EDUCATIONAL-ASPECTS OF MATHEMATICS DISABILITIES

Research suggests that students with learning disabilities have signif icant difficulty acquiring and retaining math skills. A variety of fac tors seem to be contributing to the poor math performance of these ind ividuals. The purpose of this article is to discuss these factors and make recommendations that will enhance the likelihood of better math p erformance. The article begins with a discussion of national reform mo vements that have influenced math instruction (i.e., National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards, minimum competency testing, grad uation requirements, inclusion). Next, learner characteristics are rev iewed, then issues related to math instruction are described. Finally, ways to improve current practices in math education are discussed.