Federal law requires that students with disabilities have access to the general curriculum. Specifically, students with disabilities must have access to, be involved in, and make progress in the same standards-based curriculum that students without disabilities receive. Intense demands of secondary settings as well as learning challenges present barriers for successful access for adolescents with learning disabilities (LD). Secondary teachers can use graphic organizers to minimize the barriers and increase the success of adolescents with LD. This article provides an introduction to the barriers experienced by adolescents, an overview of graphic organizers, and suggestions for use with adolescents with LD in secondary classroom settings.
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