This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English EducationReport.

Today we complete an eight-part series about learningdisabilities. Such disorders interfere with skills like reading,writing or thinking. Students with learning disabilities are notconsidered slow learners. They are generally of average or aboveaverage intelligence. But many need help to succeed in school.

In the United States, some students with learning disabilitiesare placed in classes called special education. The teachers havebeen trained as specialists and work with these students full time.Other students remain in traditional classes, but receive help fromspecialists. The parents of these students may like this way better.Or they may not have much choice.

The movement in education is to include students with specialneeds in traditional classes, but to provide extra help. Yet limitedschool budgets often mean large classes and not as much individualhelp as parents would like.

Another concern is students who need special instruction becausethey are extremely intelligent. Parents say they worry that theneeds of these gifted students may not be met.

American law guarantees all students the right to a free publiceducation. Disabled students have special protections and rightsunder the law. For example, a student who cannot write the answersto a test may be able to use a computer instead.

But conflicts can develop with the current movement in Americaneducation to increase testing requirements in schools. Almost halfthe states now require students to pass what is called an exit exambefore they are permitted to graduate from high school.

Some people say this is unfair to disabled students, who mightnot get the extra help they need to take the test. They say disabledstudents fail the tests in greater numbers than other students.

Lawyers for the rights of the disabled have brought actions inCalifornia and Oregon. And on March sixteenth the same group broughta federal case in Alaska. Parents in that state want moreprotections for disabled students who take a new exit exam inreading, writing and mathematics.

The test is to be given in June for the first time. Alaskaeducation officials said they could not comment until they had timeto study the case.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by NancySteinbach. Internet users can find all of our reports atWWW.51VOA.COM. This is Steve Ember.