicity, cultural background and gender.
Students should be encouraged to share their previous efforts and triumphs with the success attributes or to generate examples from their own lives - whether involving them directly or indirectly.  Examples from their lives should not be limited to the school setting and academic domain, but should include all aspects of their lives.  For example, if working on goal-setting, have children describe previous successes with setting and reaching personal goals from various domains of their lives (e.g., making the baseball team, learning the times tables, overcoming a fear, making a new friend).
Frequent activities of this kind allow the instructor to become more aware of students’ thoughts, feelings, preferences, and beliefs in an effort to choose better and more pertinent examples and activities, as well as to informally assess their individual progress.
Heshusius (1984); Lundberg (1995); Poplin (1988).

Next: Assessment of the Success Attributes
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

ASSESSMENT OF THE SUCCESS ATTRIBUTES
At present, there are no specific tests or scientific procedures for determining the presence or absence of the success attributes in students.  However, your responses to the statements in the following checklists may give you a general indication of where a particular student stands.  In responding to these statements, also consider gathering information from other people who know a student (teachers, family members, counselors, etc.).  And, as appropriate, don’t forget to include the student in the assessment process.  Depending on the strengths and limitations of each student, you may want to develop a modified version of the checklist, or conduct an interview with the student based on the checklist statements.  Information from multiple sources will help ensure that the assessment is accurate.
Make sure you get an idea of where the student stands regarding the presence or absence of each attribute and its component parts prior to launching an intervention program.  The checklists can be filled out again after completion of the intervention program, or at specified intervals along the way.  In this way you will be able to determine any change in the presence or absence of the success attributes.
Next: Self-Awareness Checklist
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FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
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SELF-AWARENESS CHECKLIST
MY STUDENT...
 Is aware of his/her academic strengths

 Is aware of his/her academic weaknesses

 Is aware of his/her non-academic strengths

 Is aware of his/her non-academic weaknesses

 Is aware of his/her special talents and abilities

 Is aware of his/her feelings, opinions, and values

 Is able to match activities to strengths

 Understands his/her specific learning disability

 Accepts his/her learning disability

 Is able to “compartmentalize”

 Uses strategies to work around the learning disability

Next: Proactivity Checklist
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FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
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PROACTIVITY CHECKLIST
MY STUDENT...
 Participates in classroom and extracurricular social activities

 Makes decisions and acts upon those decisions

 Understands the advantages/disadvantages of making certain decisions

 Recognizes when a decision needs to be made

 Knows how to evaluate decisions

 Takes responsibility for his/her actions

 Feels he/she has control over his/her world

 Is assertive and stands up for him/herself

 Is self-confident

Next: Perseverance Checklist
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FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
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PERSEVERANCE CHECKLIST

MY STUDENT...
 Understands the benefits of perseverance

 Keeps working at academic tasks despite difficulties

 Keeps working at non-academic tasks despite difficulties

 Knows how to deal with obstacles/setbacks

 Knows how to adjust to change

 Knows when to quit

 
Next: Goal-Setting Checklist
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FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
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GOAL-SETTING CHECKLIST
MY STUDENT...
 Sets academic goals

 Sets non-academic goals

 Can prioritize goals

 Knows when a goal is realistic

 Develops plans/steps for reaching goals

 Understands the relationship between short- and long-term goals

 Finds alternative ways to reach goals when faced with obstacles

 Understands the need to work with others to reach goals

Next: Presence & Use of Effective Support Systems Checklist
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FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
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PRESENCE & USE OF EFFECTIVE SUPPORT SYSTEMS CHECKLIST
MY STUDENT...
 Knows when he/she needs help

 Knows how to get help

 Seeks help when needed

 Is willing to use technological supports

 Is aware of laws to help persons with learning disabilities

Next: Emotional Coping Strategies Checklist
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
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EMOTIONAL COPING STRATEGIES CHECKLIST
MY STUDENT...
 Is aware of how his/her emotional reactions affect behavior

 Is aware of situations that cause stress, frustration, and emotional upset
 Has developed strategies for avoiding or reducing stress

 Is able to recognize the onset of stress

 Knows when outside support/help is needed

Next: Success Attribute Activities by Attribute and Level
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

SUCCESS ATTRIBUTE ACTIVITIES BY ATTRIBUTE AND LEVEL
Each of these activities begins with an introductory activity for the attribute, suggests some general activities that can be woven through the curriculum throughout the day, and lists some extension activities designed to provide further reinforcement of concepts and opportunities for teachers to assess understanding and mastery. 
Each attribute includes experiences that are appropriate for either elementary children or secondary students.  There are also Activities Worksheets for each attribute that can be downloaded for classroom use.

Next: Self-Awareness Activities for Elementary Grades
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

SELF-AWARENESS: ELEMENTARY GRADES
Introductory Activity
As you introduce the attribute self-awareness, prepare a chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  (Leave space as you will be adding more attributes to the chart later.)  Have the class define “self-awareness” in their own words.  Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities.  Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through the curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using “teachable moments” throughout the school day.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.
General Activities
The general activities below are intended to develop and personalize students’ understanding of themselves and their individual strengths and weaknesses.  They can be carried out as whole-group activities, in small groups or even with individual students, and can be woven into various subject-matter curricula throughout the day, and across settings.
• Work with students to develop and discuss lists of their individual strengths, weaknesses, and special talents.
• Have students choose potential careers that best match their abilities and discuss their choices.
• Bring adults with LD into your classroom to talk about their experiences - both struggles and triumphs.

Extension Activities
The activities below are designed for the most part to be conducted as whole-class activities that extend understanding and offer further reinforcement of self-awareness, as well as to provide teachers with opportunities to assess students’ progress.
Whole-Class Comparison
Have children line up by height, hair color, most/least talkative, most/least physically active, friendly, courteous, funniest, most artistic, computer-wise, etc.
• Stay away from academics and value-laden areas such as “popularity”
• Discuss differences along various attributes with the whole class
 
Interest Inventory
(Use the “Interest Inventory” worksheet available in the Activities Worksheets section)
• Have students fill out the interest inventory.
• Read the items aloud if necessary.
• Divide students into partners and have them discuss/share/compare interests.
• As a whole-group activity, ask
o Whose partner had an unusual interest?
o Who had common interests?
o What have you learned about yourself?
o What have you learned bout your classmates?
 
Collage of Realms of Behavior
• List realms of behavior on the board (e.g., social self, physical self, creative, academic, spiritual/moral self).
• Divide students into tables of small groups.
• Have students look through magazines and cut and paste pictures that represent them in each realm.
• Have students describe their collage to table mates.
• Have whole-group discussion/sharing by table.
 
Rating Yourself on Realms of Behavior
(Use the “Rate Yourself” worksheet available in the Activities Worksheets section)
Divide students into partners.  Read the items aloud if necessary.
• Have students:
o Rate self.
o Rate partner.
o Compare the two ratings.
o Discuss with partner.
o Discuss with whole class.
 
Strengths and Non-Strengths
• Read/discuss stories and/or films about individuals with learning disabilities.
• Display a large sheet of paper with the outline of a person drawn on it.
• Have students identify strengths/weaknesses of the individuals they read about.
• Write strengths in one color and weaknesses in another color on the figure.  (Example:  “good speaker” would be written next to mouth.)
• Give students their own (8 x 10) outline of a student and ask them to write their own strengths/weaknesses in different colors.
• For homework, assign to take the picture home and discuss it with their parents. Being in the home rather than the school environment may trigger new realizations, so that students may want to add to/subtract from the picture at that time.
 
Next: Self-Awareness Activities for Secondary Grades

LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE
SELF-AWARENESS: SECONDARY GRADES
Introductory Activity
As you introduce self-awareness, prepare a chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  (Leave space as you will be adding more attributes to the chart later.)  Have the class define “self-awareness” in their own words.  Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities.  Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through your subject matter curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using “teachable moments” throughout the period.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.
General Activities
• Work with students to develop and discuss lists of their individual strengths, weaknesses, and special talents.
• Have students choose potential careers that best match their abilities and discuss their choices.
• Bring adults with LD to the class to talk about their experiences - both struggles and triumphs.
 
Extension Activities
Whole-Class Comparison
• Have students line up on a continuum in relation to how much they like certain activities (sports, drama, surveys, leading/being led, talker/listener, etc.).
• After each activity, have them rearrange themselves based on whether they like to actively participate or passively watch the activity.
 
Strengths, Non-Strengths, Preferences
• Put a chart on the board with two columns marked “What I Like” and “What I’m Good At.”
• Have students fold a piece of paper down the middle and write the above as headings for each column.
• Think aloud/write examples in each column.
• Draw lines connecting the columns when a match is observed.
• Make two more columns marked “What I Don’t Like” “What I’m Not Good At.” Students turn over their papers and write the headings.
• Go through the think-aloud, writing descriptors and drawing matches between the columns.
• Ask for observations from the class.
 

Self-Awareness Scale
(Use the “Rate Yourself” worksheet available in the Activities Worksheets section)
• Use Likert scales of realms of behavior
• Divide students into partners.
• Have students:
o Rate self.
o Rate partner.
o Compare the two ratings.
o Discuss with partner.

“Imagine Me , Imagine You ”
(Use the “Imagine Me, Imagine You" worksheet available in the Activities Worksheets section) 
• Divide students into partners.
• Pass out the “How Do You See Yourself” worksheet and have students fill in the mirrors with words, pictures, or symbols of how they think other people see them.
• Have them respond to the three questions.
• Have students share and compare with a partner.
 
Next: Proactivity Activities for Elementary Grades

LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

PROACTIVITY: ELEMENTARY GRADES
Introductory Activity 
As you introduce proactivity, add it to the chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  (You will be adding more attributes to the chart later.)  Have class define “proactivity” in their own words.  Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities. Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through the curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using ‘teachable moments’ throughout the school day.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.
General Activities
• Present students with case examples of people facing problems in various contexts and have them discuss or role-play action-oriented strategies for resolving the conflicts.
• Have students write down important decisions they made, the strategies they used to make the decisions, and the outcomes and evaluations of the decisions.
• Present students with examples of people’s actions and outcomes, and discuss the extent to which the individual had control over the situation.
• Present students with a number of “risky” scenarios, and discuss the possible consequences of specific actions.
 
Extension Activities
Act or Pass
• Role-play (with students, if needed) several situations of being “active” and “passive” and ask students for words to describe each role-play (e.g., pro = carry the ball until the end of a game; pass = pass off the ball to another person).  Place the words in two columns on the board.
• Put the word “active” on a large word card and post it on the board.  Another word card with the word “pro” is placed in front of it.
• Lead a discussion about what each part of the word means (“What does it mean to be pro active?”  “What are you pro or for?”).
• Discuss the outcomes of being proactive in several situations and contrast with what would have happened if these people had remained passive.
• Have students make their own posters.  One side is labeled “active” and the other side “passive.”  Have them fill each side with pictures, words, drawings, or diagrams showing the things about which they are either proactive or passive.
• Link this activity with students’ strengths/weaknesses by having students circle pictures/words on their chart that indicate areas of strength and box pictures/words that indicate areas of weakness.
 
Ask the Experts
• Assign each student to be an expert on a particular thing, based on your knowledge of the student and on past self-awareness exercises in which strengths and special talents are listed, or let students self-select.  (There might be a jump-rope expert, comic book expert, as well as experts in academic subjects.)
• Set aside a 10- or 15-minute time block when children can meet with experts to ask questions, get coaching, etc., to give each child the opportunity to be assertive by helping or informing others.  Announce, “It’s ask the experts time.  The comic book expert will be meeting at Table A, handball expert will be at the handball court, math expert will be at Table B.”
• Rotate experts each day until all students have had a chance to be an expert.

Next: Proactivity Activities for Secondary Grades
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE
PROACTIVITY: SECONDARY GRADES
Introductory Activity
As you introduce proactivity, add it to the chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  (You will be adding more attributes to the chart later.)  Have class define “proactivity” in their own words.  Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities. Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through the curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using “teachable moments” throughout the school day.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.
General Activities
• Present students with case examples of people facing problems in various contexts, and have them discuss or role-play action-oriented strategies for resolving the conflicts.
• Have students write down important decisions they made, the strategies they used to make the decisions, the outcomes and evaluations of the decisions.
• Present students with examples of people’s actions and outcomes, and discuss the extent to which the individual had control over the situation.
• Present students with a number of “risky” scenarios, and discuss the possible consequences of specific actions.
 
Extension Activities
 
Stand up for Yourself
• Write a few situations on the board that involve unfair treatment (cutting ahead of you in line, snatching away a book you are reading, etc.).
• Have students choose a partner and role-play various things they could say or do to stand up for themselves instead of asking a teacher for help.
• Switch off and have the other partner try a few solutions.
• Have students volunteer to replay especially good solutions they found for the whole group.
 
Solutions/Make it Work for You
(Use the “Solutions” and “Role Plays” handouts available in the Activities Worksheets section)
• Make a chart and “Solutions” handouts.
• Discuss the chart and go over the steps.
• Give an example of using it to solve a problem (e.g., forgot lunch, lost homework).
• Distribute the handouts, read the role plays, and have students choose one problem and solve it using the handouts.  (They can write/tape/dictate responses.)
• Leave the chart up and have copies of the handouts available under the chart.  As you see students having a problem, have them get a handout and try it on their problem.
 
Act or Pass
• Role-play (with students, if needed) several situations of being “active” and “passive” and ask students for words to describe each role-play.  Put them in two columns on the board.
• Put the word “active” on a large word card and post it on the board.  Another word card with the word “pro” is placed in front of it.
• Leads a discussion about what each word part means (“What does it mean to be pro active?”  “What are you pro or for?).
• Discuss the outcomes of being proactive in several situations and contrast with what would have happened if these people had remained passive.
• Have students make their own posters.  One side is labeled “active” and the other side is “passive.”  Have them fill each side with pictures, words, drawings, or diagrams showing the things about which they are either proactive or passive.
• Link this activity with students’ strengths/weaknesses by having students circle pictures/words on their chart that indicate areas of strength and box pictures/words that indicate areas of weakness.
 
Ask the Experts
• Assign each student to be an expert on at a particular thing, based on your own knowledge of the student and on past self-awareness exercises in which strengths and special talents are listed, or let students self-select.  (There could be a video game expert, comic book, skateboard experts, as well as experts in academic subjects.)
• Set aside a 10- or 15-minute time block when students can meet with experts to ask questions, get coaching, etc., in order to give each person the opportunity to be assertive by helping or informing others. Announce, “It’s ask the experts time. The comic book expert will be meeting at Table A, skateboard expert will be on the patio, math expert will be at Table B.”

Next: Perseverance Activities for Elementary Grades
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

PERSEVERANCE: ELEMENTARY GRADES
Introductory Activity 
As you introduce perseverance, add it to the chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  (You will be adding more attributes to the chart later.)  Have class define “perseverance” in their own words.  Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities.  Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through the curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using “teachable moments” throughout the school day.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.
General Activities
• Share inspirational stories (e.g., tell, have students read, watch movies) of people who have persevered in the face of adversity.
• Have students share their own stories (e.g., tell, write, draw) about times when they have or have not persevered and the consequent outcomes.
• Have students keep journals focusing on experiences requiring perseverance.
• Have students self-monitor their behavior and attitude when playing games (e.g., physical, table-top) that require perseverance.

Extension Activities
Finding The Key
(Use the "Finding The Key" worksheet available in the Activities Worksheets section)
• Read stories and current events or view films of characters or people who have overcome obstacles/barriers (Tortoise & Hare, Thank you, Mr. Falker, Helen Keller, Stephen Hawkins, Martin Luther King Jr., Christopher Reeves, Lance Armstrong, etc.
• Post a large chart of a cut-out closed door with doorknob and keyhole.  The door represents the obstacles/barriers the characters/people faced.  List the obstacles on the front of the door.
• As a class, identify the characteristics that allowed these people to overcome their barriers and open the door.  Put the characteristics on key-shaped word cards with a hole punched on top.  These can be strung on a key chain and hung by the door.
• Put the word “persevere” on a large word card.  Talk about the definition.  For older students, explain the etymology (intent + severe = severe intent).
• Have students identify people in their lives or discuss situations when they have had to persevere.  Have them fill out their own door chart and identify the “keys”, that allowed them to overcome the closed door.
 
Don’t-Quit Alternatives
• Brainstorm alternatives to quitting.
• Add the following suggestions to the list if not mentioned:
o get help, information
o try another way to reach your goal
o get some encouragement, sympathy from a friend
o take a breather and try again later
o readjust your goal
o cheer yourself up by doing something you like
o get angry and use the anger to give you energy, move you to even more action
o make a mental picture of succeeding - make it very elaborate - bask in the warmth of success - daydream!!
o give yourself a pep talk
 give yourself credit for making it this far
 give yourself credit for the effort you’ve put in
 list the strengths you have that will help you to succeed
 give yourself credit for reaching past goals!
• Have children choose a strategy and make an 8½ by 11 poster of it. Pin them on a bulletin board entitled “Feel Like Quitting?”
• Offer a choice of making up success mottos such as “the difference between success and failure is getting up that one last time,” quitters never win and winners never quit,” “hang in there,” “nice try.”
 
Select Role Models
• Have students select five people they know who have shown perseverance and ask them to write/ discuss how they persevered and what drove them to persevere.
• Have students select examples of people who have not persevered and list the consequences of not persevering.
 
Next: Perseverance Activities for Secondary Grades
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

PERSEVERANCE: SECONDARY GRADES
Introductory Activity
As you introduce perseverance, add it to the chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  (You will be adding more attributes to the chart later.)  Have class define “perseverance” in their own words.  Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities.  Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through the curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using “teachable moments” throughout the school day.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.

General Activities
• Share inspirational stories (e.g., tell, have students read, watch movies) of people who have persevered in the face of adversity.
• Have students share their own stories (e.g., tell, write, draw) about times when they have or have not persevered and the outcomes.
• Have students keep journals focusing on experiences requiring perseverance.
• Have students self-monitor their behavior and attitude when playing games (e.g., physical, table-top) that require perseverance.
 
Extension Activities
Don’t Quit Alternatives
• Brainstorm alternatives to quitting and write them on the board.
• Add these to the list if not mentioned:
o get help, information
o try another way to reach your goal
o get some encouragement, sympathy from a friend
o take a breather and try again later
o readjust your goal
o cheer yourself up by doing something you like
o get angry and use the anger to give you energy, move you to even more action
o make a mental picture of succeeding - make it very elaborate - bask in the warmth of success - daydream!!
o give yourself a pep talk
 give yourself credit for making it this far
 give yourself credit for the effort you’ve put in
 list the strengths you have that will help you to succeed
 give yourself credit for reaching past goals!
• Have students choose a strategy and make an 8½ x 11 poster of it. Pin them on a bulletin board entitled “Feel Like Quitting?”
• Offer a choice of making up success mottos such as “the difference between success and failure is getting up that one last time,” “quitters never win and winners never quit,” “hang in there,” “nice try,” and have students write them out as posters.

Solutions
(Uses the “Solutions” and “Role Plays” handouts available in the Activities Worksheets section)
• Make a chart and “Solutions” handouts
• Discuss the chart and go over the steps.
• Give an example of using it to solve a problem (e.g., forgot lunch).
• Distribute the “Role Plays” handouts, read the role-plays, and have students choose one problem and solve it using the handouts.  They can write/tape/dictate responses.
• Leave the chart up and have copies of the handouts available under the chart.  As you see students having a problem, have them get a handout and try it on their problem.
 
Next: Goal-Setting Activities for Elementary Grades
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

GOAL-SETTING: ELEMENTARY GRADES
Introductory Activity 
As you introduce goal-setting, add it to the chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  (You will be adding more attributes to the chart later.)  Have class define “goal setting” in their own words.  Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities. Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through the curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using “teachable moments” throughout the school day.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.
General Activities
• Have students write down a short-term academic goal and discuss the step-by-step process necessary to get them there.
• Have students set a long-term goal and discuss the step-by-step process of getting there.
• Study/discuss successful individuals and determine the experiences, backgrounds, opportunities, and critical events that led them to their ultimate positions.
• Present fictional case examples of individuals with specific aspirations and, based on their strengths, weaknesses, and special talents, discuss whether their goals appear realistic.

Extension Activities
Hit the Mark
• Introduce goal-setting by focusing on homework completion in subject area such as reading.
• Ask individual students to track and record their daily out-of-class practice in a “homework” log (to include activity, time spent, enjoyed/didn’t enjoy) for a week.
• At the end of a week, record the data on a class cumulative chart.
• Discuss findings and ask the class how they could set a reasonable reading goal for the following week based on the past week’s data.  List suggestions and discuss the “reasonableness” of each. 
• Settle on a class goal and a class reward.  Make a chart to track daily progress toward the goal.
• Pass out individual goal sheets and ask students to set individual reading goals.  Allow time in the weekly schedule to evaluate progress toward/achievement of the goal.
• Encourage/model similar activities in other academic (math, writing, homework, seatwork completion) and behavior (being a good friend, individual behaviors, class participation) areas.
 
School Tour
• Explain that the class will be taking a walking tour around the school and visiting upper-grade classrooms so that they can start thinking about the future.
• Explain that they will be meeting lots of people, and list them on the board as you mention them (janitor, cafeteria workers, secretaries, nurse, upper-grade teachers, upper-grade children, etc.).
• Explain that students will be choosing one of these people to interview as they go around the school.
• As a class, brainstorm the steps involved in setting up an interview.
• Have each child choose a staff member to interview about his/her job or grade when encountered on the tour. Be sure to include non-teaching staff such as janitors, secretaries, bus drivers, food service personnel. More than one child can choose the same person to interview.
• Have children convene in small groups depending on whom they are going to interview (classmates who will interview the secretary, classmates who will interview the janitor, etc.).
• Have each child make up questions about the chosen person’s job (or grade) and write it out on a piece of paper.
• Take the tour, having the children interview their people as they encounter them.
• As a group, evaluate how successful students were in achieving their goal.
• List what they would do the same/differently next time.  (The next interview could be with a person outside of school – someone in an interesting job, etc.)
 
Plan a Party
(Use the “Plan a Party” handout available in the Activities Worksheets section)
• Divide class into groups of 5-6 students.
• Give one “Plan a Party” handout to each committee.
• Discuss setting a goal (having a fun party) and making a list of the steps it will take to reach the goal. Discuss the steps listed on the handout, then point out the blank lines they will fill in with the step-by-step way they will reach the goals.
• Announce that the group with the best list of steps to be completed before the party date will actually get to put on the party.
• As a class, evaluate whether the goal of having a “fun” party was reached – discuss how the planning could have been improved, etc.
• Incorporate event planning into your weekly “Friday Fun” reward for good behavior by having various groups of students plan the weekly Friday Fun.  Continue to evaluate the process.

Next: Goal-Setting Activities for Secondary Grades
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

GOAL-SETTING: SECONDARY GRADES
Introductory Activity 
As you introduce goal-setting, add it to the chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  (You will be adding more attributes to the chart later.)  Have class define “goal-setting” in their own words.   Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities. Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through the curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using “teachable moments” throughout the school day.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.
General Activities
• Have students write down a short-term academic goal and discuss the step-by-step process necessary to get them there.
• Have students set a long-term goal and discuss the step-by-step process of getting there.
• Study/discuss successful individuals and determine the experiences, backgrounds, opportunities, and critical events that led these individuals to their ultimate positions.
• Present fictional case examples of individuals with specific aspirations and, based on their strengths, weaknesses, and special talents, discuss whether their goals appear realistic.
 
Extension Activities
Personal Goals
(Use the “Self Goals” worksheet available in the Activities Worksheets section)
• Tell students they are going to discuss goals outside of academic goals;
• Place the following on the board:
Physical Goals
Sports
Health
Appearance Artistic Goals
Visual Arts
Music
Dance
Writing/Story-telling
Social Goals
Family relationships
Friends
Group membership  Community/Public Goals
Helping other individuals
Helping the whole community
Participating in activities
Emotional Goals
Coping with stress
Problem behaviors
New behaviors  Spiritual/Moral Goals
Religious beliefs
Right and wrong behaviors
• Discuss the terms and give examples of goals in each realm.
• Ask a few students to describe a goal they already have, state what realm it is in, and then describe the goal.
• Pass out the Self Goals worksheet and have students complete it.
• Tell students if they do not have a non-academic goal, they can look at the realms on the board to help them come up with one.
Delightful Disclosures
(Use the "Delightful Disclosures" worksheet available in the Activities Worksheets section)
• Place the following on the board:
Physical Goals
Sports
Health
Appearance Artistic Goals
Visual Arts
Music
Dance
Writing/Story-telling
Social Goals
Family relationships
Friends
Group membership  Community/Public Goals
Helping others
Helping the community
Emotional Goals
Coping with stress
Problem behaviors
New behaviors  Spiritual/Moral Goals
Religious beliefs
Right and wrong behaviors
• Explain that you are going to distribute Delightful Disclosures to those that deserve them. Delightful Disclosures are given when someone learns something they set out to learn.
o Have students list three things they would like to learn from the categories on the board and tell what realm it came from on brightly colored sticky notes, (e.g., play handball-physical, make a new friend - social, learn to use watercolors - artistic). Have them place their sticky notes in a row along the top of their desks.
o When they have completed their goal, they make out a Delightful Disclosure. During sharing time, either you or the student can read their Delightful Disclosure to the class.
 
Next: Use of Social Support Systems Activities for Elementary Grades
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

USE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS: ELEMENTARY
Introductory Activity 
As you introduce the use of social support systems, add it to the chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  (You will be adding more attributes to the chart later.)  Have class define “use of social support systems” in their own words.  Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities.  Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through the curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using “teachable moments” throughout the school day.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.
 
General Activities
• Have students research and report on federal laws related to individuals with learning disabilities in educational and employment settings.
• Share stories (e.g., tell, read, movies) about individuals who needed help from others, how they got it, and the value of having received it.
• Present case examples of individuals in need of help and discuss possible sources and means of accessing support/assistance, and possible outcomes with and without support.
• Have students research technology that will be helpful in compensating for their difficulties.
Extension Activities
Who' You Gonna Call?
(Use the “Who You Gonna Call?” handout available in the Activities Worksheets section)
• Distribute the “Who' You Gonna Call?” handout and explain that we all experience times when we feel cut, hurt, and scraped. Just as we use real bandages to help when we are physically hurt, we all have people bandages in our lives to whom we go when we are emotionally hurt.
• Have students complete the handout.
 
Recognizing Helpers
• Introduce this activity by asking the question “When do we need help? Who helps us?  Where do we get help from?”  Keep the discussion as broad as possible; all answers are acceptable.
• Make a list and ask the class to categorize it under home, school, community.
• With the results, fill in a graphic organizer consisting of interlocking circles that are labeled with the categories chosen by the class.  Choose a title (example: Our Support Systems).
• Pass out a similar graphic organizer for students to fill in to identify who helps or supports them in the various areas of their lives.
• Engage students in an activity focused on “How do you get help in each area?” (family, school, community).  For example, have students develop an interview schedule for accessing different kinds of help at school.  Include questions such as “What kind of help do you give?”  “How can a student access your help?”  “Where do students go if you’re not available?”.  Have students share results of surveys with class.  
• Invite high school graduates and other adults with disabilities to talk to the class about their experiences in this area.
 
Next: Use of Social Support Systems Activities for Secondary Grades
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE
USE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS: SECONDARY
Introductory Activity 
As you introduce the use of social support systems, add it to the chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  (You will be adding more attributes to the chart later.)  Have class define “use of social support systems” in their own words.  Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities.  Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through the curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using “teachable moments” throughout the school day.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.
 
General Activities
• Have students research and report on federal laws related to individuals with learning disabilities in educational and employment settings.
• Share stories (e.g., tell, read, movies) about individuals who needed help from others, how they got it, and the value of having received it.
• Present case examples of individuals in need of help and discuss possible sources and means of accessing support/assistance, and possible outcomes with and without support.
• Have students research technology that will be helpful in compensating for their difficulties.
Extension Activities
Role-Playing
(Use the “Role Plays” handout available in the Activities Worksheets section)
• Select from the situations to role-play appearing in Appendix G.
• Develop further scenarios where people are in need of help and discuss or role-play with students ways in which help could be obtained.  (Characters from books or movies that are faced with problems may also be used.)
 
Helper/Helpee
• Have students count off by 2s. 
• Have ones form a circle and sit on their hands, while 2s stand behind one of the students.
• Twos pantomime feeding partner various foods such as apples, sandwich, soup, watermelon, etc.
• Discuss feelings of helplessness and being dependent on another person.  How did it feel to be the helper?  The helpee?
 
I Know How You Feel
• Have students pair up and take turns role-playing the hypothetical situations listed below:
o You are blamed for something you did not do.
o Your father lost his job because he was always late.
o You are bugged in the hallway at school.
o Students laugh at you when you offer the wrong answer to a question.
o Your best friend asks the boy/girl you have a crush on to the dance.
o You walk into a classroom, sit down, then realize you are in the wrong room.
o Your baby brother scribbles all over your term paper the night before you have to hand it in.
o You do not receive your report card because you did not pay your library fines.
o Students have scribbled swear words on your locker.
• Have one member of the pair describe how s/he feels in these situations for one minute.  Then the second member gives feedback on his/her feelings using phrases like the following:
o I can tell you’re hurt about that.
o I sense you’re feeling angry about the situation.
o Sounds like you’re ______.
o I sense that ______.
 
Active Listening Practice - Summarizing
• Explain that active listening is different from passive listening in that the listener is not completely silent during the conversation.  His reactions are aimed at two goals: (1) to summarize the main points of what the speaker said to make sure he has understood the speaker correctly, and (2) to make comments about how he perceives the speaker is feeling about the topic or incident.  Active listening is often used when the speaker indicates he has a problem to discuss (but not in the case below).  Active listening works because the other person (1) has most of the data, (2) is responsible for implementing the solutions, (3) has his/her self-confidence and sense of responsibility fostered, (4) implements his own solutions and (5) grows away from dependence on the helper.
• Write these phrases on the board to assist students in learning to summarize:
o What I hear you saying ...
o From your point of view ...
o Where you’re coming from …
o You figure ...
• Choose a topic on which students might have different views (changing the school dress code, limiting/increasing homework policy, changing food in the vending machines, etc.).
• Have students convene into groups of three.  One student is the speaker, another the listener, and the third the monitor. 
• Have the speaker speak on the topic for one minute.  Then the listener summarizes the main points of what he said.  Monitor listens to listener and gives him feedback on the accuracy of his summarizing.
• Once the monitor is satisfied the summarizer is being accurate, speaker and listener change roles and repeat.
• The round is over when the monitor believes both people understand each other as evidenced by their summaries.
• Monitor rotates to be the speaker, the one to his left becomes listener, and the one to his right becomes monitor, so that everyone gets an opportunity to listen, speak, and monitor.
 
Next: Emotional Coping Strategies Activities for Elementary Grades
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

EMOTIONAL COPING STRATEGIES: ELEMENTARY
Introductory Activity
As you introduce emotional coping strategies, add it to the chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  Have class define “emotional coping strategies” in their own words.  Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities. Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through the curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using “teachable moments” throughout the school day.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.
General Activities
• Have students discuss/write about the circumstances that create the greatest stress in their lives.
• Have students make a list of how their bodies feel when they begin to feel stressed.
• Have students discuss “warning signs” of stress and how to employ coping strategies or access help if it reaches a critical point.
• Teach students basic relaxation/stress-reduction techniques (e.g., deep breathing, muscle relaxation).
 
Extension Activities
Classify That Emotion
• Place the following headings on the board:  happy/peaceful; sad/stressful.
• Have students volunteer feeling words and decide in which column they belong.  Have a list of other feeling words for when they run out of suggestions: irritated, hopeful, anxious, impatient, bored, excited, loved, satisfied, challenged, disappointed, sick to your stomach, embarrassed, resentful, confused, dread, etc.
• Go back through the categories and have students rate the words on a scale of 1-10 for intensity, (e.g., irritated=2; enraged=9).
• Put the words on a continuum, in order of the ratings, going from peaceful to stressful.
 
Recognizing Stress
• Have each student make a list of personal behaviors that “Help Me Cope.”
• To show the effects of stress, brainstorm all the things that cause stress in our lives.  Put them on word cards and “weight” them (give them a number in relation to how “heavy” a particular stressor is).  Read a list of typical “top” stressors as an example. 
• Set up two chairs side by side and put a thin sheet of ply board across them as a bridge. Tape the heavier stressors to different-sized books.  Leave the lighter stressors as word cards.  Then begin to pile the stressors on top of the ply board.  Eventually it will begin to bow and possibly break.  Discuss the effects of continued stress and why it is important to find a way to cope with stress.
• Discuss simple ways to “de-stress” – deep breathing, visualizing a pleasant scene, taking a walk, getting out of a situation, reading a book, talking to a friend, exercising, etc.
 
Fly-Away Feelings
• This is a meditation. Ask students to sit quietly with their eyes closed.
• Ask them to imagine hearing water bubbling. Have them pretend to lie down and look up at the clouds in the sky.
• Tell students to imagine seeing colored balloons drift down from the sky.  Have each student choose a favorite-colored balloon.  Have them imagine choosing the balloon, untying the knot, and letting all the air out. Now have them imagine blowing all the sad, angry, and scared feelings into the balloon, and watch it float away.
• Ask how good it feels not to feel angry, sad, or mad.
 
Next: Emotional Coping Strategies Activities for Secondary Grades
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

EMOTIONAL COPING STRATEGIES: SECONDARY GRADES
Introductory Activity 
As you introduce emotional coping strategies, add it to the chart entitled “Keys to Success.”  Have class define “emotional coping strategies” in their own words.   Post word cards, posters, and lists brainstormed and created through classroom activities. Review at the beginning of each day or class period and infuse through the curriculum.  Reinforce and refer to each attribute using “teachable moments” throughout the school day.  Have students find examples of success attributes in current events, news stories, TV programs, peer experiences, and their own experiences, and create a bulletin board with the appropriate attribute as a label.
General Activities
• Have students discuss/write about the circumstances that create the greatest stress in their lives.
• Have students make a list of how their bodies feel when they begin to feel stressed.
• Have students discuss “warning signs” of stress and how to employ coping strategies or access help if they reach a critical point.
• Teach students basic relaxation/stress-reduction techniques (e.g., deep breathing, muscle relaxation).
 
Extension Activities
 Coping Strategies
• Show the class 7-8 pictures of individuals and identify/label the emotions displayed (example: anger, fear, frustration, confusion, daydreaming, joy, peace).
• Talk with students about typical situations that evoke those emotions in general and in relation to their learning difficulties.
• Have students draw pictures of or describe situations that trigger those emotions and role-play helpful and unhelpful ways to react.  Chart the trigger behaviors and the “Helpful Coping Strategies”/“Unhelpful Coping Strategies” and post in the class.
• Have students divide sheets of paper into three columns.
• In the first column, have students briefly describe a situation that triggers in them a particular emotion.  In the second column they are to identify the behavior they exhibit when they feel that emotion.  In the third column they are to list several helpful coping strategies.  Model doing this for one emotion before asking students to do this activity (example:  frustration:  a sheet full of hard math problems; only complete two problems; ask the teacher or a peer for help).
• Allow students to form small groups and share their papers.  Each group picks one student’s placemat to act out for the class.  After acting out the situation, behavior and coping strategy, the class brainstorms a different coping strategy or the small group acts out a different coping strategy to the situation.
• Record strategies on a chart labeled “Good Coping Strategies.”
 
“52 Ways to Find Serenity”
• Purchase the deck of cards with this title by Lynn Gordon.
• Review some of the ways to recognize that you are under stress (e.g., physical signs such as, restlessness, feeling nervous, frightened, irritated).
• Go over the cards, asking for a show of hands for students who have used the solution or one similar.  Ask a few students to share their experiences with the solution:
o Did it work?
o Was it difficult to do?
o Did you feel awkward trying it?
o Did it involve others?  If so, was it difficult to find people to participate?
• After going over several cards, place the deck in an accessible place and tell students that when they become stressed throughout the day, they can draw a card and try a new solution or keep drawing until they find asolution that appeals to them. 
• Go over several cards each day for a week or so as indicated above, until students are familiar with the deck.

Next: Resources for Fostering the Success Attributes
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

RESOURCES FOR FOSTERING THE SUCCESS ATTRIBUTES
A number of other resources and materials are helpful in developing a program to foster the success attributes in students with learning disabilities.  These additional resources include children’s literature, movies, books, articles, curricula and Internet sites.
 
Next: Children’s Literature Resources
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
Two book lists are provided in this resource section.  The first list includes fictional books whose main characters have learning problems.  These books have been selected by the Frostig research team as accurately depicting learning difficulties and illustrating one or more success attribute within the context of a child struggling with a learning difficulty.  The attributes represented in the story appear below the description of each book. The list is not inclusive, and teachers are encouraged to also select their own books.
The second list of books has been selected by a distinguished panel of children’s authors, librarians, and children’s book reviewers.  Each book is believed to represent exemplary children’s literature and to illustrate one or more success attributes within the story. This list of books does not include characters with learning problems.
Ways to Use Books to Foster the Success Attributes
Literature can be used to help children gain self-awareness and solve problems.  The use of books with this purpose in mind is called bibliotherapy.  Bibliotherapy has been suggested as a way to help students with learning disabilities (a) develop problem-solving strategies, (b) know that there are other people with problems similar to theirs, (c) develop insights into their feelings and behaviors, and (d) enhance self-concept.
Additional books chosen for this purpose should be well written and have literary merit (Aiex, 1993).  Poorly written material will do little to foster interest, provoke thought, or encourage introspection. Teachers will need to determine whether individual or group sessions are the most appropriate for their particular situation.
Tu (1999) suggests that literature used to help children cope with problems include the following features:
• Be well written and age appropriate
• Provide language that is familiar to students and is realistic in terms of their life experiences
• Honestly portray the situation and future possibilities for the characters
• Present multidimensional characters experiencing legitimate and relatable emotions
• Offer potential for controversy
• Explore the process of working out problems
• Demonstrate clear channels of communication and responses to children’s questions
• Offer situations that generate enthusiasm in the reader
Aiex (1993) offers several guidelines including (a) motivate students with introductory activities; (b) provide time for reading the material; (c) allow “incubation” time; (d) providing follow-up discussion time that will lead students to interpret, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the information; and (e) conduct teacher evaluations and student self-evaluations.
Forgan (2002) has made several suggestions for how to teach problem solving through literature to students with disabilities, including learning disabilities.  He recommends the following sequence of activities:
• Prereading - a) selection of material and (b) activating students’ background knowledge and helping them link their experiences with the book
• Guide reading - teacher reads the story out loud and lets students reflect by writing their reaction in a literature journal
• Postreading discussion - students retell story and are asked probing questions to ensure they understand the story
• Problem solving - students develop independent problem-solving strategies
Hildreth and Candler (1992) proposed a series of questions consideredto be effective for using reading materials to help students with learning disabilities better understand themselves and their problems.  This list of questions has been adapted specifically for probing the success attributes: 
• What was the story about?
• Who were the main characters?
• Can you describe them?
• Did any of the characters demonstrate any of the success attributes at the beginning of the story?
• Did any of the characters develop the success attributes as the story progressed?
• What specific attributes did they have?
• Did some characters have these attributes more that other characters?
• Why do you think this was the case?
• What specific attributes did they learn about?
• How were these attributes developed?
• What circumstances led to the development of these attributes?
• Did the characters get help from anyone in learning these attributes?
• How did the attributes help them?
• Do you think the characters could have solved their problems/been successful without the success attributes?
• Do you think they will use these attributes in other situations?  Why or why not?
• How do you think you would have solved the problem?
• Do you think you have the success attributes that helped the character(s) solve their problem/reach their goal, or achieve success? 
Hildreth & Candler (1992); Forgan (2002); Sridhar & Vaughn (2002).
Please see this article (cited in the reference list) for a detailed explanation.

Next: Book List - Characters with Learning Problems
LIFE SUCCESS
FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES:
A TEACHER GUIDE

BOOK LIST: CHARACTERS WITH LEARNING PROBLEMS
Cutler, Jane. (1999). Spaceman. Puffin. Reading level: Ages 9-12.
 
ISBN: 0140381503 - Gary just can’t seem to fit in.  He doesn’t have any friends, his school work is always sloppy, and his teachers endlessly criticize him.  But he has a way to escape - he spaces out.  One day Gary accidentally hurts someone, and is being sent to a new school for kids with different learning styles.  Will Gary finally be able to catch up and fit in, or will he remain the Spaceman forever?
• Self-Awareness
• Use of Social Support Systems