LEARNING DISABILITIES

KNR 270

Learning Disabilities

Individuals with learning disabilities have above average, average, or near average intelligence

They experience academic and social difficulties

Have highly variable characteristics or needs Range from mild to severe

What is a Learning Disability?

Neurological disorders Interferes with a person’s ability to

store, process, or produce information

Creates a “gap” between ability and performance Tests Difference between ability &

performance

Is this a Disability of Kids?

Often first recognized during childhood or school

LD is not cured and doesn’t go away People learn to compensate Famous people

Bruce Jenner Greg Louganis Whoopee Others?

Problems

Reading Writing Speaking Computing math Coordination Attention Social skills

Social Skills

Language skills Choose right time to speak, find right

words, understand what is said Reading non-verbal information Understanding different situations Impulsivity Segregated classes deprive

opportunities to learn social skills

Types of Learning Disabilities

Dyslexia Language processing and its impact on

reading, writing, and spelling Dysgraphia

Writing, motor patterns in writing, spelling

Dyscalculia Math, memory of math facts, concepts

of time, money

Types of Learning Disabilities

Dyspraxia Motor planning, coordination of body

movements Auditory discrimination

Differences in speech sounds Visual perception

Notice details and assign meaning to what was seen

And many other types

Dyslexia

Most common learning disability 80% of LD = dyslexia

1/5 students have dyslexia May have with other LD

Developmental coordination disorder Awkward Clumsy

Waugh & Sherrill, 2004

Learning Disabilities Co-occur with

Attention deficits Hyperactivity

12-14 %

Prevalence

2.7% to 30% 15 million children, adolescents, & adults in US

5-10% of school-age children 2.8 million children served under IDEA 51% of entire identified special education

population 27-46% of students in college have a

learning disability

Without Help

27-35% do not finish high school 62% were not fully employed 1 year

after graduating from high school

Causes

Frequently no apparent cause Heredity Disturbances of central nervous

system Problems during pregnancy and

childbirth Incidents after birth

Head injuries, nutritional deprivation, exposure to toxic substances

Signs of LD

Often spelling the same word differently in a single document

Reluctance to take on reading or writing tasks

Weak memory skills Slow work pace Inattention to details or excessive focus

on them Frequent misreading of information Easily confused by instructions

Dyslexia ConcernsWaugh & Sherrill, 2004

Vision & reading Confuses letters, numbers, verbal

explanations Needs time to process Reads & rereads with little

comprehension Lacks depth perception & peripheral

vision

Dyslexia ConcernsWaugh & Sherrill, 2004

Hearing & speech Distracted by extraneous sounds Hard time putting thoughts into words Leave sentences incomplete

Writing Trouble writing or copying information Handwriting is varied or illegible

Dyslexia ConcernsWaugh & Sherrill, 2004

Motor skills Clumsiness or lack of coordination Difficulty with fine &/or gross motor

skills Confuses left/right, up/down

Math Dependence on finger counting

Dyslexia ConcernsWaugh & Sherrill, 2004

Time management Difficulty telling & managing time Difficulty being on time Problems learning in sequence

Memory & cognition Excellent LTM for experiences, locations

& faces Thinks with images & feelings , not

sounds or words (little internal dialogue)

Dyslexia ConcernsWaugh & Sherrill, 2004

Behavior, health, personality Keeps items in disorderly manner or

compulsively orderly Class clown, trouble maker, recluse High or low tolerance for pain Strives for perfection Mistakes increase with time pressure,

emotional stress, poor health Zones out, day dreams

Important to Know

Strengths & challenges Tests Results

Employers & schools will need Description of learning disability Accommodations

Legislation

Children & youth – IDEA College – ADA & Rehab Act of 1973

Must self-identify and provide documentation of disability to receive accommodations

Extra time to complete exams Exams read orally, dictated Quiet place to take exam Using a computer Others?

ADA

Considerations/Accommodations

4 strategies Learning environment Learning style based instruction Visual imagery Self-esteem

Waugh & Sherrill, 2004

Learning Styles

Different approaches or ways of learning

Everybody has a preferred style Knowing that style can help a

person learn more effectively Lots of self assessments

Learning Styles

Visual learners learn through seeing Need to see body language & facial

expression Prefer to sit in front of class Think in pictures Learn best from visual displays

(overheads, PowerPoint, videos, etc.) May take detailed notes to help absorb

information

Learning Styles

Auditory learners learn through listening Verbal lectures Discussions Talking things out and hearing what

others say Reading text aloud Written information will have little

meaning until it is heard

Learning Styles

Tactile/kinesthetic learners learn through moving, doing, touching…. Hands-on Hard to sit still for long periods May become distracted and need

activity or exploration

Pair & Share

Identify group’s learning styles Lesson plan for your group

Teach card game

Considerations/Accommodations

Provide objectives for learning & practice

Behavior expectations On poster (visual) Repeat frequently (auditory)

Give minutes on task, remind of remaining minutes

Allow extra time for reading

Considerations/Accommodations

Use multisensory approaches Visual

Diagrams, handouts, demonstrations, observations

Hands on Auditory

Clear verbal instructions Tape instructions

Reference

Lorraine C. Peniston Developing recreation skills in persons

with learning disabilities Champaign, IL: Sagamore Publishing 1998