ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT DEFICITS OF ADOLESCENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR REGULAR AND SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION TEACHERS IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

Adolescents with learning disabilities exhibit several academic deficits that impede their overall performance in school and society. However, past special needs education research has focused on fostering the needs and challenges of children with learning disabilities. As a result of teachers of adolescents with learning disabilities do not have adequate information and tools to enable them cater for the needs of adolescents. This paper explored the special academic achievement deficits of adolescents with learning disabilities and the implications of these special academic achievement deficits of adolescents with learning disabilities for regular and special needs education teachers in Nigerian secondary schools. On the basis of the implications highlighted, this paper recommended among others that regular and special needs education teachers of adolescents with learning disabilities should endeavour to be patient with adolescents, be resourceful, creative, empathic and skilfully collaborate with content- area teachers, parents and other professionals in order to help adolescents with learning disabilities overcome the numerous difficulties they encounter in their academic pursuits.