lect 13 learning disabilities

8/2/2019 Lect 13 Learning Disabilities

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Learning Disabilities

• Learning Disabilities affect 1 in 5 children• Learning Disabilities are not outgrown or go away as you

get older. • A Learning Disability is a specific problem children might have

that affects the way they interpret what they see and hear orhow they connect ideas within their brains. Often it is called a

specific learning disability because the problem is not a broaddevelopmental disability, but occurs specifically to earlyreading skills or simple math skills.

• Learning disabilities are not limited to skills having to do withwritten material. Sometimes they have to do with speaking,listening, or reasoning. Common learning disabilities aredyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia. Dyslexia and dysgraphiahas to do with the way a child sees words and numbers on the

page and includes problems in reading, writing, and spelling.Often the child will reverse or transpose the written charactersas he or she sees. Dyscalculia is a problem doing simpleaddition, subtraction and multiplication.

• Individuals with a specific learning disability are no lessintelligent than other people their age. As a matter of fact,there are many who are classified as “twice exceptional,”

which means they are quite gifted, but have a learningdisability that can hinder the expression of their giftedness.



Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities are the result of a different kind of processing thathappens in the brain. It is as if something gets lost in the translationfrom page to brain. It is not something the child can control, nor is it achild being “lazy” or “dumb.” It is just part of the way the child is wired.

The causes for specific disabilities are mostly unknown, although fordyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia, there is a definite genetic link.

Some theories assume that learning disabilities may come from aspecific area of the brain, but new research is showing that it has moreto do with how areas of the brain communicate with each other.

Most learning disabilities develop before birth while the brain is forming.During pregnancy, many things can affect a developing brain such asdrug and alcohol use, complications, infections, and exposures toenvironmental toxins. Some learning disabilities are a result ofcomplications during delivery. Sometimes brain injury, infection, orpoisoning during childhood could result in a disability.

Learning disabilities are often noticed when a child enters schoolbecause schoolwork deals with the sorts of activities where theproblems occur. Learning disabilities are not something that will goaway but that does not mean the disability cannot be overcome.



DEFINITION

LEARNING DISABILITY

A learning disability is a neurologicalcondition that interferes with a person’sability to store, process, or produce

information. Learning disabilities can affectone’s ability to read, write, speak, spell,compute math, reason and also affect aperson’s attention, memory, coordination,

social skills and emotional maturity.Individuals with LD are generally of averageor above average intelligence, but thedisability creates a gap between ability and

performance.



CAUSES OF LD

GENETIC DEFECTS PRENATAL MALNUTRITION MATERNAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE BIRTH TRAUMA

CHRONIC ILLNESS(EAR INFECTION,, ETC..) EARLY CHILDHOOD HIGH FEVERS LEAD POISONING ACCIDENTS TOXINS DIET OXYGEN DEPRIVATION ENDOCRINE GLAND DYSFUNCTION



TYPES OF LEARNING DISABILITIESby Larry Silver, M.D.

Input

The first major type of problem at the input stage is a visual perception disability. Some students have difficulty in recognizing the position and shape of what they see. Letters may be reversed, rotated or overlapping: forexample the letters d, b, p, q, and g might be confused. The child might alsohave difficulty distinguishing a significant form from its background. Peoplewith this disability often have reading problems. They may jump over words,read the same line twice, or skip lines. Other students have poor depthperception or poor distance judgment. They might bump into things, fall over

chairs, or knock over drinks.

The other major input disability is in auditory perception. Students may havedifficulty understanding because they do not distinguish subtle differencesin sounds. They confuse words and phrases that sound like - for example,"blue" with "blow" or "ball" with "bell." Some children find it hard to pick out anauditory figure from its background; they may not respond to the sound of a

parent’s or teacher’s voice, and it may seem that they are not listening or paying attention.

Others process sound slowly and therefore cannot keep up with the flow ofconversation, inside or outside the classroom. Suppose a parent says, "It’sgetting late. Go upstairs, wash your face, and get into your pajamas. Thencome back down for a

snack" A child with this disability might hear only the first part and stayupstairs.



HOW LEARNING DISABILITIES MAY PRESENT

READING

May have poor reading ability orcomprehension.

May often misread information

May have problems with syntax or

grammar. May confuse similar letters or numbers,

reverse them or confuse their order.

May have difficulty reading addresses,small print and/or tables.

MATH

May have difficulty with arithmetic, mathlanguage, and math concepts.

May reverse numbers

May have difficulty with time,sequencing, and problem solving.

WRITING

May have difficulty writing ideasand/or organizing thoughts onpaper.

May reverse or omit letters, words,or phrases when writing.

May have problems with sentencestructure, writing mechanics, andorganization.

May frequently spell the same worddifferently in the same document.

May read well but not write well (orvise versa).



HOW THEY PRESENT (CONTINUED)

Language May be able to explain things orally but not in

writing.

May have difficulty telling or understanding jokes and stories.

May misinterpret language or have poorcomprehension of what was said.

May respond in an inappropriate manner,unrelated to what is said, or only respondpartially to what is said.

Attention

May have a short attention span or beimpulsive.

May have difficulty conforming to routines. May be easily distracted.

May exhibit high risk/adrenaline seekingbehavior to help focus.

AUDITORY

May not respond to sounds of spokenlanguage, or may consistentlymisunderstand what is being said.

May be bothered by differentfrequencies of sound (i.e. music,vacuums, loud noises) or be overly

sensitive to sound. May have difficulty differentiating sounds

that occur simultaneously.

Cognitive

May acquire new skills slowly.

May have difficulty following directions,especially multiple directions.

May experience visual spatial confusion(up/down, right/left, under/over,behind/between.

May seem unaware of time of sequenceof events.



HOW THEY PRESENT (CONTINUED)

Motor May perform similar tasks differently

from day to day.

May have trouble dialing phonenumbers or holding a pen or pencil.

May have poor coordination, beclumsy, unaware of physical

surroundings, or have a tendency toaccidentally hurt him/her self.

Memory May be able to learn information

presented in one way, but notanother.

May find it difficult to memorizeinformation (i.e. phone numbers,days of the week, months of theyear).

May be unable to repeat what washas just been said.

ORGANIZATION

May have trouble following aschedule or being on time.

May have trouble learning abouttime.

May have trouble organizingbelongings.

May have trouble rememberingappointment times.

Social May have difficulty with social skills.

May misinterpret non-verbal socialcues.

May experience social isolation.

May not use appropriate eye contact.

May have trouble with inappropriate,unprovoked anger.

May have difficulty making andsustaining appropriate pro-socialrelationships.



You can start by finding out what their learning style is. Keep it simple. Ask theclient “how they learn something new.” For example: “What did you recentlylearn.” How to run a computer, how to put something together, how to getsomeplace new, etc.” You may need to also ask, “Do you learn best by readingabout it, by someone telling you, by someone showing you, or by you doing it.”When you know this information you will get a better understanding of how youcan best work with the client.

When you can, present in a multi-sensory way: visually - written

orally - say it

symbols/pictures

demonstrations - do it

Break things into small sequential steps - even if it seems redundant to you.Break it down step by step with all the details.

Help in filling out forms:

clarify important information

explain unknown words

read information or forms aloud

fill it out for them while asking them the information

Accommodations, Strategies and TechniquesFor Individuals with Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorder



Cont……

Use print not cursive writing - it is sometimes very hard decipheringcursive handwriting.

Suggest the client write down important details, or you can write themdown for the client.

Paraphrase information for them - visual or oral. A good phrase is, “inother words….”

Speak clearly, slowly and at a level of understanding. Keep information

simple and structured. Remember people with LD are not “stupid or dumb” however some do have a problem processing and need extratime.

If you think you are loosing a person’s attention - stop and bring themback getting their attention possible by saying their name.

Be prepared for repeating questions you have already answered. It isanother way of orally processing information.

Remember extremely late, early or missed appointments may be due tothe time orientation and spatial difficulties. You can suggest a client usea watch with an alarm on it for appointments and other time issues.Beeper also works well. Having someone call to remind them of anappointment.

Directions need to be clear, simple and in order. This is for anything.Directions on how to get to an office, where to park, where to find you ina building, filling out forms, etc.



Cont…. If the client is all over the place mentally during an interview gently, but

firmly, bring them back to the issue at hand and let them know you candiscuss other issues later. This is a way of keeping structured. You willneed to let them know how much time you have for their appointment at thebeginning. Throughout the interview say, “we have 20 minutes left………Wehave 5 minutes left.”

If a client has trouble writing, taking notes or remembering provide orsuggest a tape recorder. Have everything you talked about printed outbefore or take notes for them.

When explaining something give visual clues (as much as possible).

Encourage clients to use mental pictures, especially if they are visuallearners

Be aware of demanding oral reports. You might say instead, “tell me howyou see/saw it”, let the client explain how they see it in the “minds eye.”

Be careful about using spontaneous and demand language. People canhave trouble with this. Demand language is asking a direct question - “whydid you do that?” Spontaneous language is engaging a person in aconversation - “let’s sit down and figure out what happened” When youdemand by using a direct question some people shut down, “I don’t know”.If you use the more casual spontaneous language, they are more apt to giveyou information.

Printed materials should be clear, not faded or blurred.

Spelling may be poor so tell them spelling does not count. Encourage spell-checkers (example: Franklin Speller) and computers. It not only checks



Cont…. Encourage association for memory recall - also songs, rhymes, acronyms,chants. Reading italic print or an unusual font can be hard for some people to read.

Use bold, underlining or highlighting instead. Suggest using a ruler or a cardboard cutout if they have trouble tracking

when reading. Moving, walking, rocking, pacing and/or tactile toys will be helpful for the

client to pay attention and learn. Reduce visual and auditory distractions in areas where the clients are

working/interviewing. Encourage client to use a day planner, PDA (personal digital assistant),

calendar or note pad . Post-it notes are great because of the ability to stick almost anywhere. For

some, if notes are put away, for example in a notebook they can be easilyforgotten. They may have a lot of information tucked away in their brain, butare not always able to access it, to retrieve it. Post-it notes can be their

“paper brain.” Some are not good at linear thinking. Some have to be ableto see it lined out on paper (written). Thoughts are likely to skip all over, ifthey start by writing thoughts down they may not lose them. Then later theycan go back and organize or ask someone to help. (mind mapping)

A digital recorder is another great tool. Suggest organizational skills. Classes, books or finding someone to help,

maybe a friend, who is good at organizing.



Dyslexia

Dyslexia is an impairment in the brain'sability to translate written images receivedfrom the eyes into meaningful language. Alsocalled specific reading disability, dyslexia is

the most common learning disability inchildren.

A learning disability is a condition that

produces a gap between someone's abilityand his or her performance. Most people withdyslexia are of average or above-averageintelligence, but read at levels significantlylower than expected. Other types of learning

disabilities include attention difficulties, an

http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/parents/ld_basics/dyslexia.asp




Dyslexia

Dyslexia occurs in Individuals with normal visionand normal intelligence. Such individuals usuallyhave normal speech but often have difficultyinterpreting spoken language and writing.

Dyslexia seems to be caused by a malfunction incertain areas of the brain concerned with language.The condition frequently runs in families.

Treatment may involve a multisensory educationprogram. Emotional support of your child on yourpart also plays an important role.





Dyslexia

Signs and Symptoms of Dyslexia

Dyslexia can be difficult to recognize, but someearly clues may indicate a problem.

If you have a problem with new words,

and add them slowly and have difficulty rhyming, you may be at increased risk of

dyslexia.

signs and symptoms of dyslexia may becomemore apparent as children go through school,

including: The inability to recognize words and letters on a printed page

A reading ability level much below the expected level for theage of your child





Dyslexia

Individuals with dyslexia commonly have problems Processing and understanding what they hear.

They may have difficulty comprehending rapid instructions,

following more than one command at a time or

Remembering the sequence of things.

Reversals of letters (b for d) and a

Reversal of words (saw for was) are typical among individuals whohave dyslexia.

Individuals with dyslexia may also try to read from right to left,

May fail to see (and occasionally to hear) similarities and differences

in letters and words, may not recognize the spacing that organizes letters into separate

words,

and may be unable to sound out the pronunciation of an unfamiliarword.





Dyslexia Treatment

There's no known way to correct the underlying brain malfunction thatcauses dyslexia.

Treatment is by remedial education.

Psychological testing will help you identify the areas you need to work on.

You may use techniques involving hearing, vision and touch to improvereading skills. Helping an individual to use several senses to learn — forexample, by listening to a taped lesson and tracing with a finger the shapeof the words spoken — can help you process the information. The mostimportant teaching approach may be frequent instruction by a readingspecialist who uses these multisensory methods of teaching.

If you have a severe reading disability, tutoring may involve severalindividual or small-group sessions each week, and progress may be slow.An individual with severe dyslexia may never be able to read well and mayneed training for vocations that don't require strong reading skills.

People with milder forms of dyslexia often eventually learn to readwell enough to succeed in school.





Dysgraphia

"Dysgraphia" is a learning disability resulting from the difficulty inexpressing thoughts in writing and graphing. It generally refers toextremely poor handwriting.

Each State has its own criteria which determine if a student has alearning disability as it is defined by special education guidelines.

When a student's writing or graphing difficulties are severe enoughto meet these criteria, special education services are indicated.

Problems arise because "dysgraphia" has no clearly defined criteria.A student with any degree of handwriting difficulty may be labeled"dysgraphic" by some educational specialists, but may or may notneed special education services.

Most learning disabled students experience difficulty withhandwriting and probably could be considered "dysgraphic".However, the term is seldom used within public schools because ofthe lack of any generally recognized or measurable criteria.

http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/parents/ld_basics/dysgraphia.asp






Dysgraphia

Underlying Causes

Students with dysgraphia often have sequencing problems.

Studies indicate that what usually appears to be a perceptual problem(reversing letters/numbers, writing words backwards, writing letters out oforder, and very sloppy handwriting) usually seems to be directly related tosequential/rational information processing.

These students often have difficulty with the sequence of letters and wordsas they write. As a result, the student either needs to slow down in order towrite accurately, or experiences extreme difficulty with the "mechanics" ofwriting (spelling, punctuation, etc.).

They also tend to intermix letters and numbers in formulas. Usually theyhave difficulty even when they do their work more slowly. And by slowingdown or getting "stuck" with the details of writing they often lose thethoughts that they are trying to write about.

D hi







Dysgraphia STRATEGIES

Encourage students to outline their thoughts. It is important to get themain ideas down on paper without having to struggle with the details ofspelling, punctuation, etc

Have students draw a picture of a thought for each paragraph.

Have students dictate their ideas into a tape recorder and then listen andwrite them down later.

Have them practice keyboarding skills. It may be difficult at first, but afterthey have learned the pattern of the keys, typing will be faster and clearerthan handwriting.

Have a computer available for them to organize information and checkspelling. Even if their keyboarding skills aren't great, a computer can helpwith the details.

Have them continue practicing handwriting. There will be timesthroughout a student's life that they will need to be able to write things

down and maybe even share their handwriting with others. It will continueto improve as long as the student keeps working at it.

Encourage student to talk aloud as they write. This may provide valuableauditory feedback.

Allow more time for written tasks including note-taking, copying, andtests.

Outline the particular demands of the course assignments/continuousassessment; exams, computer literacy etc. so that likely problems can be



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