Learning Disabilities (LD)
IDEA Definition:
Specific learning disability.--
(A) In general.--The term `specific learning disability' means a disorder in 1 or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.
(B) Disorders included.--Such term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
(C) Disorders not included.--Such term does not include a learning problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,statute,I,A,602,30,
(A) In general.--The term `specific learning disability' means a disorder in 1 or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.
(B) Disorders included.--Such term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
(C) Disorders not included.--Such term does not include a learning problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/,root,statute,I,A,602,30,
Characteristics:
7 Areas to identifly a specific Learning Disablity
1. Mathematical calculations
2. Oral expression
3. Listening comprehension
4. Written expression
5. Basic reading skills
6. Reading comprehension
7. Mathematical reasoning
Comorbidity: Maths go together and reading and writing go together.
Reading:
Written Language:
Mathmatics:
Socialization: (also see Autism Spectrum Disorder)
Attention & Behavior:
Others:
1. Mathematical calculations
2. Oral expression
3. Listening comprehension
4. Written expression
5. Basic reading skills
6. Reading comprehension
7. Mathematical reasoning
Comorbidity: Maths go together and reading and writing go together.
Reading:
- Difficulty learning the alphabet or/and connecting letters their sounds
- Word knowledge & word recognition
- Focus on minor details in story & in text.
- Loses place when reading
Written Language:
- Holds the pencil awkwardly
- Letter reversal that continues after age 8
- Difficulty with planning/organizational strategies
- Messy handwriting
- Eye-hand coordination issues
- Far point or near point copy problems
- Eyes hurt or itch
- Poor performance across most written task especially vocabulary
Mathmatics:
- Difficulty memorizing facts
- Doesn't make connections
- Difficulty with time concepts
- Confuses math symbols
- Difficulty extracting & applying information from word problem
- Difficulty with multi step problems
Socialization: (also see Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Difficulty reading non-verbal cues (body language or facial expression)
- May not utilize appropriate verbal & non-verbal cues in interaction
- Difficulty understanding jokes, puns, sarcasm, and idioms
- Difficulty with rules of conversation (taking turns)
- Difficulty with physical space
- May not follow instructions appropriately and get into trouble but not understanding why
Attention & Behavior:
- Highly Distractable
- Lots of movement
- Disorganized
- Short attention span
- Difficulty following directions
- Has difficulty responding quickly
- Comments might seem off topic
- Trouble with open ended tasks
Others:
- Difficulty determining the main idea
- Difficulty summarizing
- Difficulty adjusting to new setting and routines
- May pay attention or too little attention to detail
- Task avoidance
- Performance is affected by emotions, health, and environment
- Could have word finding problems when speaking
- Sensitivity to loud noises, touch, & light
Strategies and Resources:
Accommodations for Student Materials
- Present work in chunks (smaller amounts). Give three to four pieces of new information at a time. Be sure that the child understands these concepts before presenting more new information.
- Cover parts of the whole (e.g., cover all the rows of math problems on a page allowing the student to complete one row at a time.) This will lessen the student’s level of anxiety concerning the task.
- State directions in a variety of ways (orally and written). Ask student to rephrase directions in his/her own words to ensure that they understand the task.
Accommodations During Instruction
- Maintain daily routines. Students with LD perform better when they know what’s coming next in their daily routine. If you anticipate a change in schedule, give plenty of advance notice! For example, “In about ten minutes, we are going to an assembly.”
- For students with a written expression learning disability, provide a copy of class notes and study guides.
- Present material visually, verbally, and with as much hands-on experience as possible.
- Teach using small, sequential steps. Many students with LD require part-to-whole instruction. For example, when teaching a student long division, focus on each step in the process (for example, first decide how many times four goes into twelve).
- Use mnemonic instruction. Mnemonics are strategies that help us remember information. For example, when proofreading written work, teachers may encourage students to remember the “COPS” strategy (Capitalization, Organization, Punctuation, Spelling).
- Prior to a lesson, write key words and new vocabulary on the chalkboard/overhead. Go over these words and what they mean before presenting them in reading text.
- Review, review, review! Daily review is essential to remembering and understanding information.
- Repeat directions often. It is important to give a nonverbal (clap hands) or verbal (“Listen, everyone. This is something you need to know.”) cues before you give directions.
Accommodations for Student Performance
- For older students, provide an outline of the lecture prior to the lesson.
- Change the required response mode. Allow the student to tape record answers. Students with handwriting difficulty may require extra space between lines or a word processor.
- Preferential seating – This means that the student is seated in the best position in the classroom for him/her to learn. Generally, this is the seat closest to the teacher.
- Use assignment books; enlist a helpful peer to check assignments for accuracy.
- Reduce copying requirements or use carbon copy paper when taking notes.
- Allow students with writing difficulties to type responses.
- Reduce assignments (e.g., modify a 20 vocabulary word list per week to a 10 vocabulary word list).
- Allow students to complete oral projects instead of written projects or vice-versa, depending on his/her need.
Wendy, C. Ward. Teaching Students with Learning Problems. 5th ed. 2005.
Reading Tips
Here are a few strategies that can help children who are having problems with decoding, comprehension, or reading retention.
1: Play word games: Word games and puzzles are fun and also build vocabulary and word understanding. Try crossword puzzles, word bingo, Scrabble®, or Boggle®
2: Read aloud everyday: Encourage children to read directions, labels, and signs in the classroom, at home, in the car, and at stores or shops, and have them take turns reading aloud with a classmate, parent, or sibling. Discuss in class or at home what you are reading.
3: Put learning to use: Help children remember by having them explain, discuss, or apply information they have just read, letting them “teach” you facts or ideas they have learned from their reading, orencouraging them to act out characters from their reading selections.
Reading Strategies. (2003). Retrieved from http:/pbs.org/parents/education/learningdisabilities/types/reading/readingstrategies
LD in Written Expression
Accommodations:
There are many ways to help a student with dysgraphia in your classroom. Below is a list of accommodations, modifications, and techniques to assist the student with dysgraphia.
Margaret Kay. (2007). “What is dysgraphia?” Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://www.margaretkay.com/Dysgraphia.htm
Spelling help for children with dyslexia:
Here are a few strategies that can help children who are having problems with decoding, comprehension, or reading retention.
1: Play word games: Word games and puzzles are fun and also build vocabulary and word understanding. Try crossword puzzles, word bingo, Scrabble®, or Boggle®
2: Read aloud everyday: Encourage children to read directions, labels, and signs in the classroom, at home, in the car, and at stores or shops, and have them take turns reading aloud with a classmate, parent, or sibling. Discuss in class or at home what you are reading.
3: Put learning to use: Help children remember by having them explain, discuss, or apply information they have just read, letting them “teach” you facts or ideas they have learned from their reading, orencouraging them to act out characters from their reading selections.
Reading Strategies. (2003). Retrieved from http:/pbs.org/parents/education/learningdisabilities/types/reading/readingstrategies
LD in Written Expression
Accommodations:
There are many ways to help a student with dysgraphia in your classroom. Below is a list of accommodations, modifications, and techniques to assist the student with dysgraphia.
- Be patient and positive when practicing handwriting.
- Encourage proper grip, posture, and paper positioning.
- Allow the use of a word processor.
- Use oral exams and allow students to dictate assignments to a scribe.
- Avoid criticisms for sloppiness or illegibility.
- Provide additional time for writing tasks.
- Use writing paper with raised lines.
- Allow students to use a line width that is most comfortable for them.
- Reduce the amount of copying needed to complete an assignment.
- Encourage the use of visual organizers to assist in outlining and brainstorming for extended writing assignments.
- Encourage the student to use hand exercises when he/she becomes fatigued.
- Have students complete writing activities in small steps.
Margaret Kay. (2007). “What is dysgraphia?” Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://www.margaretkay.com/Dysgraphia.htm
Spelling help for children with dyslexia:
Math Calculating and Problem Solving
Strategies for Teaching Students with a Math Disability
Marone, D. (2002, June1). Teaching Students Who Have a Learning Disability. Retrieved September 11, 2015, from
http://www.ubalt.edu/downloads/T-PenTeachingStrategies.pdf
Other Strategies
How It Works. (2013). Retrieved September 25, 2015, from https://www.touchmath.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=about.how
LD in Oral Expression
Strategies for teaching students who struggle with Oral Expression
Incorporate an Expanding Expression Tool (EET) within your classroom.
Allow extra “wait-time” when students answer questions.
Ask specific structured questions that requires a short answer.
Structure small group activities that encourage students to engage in the use of verbal expression.
Set aside time outside of the classroom for speech therapy
Web Resources:
http://www.stancoe.org/cfs/handouts/Speech/pdf/oralexpression.pdf
http://edie502.wikispaces.com/Oral+Expression+Disability
http://www.teachbeyondspeech.com/blog/expanding-expression-tool-kittm-a-must-buy-for-every-slp
http://education.vermont.gov/documents/educ_accommodations_strategies.pdf
Information Provided by:
Cara Whitehead "EDUC 2010" Fall 2015
Strategies for Teaching Students with a Math Disability
- Read question out loud and write it on the board
- Use Visual Aids: Such as Formulas, graphs, and charts. Draw a visual on the board of the problem.
- “Think Aloud” Express out loud the steps to solving the problem.
- Create a Model Steps for students to follow when calculating problems.
- Calculate answer for the class.
- Demonstrate how to check for accuracy: Plugging the answer into the problem.
- Introduce new concepts.
- Review concepts already learned.
- Relate problems to real life examples.
Marone, D. (2002, June1). Teaching Students Who Have a Learning Disability. Retrieved September 11, 2015, from
http://www.ubalt.edu/downloads/T-PenTeachingStrategies.pdf
Other Strategies
- Use Graphing Paper
- Worksheets Neat and not too many math problems
- Use Hand Gestures
- Touch Math: Touch Points teach children to associate numbers with quantities. Numbers 1-5 have 1 Touch Point. Numbers 6-9 have 2 Touch Points.
How It Works. (2013). Retrieved September 25, 2015, from https://www.touchmath.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=about.how
LD in Oral Expression
Strategies for teaching students who struggle with Oral Expression
Incorporate an Expanding Expression Tool (EET) within your classroom.
- A multisensory tool that can be used in a regular and special education classroom setting. This is a hands on tool improves students’ oral and written language expression by giving aid in describing and defining different objects.
Allow extra “wait-time” when students answer questions.
- Students that struggle with oral expression have a hard time communicating their thoughts and opinions. It is important to allow these students extra time to answer questions.
Ask specific structured questions that requires a short answer.
- It is important to give students questions that will not result in one worded answer. This is beneficial for all students within a classroom setting.
Structure small group activities that encourage students to engage in the use of verbal expression.
- Mostly all students get nervous when put on the spot in front of a class. By breaking the students up into small groups allows for a stress free environment that promotes student-to-student discussions.
Set aside time outside of the classroom for speech therapy
- Students with learning disabilities vary from case to case. Children that have difficulty with oral expression will most likely need some one on one speech therapy outside of class. Talk to the speak therapist and see what you can continue doing in the classroom that will help your student excel.
Web Resources:
http://www.stancoe.org/cfs/handouts/Speech/pdf/oralexpression.pdf
http://edie502.wikispaces.com/Oral+Expression+Disability
http://www.teachbeyondspeech.com/blog/expanding-expression-tool-kittm-a-must-buy-for-every-slp
http://education.vermont.gov/documents/educ_accommodations_strategies.pdf
Information Provided by:
Cara Whitehead "EDUC 2010" Fall 2015