Specific Learning Disabilities

in Plain English

Specific Learning Specific Learning Disabilities in Plain EnglishDisabilities in Plain English

Children with specific learning disabilities (SLD) have severe trouble learning or demonstrating academic skills in one or more of the following areas:

•Oral expression

•Listening comprehension

•Written expression

•Reading Fluency/Reading comprehension

•Math calculation/Math reasoning

SLD Definition SLD Definition (Continued)(Continued)

Although these children often do well in some school subjects, they have extreme difficulty with certain skills such as decoding words, calculating math facts, or getting their thoughts into writing. As a result, they lag significantly behind their peers in these skills. While children with SLD almost always hear and see normally, they have trouble understanding or using what they see or hear.

Specific Learning disabilities are Specific Learning disabilities are believed to be caused by problems the believed to be caused by problems the child has processing information in the child has processing information in the brain.brain.

Perceptual disabilityPerceptual disability Brain injuryBrain injury Minimal brain dysfunctionMinimal brain dysfunction DyslexiaDyslexia Developmental aphasiaDevelopmental aphasia

When a Learning Disability When a Learning Disability is Suspectedis Suspected

1. The student has two six week courses of intervention in the problem area (RTI).

2. If the child does not make progress in RTI, an IEP team, including the child’s parents, conduct the evaluation.

3. The IEP team decides if the child meets state and federal criteria for having a learning disability.

Each of the following criteria must be considered Each of the following criteria must be considered in order for the child to be determined to have a in order for the child to be determined to have a specific learning disability.specific learning disability.

Significant Significant DiscrepancyDiscrepancy

Information Information ProcessingProcessing

Classroom Classroom AchievementAchievement

Does the child show Does the child show a need for special a need for special education services?education services?

Information ProcessingInformation Processing

Information processing problems may Information processing problems may affect the child’s ability to memorize, affect the child’s ability to memorize, pay attention, and use information to pay attention, and use information to complete assignments, process complete assignments, process information quickly, or communicate information quickly, or communicate what they know.what they know.

Information Processing Information Processing ComponentsComponents

Storage – adding information to Storage – adding information to existing informationexisting information

Organization – structuring Organization – structuring information that is stored in information that is stored in memory, categorizing and memory, categorizing and sequencingsequencing

Acquisition – Accurately gaining, Acquisition – Accurately gaining, receiving and/or perceiving receiving and/or perceiving informationinformation

Information Processing Information Processing ComponentsComponents

Retrieval – locating or recalling Retrieval – locating or recalling stored information upon demandstored information upon demand

Expression – communicating Expression – communicating informationinformation

Manipulation – applying, using, or Manipulation – applying, using, or altering informationaltering information

Classroom AchievementClassroom Achievement

The child cannot do the same academic The child cannot do the same academic work as peers of similar age and ability.work as peers of similar age and ability.

The child has severe difficulties in one The child has severe difficulties in one or more of the academic areas or more of the academic areas compared to children in the classroom.compared to children in the classroom.

Interventions tried/not effectiveInterventions tried/not effective

ExclusionsExclusions

Environmental Environmental disadvantagedisadvantage

Cultural Cultural disadvantagedisadvantage

Lack of instruction Lack of instruction in reading or in reading or mathmath

Limited English Limited English proficiencyproficiency

Any other Any other disabilities the disabilities the child may havechild may have

If a child’s learning problems are primarily due to other reasons, the child does not qualify as a child with SLD.

Speech & Language Speech & Language

ConsiderationConsideration

If a child only has problems in speaking If a child only has problems in speaking or understanding language, but no or understanding language, but no serious trouble in other academic areas, serious trouble in other academic areas, and he/she meets the criteria for having and he/she meets the criteria for having a speech and language impairment, the a speech and language impairment, the IEP team should consider speech and IEP team should consider speech and language as the child’s primary area of language as the child’s primary area of impairment.impairment.

ConclusionConclusion Each of the criteria:Each of the criteria: 1. Two RTI interventions 1. Two RTI interventions 2. Classroom achievement below peers that is not due to lack of 2. Classroom achievement below peers that is not due to lack of

instruction or other disbilities.instruction or other disbilities. 3. Special education evaluation which includes classroom 3. Special education evaluation which includes classroom

observationsobservations must be considered and met in order for a child to be must be considered and met in order for a child to be

determined to have a specific learning disability.determined to have a specific learning disability.

If one of the four criteria is not met, the child cannot be found If one of the four criteria is not met, the child cannot be found eligible for special education even if they show a deficit in the eligible for special education even if they show a deficit in the other areas. other areas.

Determination of Need for Determination of Need for Special ServicesSpecial Services

Once the child is determined to have a Once the child is determined to have a specific learning disability, it must then specific learning disability, it must then be decided if the child demonstrates a be decided if the child demonstrates a need for special services.need for special services.

If accommodations can be provided in If accommodations can be provided in the classroom that allow the child to the classroom that allow the child to succeed, then the child does not have a succeed, then the child does not have a need for special services and does not need for special services and does not qualify as a child with a disability.qualify as a child with a disability.

The EndThe End