One would think that informational writing is one of the hardest type of writing for students with learning disabilities, and yet, if we think of Autistic students for examples, and their obsessions with anything from trains to Google Maps, these students are little experts in so many domains. With careful guidance, special education students are able to use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/ explanatory texts in which they get a chance to showcase their knowledge.
If students have trouble distinguishing between informational and fantasy, they should get a chance to compare and contrast various texts or stories on similar topics, and discuss how the information is being presented in each type of stories.
Being able to present information in a visual, easy-to-understand way is a valuable skill for all students in today’s society, but so much more helpful and valuable for students in special education. Students can learn how to do that by examining text features and incorporating them in their writing. This will help them demonstrate their understanding of how text features can help readers comprehend complicated text, think critically about content, and practice informational writing.