Teachers' accommodative practices for effective inclusion of learners with learning disabilities in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon

Accommodations are alterations in the way tasks are presented that allow children with learning disabilities to complete the same assignments as other students. It does not alter subject content, nor give learners an unfair advantage in the case of assessments but makes it possible for pupils with Learning Disabilities to show what they know without being impeded by their disability. It is against this backdrop that this study was aimed at identifying the categories of learning disabilities and the academic accommodative practices used by classroom teachers to enable children with learning disabilities learn. The survey research design was used and 100 teachers were sampled from four primary schools in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. The results show the following seven categories of learning disabilities found in classrooms: reading, attention, mathematical, spelling, and comprehensive, memory and writing problems. Teachers use the following categories of accommodative practices: the first being Record review and conferences: meeting with pupil for counselling, review of educational record, meeting with parent. Secondly: Environmental modification: class seating arrangement, schedule modification, teacher change, Individual seating, teacher position in class. Lastly: Instructional: modification of teaching methods used with group or class, modification in learning aids used with group or class, individual methods with regular materials, individual learning aids with regular materials, individual methods and materials different from group or class. Numerous challenges abound as the teachers struggle with these practices as such it is recommended that teacher education programmes at both the initial and in-service training levels should address specific accommodative skills for specific learning disabilities in children