ABSTRACT
Mr. Kiyuna is a first-year science teacher at Mark Twain Middle School. He enters his classroom on the first day of the new semester to find some students slumped in their chairs staring into space. Others are sitting on top of the desks chatting with friends. Mr. Kiyuna knows he has a challenge ahead because many of his students have serious academic and social problems. Chung has a learning disability in reading. He is reading on the third-grade level and has a great deal of difficulty comprehending what he has read. Mateo has an attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and has difficulty with impulsiveness. Other teachers have told Mr. Kiyuna that Mateo is capable of disrupting his entire class. Irene is an adorable girl who has autisticlike tendencies and is nonverbal. Her intelligence is above average. As you read through this chapter, put yourself in Mr. Kiyuna’s shoes and think about how you would go about addressing some of the special needs his students present.
