Eliminating Learned Helplessness

When working with students with disabilities, it is so important to provide students with a voice and the belief that they are able. Many students perceive the ability of their teachers in wanting to assist them and can display learned helplessness. There are several tips for educators to help them to extinguish this displayed behavior:

* Build a daily expectation of communication through specific activities such as choosing the activity during recess, picking a book to read, or identifying where to eat lunch. 
* Create a brief daily report to parents that is communicated by the student (if capable). This is an imperative suggestion, but parents must also hold up their side of the bargain. * Allow natural consequences to occur and provide avenues for repair. Give students the ability to rectify their mistakes.  
*Provide choices!  
* Provide powerful phrases on the device for students to reject or protest something, or ask for assistance!




Reference:
 Dell, A., Newtown, D., & Petroff, J. (2012). Assistive Technology in the Classroom.
               Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Education Inc.