Teaching methods for teaching mathematics to students with learning disabilities Introduction to learning disabilities Learning disabilities are a category recognized by the IDEA (Individuals with Disability Education Act) of 2004. Students are identified as having a learning disability, after undergoing an initial assessment, and are approved for the support of special education services. Under the IDEA, all students, regardless of disability, have the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in their least restrictive environment (LRE). Learning disability is a widely used universal term that describes specific types of learning problems that students may have. A learning disability can cause a student to have difficulty learning, maintaining and using reading, writing, mathematics and comprehension skills. (Sillman, Bahr, Beasman & Wilkinson, 2000) Other terms used to describe a learning disability include dyslexia or reading disability; dysgraphia or writing disability; and dyscalcula, a mathematical disability. All of these are specific learning disabilities. (Sillman, Bahr, Beasman & Wilkinson, 2000) Differences in the way a student's brain functions, receives and processes information, are the cause of learning difficulties in students. Students with learning disabilities are often misdiagnosed as lazy, annoying, uncaring, or unintelligent. Students with learning disabilities, however, typically have average intelligence. The only difference is that the brains of students with learning disabilities acquire and process information differently than their non-disabled peers. Students diagnosed with learning disabilities may be high achieving students who are taught strategies to overcome the learning disability. With the effective ...... middle of the paper ...... you can also provide students with real-world connections for using mathematics. More importantly, technology tends to be highly motivating for students. The more students are motivated to learn, the more likely they are to be successful in learning and maintaining subject knowledge. Technology should support curricular objectives. The research behind the teaching strategy According to Kroesbergen & Van Luit (2003) “self-instruction and direct instruction appear to be appropriate methods for students with special needs. Direct instruction is most effective for learning basic math skills, and self-instruction approaches are an effective way to learn problem-solving skills. Technology is an important tool to use in education. Technology is helpful in motivating students to practice skills. The computer cannot replace the educator in teaching. (Weis, 2014)