Teaching Older Adults With Disabilities

Older adults have many reasons for pursuing continued education. Some simply enjoy meeting new people and getting out of the house each day. Attending a learning center or school can give them an agenda, preventing boredom or depression that often occur with sedentary lifestyles. Working adults may wish to learn more about computers, business skills or other employment-related information. Since fewer people are retiring permanently, learning usually continues throughout people's sixties and seventies. Most seniors who participate in education programs find that their new knowledge keeps them mentally sharp and gives them a reason to be proud.

Teaching adults can be challenging at times. Naturally, as we age, we experience changes in vision. We may no longer be able to focus on close objects, deal with the glare of a computer screen for long periods of time, read smaller 18-point font size, see colors as they actually are or see around physical barriers like tables. To teach adults, instructors should take all of these factors into consideration to reduce stress on their pupils. Hearing impairment is another challenge for adults of an older age. Some may learn to do some lip reading, but it's always best if a loud voice can be used or have a clear microphone installed. Teachers should ensure a quiet setting with limited background noise, have all cell phones turned off and be careful not to distort their faces while speaking.

Additionally, up to 80% of the older adults in basic education programs have an adult learning disability, which hosts a new set of challenges. These adults may have writing, math and reading difficulties, poor handwriting, difficulty remembering things or adhering to a schedule, confusion about direction and limited social skills. To intervene with these adults, it's advised that instructors work on basic skills remediation, subject-area tutoring, learning styles specifically designed for adult education, vocational exploration and survival skills training.

It's a common misconception that the ability to learn decreases as we age. For most older adults, their intellectual abilities have remained constant throughout their lives, unless they have been affected by some kind of disease, illness or health condition. This myth is rooted in the sixties theory of "cerebral plasticity," that the brain begins to lose its flexibility to learn new things beginning in puberty but more so as individuals age. More recently, it's been discovered that older students have highly developed cognitive systems, which enables them to excel at whatever they apply themselves to.

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