Practitioners commented on programming and instructional adjustments needed for these students. Practitioners said teaching the student with learning disabilities “requires attention to learning styles and use of a variety of techniques and assessment tools” and “often aids are needed.” “Learning disabilities students take more instruction time than other students,” “more individualized instruction” and/or “extra time to accommodate learning.” “Often separate programming is required”, there is a “need for instructional repetition” or “these students require shorter assignments with task breakdown”. One practitioner remarked: “It slows down the class as a whole.”

The central concerns practitioners have about the necessary adaptive approaches described above refer to extra practitioner energy and time required, the allocation of tutor resources and staffing limitations.

• Extra practitioner energy and time required
  “Because of the need for more individualized attention we need more coordination time on the part of the teacher and the coordinator. extra time preparing lessons”, “requires extra energy”, “teacher can only give so much time in a multi-level classroom” and “manpower is the key”
• Allocation of tutor resources
  “affects allocation of tutor time”
• Staffing limitations
  “instructor spends a disproportionate amount of time helping these students” and “extra planning and instruction time would be easier with more staff”

Practitioners expressed concerns for both students with learning disabilities and those without learning disabilities in the classroom setting. Practitioners were concerned about the emotional needs of students with learning disabilities. Issues identified were “sensitivity to laughter”, “internalizing negative feelings associated with having a learning disability”, “bursts of anger” or “crying” because of their difficulty learning. The rest of the class “are not sure how to react to acquired behaviors of learning disabilities students, interpreting, wanting to be the first”. A practitioner expressed concern their “learners without learning disabilities get less attention”.

Some practitioners (24%) indicated having learners with learning disabilities does not affect the classroom environment. They commented on a variety of approaches that appear to create an environment successful for multi-level learning.

• “We make an effort to use a variety of learning technologies therefore, it doesn‘t affect the overall class instruction”
• “Students work at own pace”
• “All students work at their own individualized program”
• “Our program provides one to one instruction specifically developed for individual learners”
• “Groups small and large interaction, one-on-one tutoring, peer tutoring and individualized instructional activities”
• “On the positive side students feel comfortable with each other when they see there are others who might face the same challenges”
• “The group is always patient and supportive of these individuals”
• “Very rewarding when progress is made”