What Are Learning What Are Learning Disabilities (LD)?Disabilities (LD)?

Learning disabilities are problems that Learning disabilities are problems that affect the brain's ability to receive, affect the brain's ability to receive, process, analyze, or store information. process, analyze, or store information. These problems can make it difficult for These problems can make it difficult for a student to learn as quickly as someone a student to learn as quickly as someone who isn't affected by learning who isn't affected by learning disabilities. There are many kinds of disabilities. There are many kinds of learning disabilities. learning disabilities.

Most students affected by learning Most students affected by learning disabilities have more than one kind. disabilities have more than one kind. Certain kinds of learning disabilities can Certain kinds of learning disabilities can interfere with a person's ability to interfere with a person's ability to concentrate or focus and can cause concentrate or focus and can cause someone's mind to wander too much. someone's mind to wander too much. Other learning disabilities can make it Other learning disabilities can make it difficult for a student to read, write, difficult for a student to read, write, spell, or solve math problems.spell, or solve math problems.

Picture showing a child with Picture showing a child with learning disability.learning disability.

Signs/Characteristics of LearningSigns/Characteristics of LearningDisabilitiesDisabilities

You can't tell by looking that a person has a learning disability, which can make learning disabilities hard to diagnose. Learning disabilities typically first show up when a person has difficulty speaking, reading, writing, figuring out a math problem, communicating with a parent, or paying attention in class.

Some kids' learning disabilities are diagnosed in grade school when a parent or a teacher notices a kid can't follow directions for a game or is struggling to do work he or she should be able to do easily. But other kids develop sophisticated ways of covering up their learning issues, so learning disabilities don't show up until the teen years when schoolwork - and life - gets more complicated.

Categories of Learning Categories of Learning DisabilitiesDisabilities

Most learning disabilities fall into Most learning disabilities fall into one of two categories: one of two categories:

Verbal DisabilitiesVerbal DisabilitiesNonverbal Disabilities.Nonverbal Disabilities.

Verbal DisabilitiesVerbal Disabilities

People with verbal learning disabilities People with verbal learning disabilities have difficulty with words, both spoken have difficulty with words, both spoken and written. The most common and and written. The most common and best-known verbal learning disability is best-known verbal learning disability is dyslexia,, which causes people to have which causes people to have trouble recognizing or processing letters trouble recognizing or processing letters and the sounds associated with them. and the sounds associated with them. For this reason, people with dyslexia For this reason, people with dyslexia have trouble with reading and writing have trouble with reading and writing tasks or assignments.tasks or assignments.

Some people with verbal learning Some people with verbal learning disabilities may be able to read or write disabilities may be able to read or write just fine but they have trouble with other just fine but they have trouble with other aspects of language. For example, they aspects of language. For example, they may be able to sound out a sentence or may be able to sound out a sentence or paragraph perfectly, making them good paragraph perfectly, making them good readers, but they can't relate to the readers, but they can't relate to the words in ways that will allow them to words in ways that will allow them to make sense of what they're reading make sense of what they're reading (such as forming a picture of a thing or (such as forming a picture of a thing or situation). situation).

And some people have trouble with And some people have trouble with the act of writing as their brains the act of writing as their brains struggle to control the many things struggle to control the many things that go into it - from moving their hand that go into it - from moving their hand to form letter shapes to remembering to form letter shapes to remembering the correct grammar rules involved in the correct grammar rules involved in writing down a sentence.writing down a sentence.

Pictures showing a child Pictures showing a child who has verbal disabilities. who has verbal disabilities.

BEFOREBEFORE AFTERAFTER

Non-verbal DisabilitiesNon-verbal Disabilities

People with nonverbal learning People with nonverbal learning disabilities may have difficulty disabilities may have difficulty processing what they see. They may processing what they see. They may have trouble making sense of visual have trouble making sense of visual details like numbers on a blackboard. details like numbers on a blackboard. Someone with a nonverbal learning Someone with a nonverbal learning disability may confuse the plus sign disability may confuse the plus sign with the sign for division, for example. with the sign for division, for example. Some abstract concepts like fractions Some abstract concepts like fractions may be difficult to master for people may be difficult to master for people with nonverbal learning disabilities.with nonverbal learning disabilities.

Picture showing students with Picture showing students with non-verbal disability.non-verbal disability.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)Disorder (ADHD)

A behavioral condition called A behavioral condition called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often associated with (ADHD) is often associated with learning disabilities because people learning disabilities because people with ADHD may also have a hard time with ADHD may also have a hard time focusing enough to learn and study. focusing enough to learn and study. Students with ADHD are often easily Students with ADHD are often easily distracted and have trouble distracted and have trouble concentrating. They may also be concentrating. They may also be excessively active or have trouble excessively active or have trouble controlling their impulses.controlling their impulses.

Causes Of Learning Causes Of Learning DisabilitiesDisabilities

Genetic influenceGenetic influence Brain developmentBrain development Environmental impactsEnvironmental impacts

Genetic influencesGenetic influences

Experts have noticed that Experts have noticed that learning disabilities tend to run learning disabilities tend to run in families and they think that in families and they think that heredity may play a role. heredity may play a role. However, researchers are still However, researchers are still debating whether learning debating whether learning disabilities are, in fact, genetic, disabilities are, in fact, genetic, or if they show up in families or if they show up in families because kids learn and model because kids learn and model what their parents do. what their parents do.

Brain developmentBrain development

Some experts think that learning Some experts think that learning disabilities can be traced to brain disabilities can be traced to brain development, both before and after development, both before and after birth. For this reason, problems such birth. For this reason, problems such as low birth weight, lack of oxygen, as low birth weight, lack of oxygen, or premature birth may have or premature birth may have something to do with learning something to do with learning disabilities. Young children who disabilities. Young children who receive head injuries may also be at receive head injuries may also be at risk of developing learning risk of developing learning disabilities. disabilities.

Environmental impactsEnvironmental impacts

Infants and young children are Infants and young children are susceptible to environmental toxins susceptible to environmental toxins (poisons). For example, you may (poisons). For example, you may have heard how lead (which may be have heard how lead (which may be found in some old homes in the found in some old homes in the form of lead paint or lead water form of lead paint or lead water pipes) is sometimes thought to pipes) is sometimes thought to contribute to learning disabilities. contribute to learning disabilities. Poor nutrition early in life may also Poor nutrition early in life may also lead to learning disabilities later in lead to learning disabilities later in life. life.

How are students with LD How are students with LD accommodated in the classroom?accommodated in the classroom?

Some students who have been diagnosed with a learning disability work with a special teacher or tutor for a few hours a week to learn special study skills, note-taking strategies, or organizational techniques that can help them compensate for their learning disability. If you've been diagnosed with a learning disability, you may need support just for the subjects that give you the most trouble. Your school may have a special classroom with a teacher who is trained to help students overcome learning problems.

Some schools develop what is called an Some schools develop what is called an Individualized Education Program (or Individualized Education Program (or IEP), which helps define a person's IEP), which helps define a person's learning strengths and weaknesses and learning strengths and weaknesses and make a plan for the learning activities make a plan for the learning activities that will help the student do his or her that will help the student do his or her best in school. A student's IEP might best in school. A student's IEP might include some regular time with a tutor include some regular time with a tutor or in a specialized classroom for a or in a specialized classroom for a certain subject, or the use of some certain subject, or the use of some special equipment to help with special equipment to help with learning, such as books on tape or learning, such as books on tape or laptop computers for students who laptop computers for students who have dyslexia.have dyslexia.

Picture showing students being Picture showing students being accommodated in the classroomaccommodated in the classroom..

How the teacher can help How the teacher can help students with LDstudents with LD

Teaching strategies for students with Teaching strategies for students with perceptual difficulties.perceptual difficulties.

If two pieces of information are perceptually If two pieces of information are perceptually confusing, do not present them together. For confusing, do not present them together. For e.g. do not teach the spelling of e.g. do not teach the spelling of ieie words words (believe) and (believe) and ei ei words (perceive) on the same words (perceive) on the same day. day.

Highlight the important characteristics of new Highlight the important characteristics of new material. For e.g. underline or bold topics. material. For e.g. underline or bold topics.

Teaching strategies for students Teaching strategies for students with attention difficulties.with attention difficulties.

Maintaining attentionMaintaining attention

Break long tasks or assignments into Break long tasks or assignments into smaller segments.smaller segments.

Present limited amounts of information on Present limited amounts of information on a page.a page.

Selective attentionSelective attention

Use prompts and cues to draw attention Use prompts and cues to draw attention to important information.to important information.

Teaching strategies for students Teaching strategies for students with mathematical difficulties.with mathematical difficulties.

For this, the teacher can use the For this, the teacher can use the STARSTAR strategy. In this strategy, there strategy. In this strategy, there are four steps:are four steps:

1.1. SSearch the word problem. earch the word problem.

2.2. TTranslate the words into an equation ranslate the words into an equation in picture form.in picture form.

3.3. AAnswer the problem.nswer the problem.

4.4. RReview the solution.eview the solution.

Picture showing students Picture showing students interacting with teacher.interacting with teacher.

Strategies for Lesson PlanningStrategies for Lesson Planning

1. Identify all of the new skills being taught in the lesson.

2. Identify the pre-skills the student needs.

3. Review the introduction and actual teaching part of the lesson.

4. Look at the opportunities for practice presented in the manual and student text.

5. Examine application exercises or “written practice” activities.

Important Facts about LD Just because you have trouble

studying for a test doesn't mean you have a learning disability. There are as many learning styles as there are individuals. For example, some people learn by doing and practicing, others learn by listening (such as in class), and others prefer to read materials.

Some people are just naturally slower readers or learners than others, but they still perform well for their age and abilities.

Sometimes, what seems to be a learning disability is simply a delay in development; the person will eventually catch up with - and perhaps even surpass - his or her peers. But many people with learning disabilities struggle for a long time before someone realizes that there's a reason they're having so much trouble learning.

For most people in their teen years, the first telltale sign of most learning disabilities occurs when they notice that there's a disconnect between how much they studied for a test and how well they performed. Or it may just be a feeling a person has that something isn't right. If you're worried, don't hesitate to share your thoughts with a parent or a teacher.