Memory

• A constructivist math approach relies on a student's memory as a foundation to build on. While students with only mild to moderate learning disabilities find this technique helpful, students with severe learning disabilities may not possess the ability to draw from their own memories in a substantial enough way for this method. For instance, constructivist math does not address the problems students with severe dyslexia face, and students who suffer from visual processing disorders may find the technique disruptive to their education because they will have difficulties processing the teacher's attempt to relate the information through additional stimuli, like using money or using visual images.
  
  

Attention

• Students who suffer from severe attention difficulties, such as attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactive disorder, experience an inability to focus for long periods of time. The constructivist math approach requires additional time on a subject as the teacher explains the learning activity and how it relates to the information she intends to teach. Additionally, students with severe attention disorders have difficulties when they attempt to relate information to previous experiences and may grow aggravated from the attempt.
  
  

Student Background

• The constructivist approach requires an in depth understanding of each child's history, knowing what they know, how they understand it and their experiences with the information. While a teacher can assume this understanding with other students, they cannot make this same assumption with students who suffer from learning disabilities. For instance, you could not assume that every student in a learning disabled classroom has experience with money because many may not. This prevents a teacher from using a constructivist approach or requires that the teacher become very familiar with each student's background before putting together a lesson plan.
  
  

Ability to Relate

• A student's ability to relate classroom information to real-life experiences is at the core of the constructivist approach. Students with severe learning disabilities face challenges with these relations and may not be able to make the necessary connections. While this problem is less severe among students with mild disabilities, students with more severe problems frequently suffer from this challenge.