SPECIFIC  Learning  Disabilities Functional Descriptions

TABLE OF CONTENTS Sensory Motor 1 Cognitive Abilities ➠ Association 2 ➠ Conceptualization 3 ➠ Expression 4 Visual Processing ➠ Visual Perception/Discrimination 5 ➠ Visual Figure-ground Differentiation 6 ➠ Visual Sequential Memory 7 ➠ Visual Spatial Memory 8 ➠ Visual Closure 9 ➠ Visual Spatial Orientation 10 ➠ Visual Part-to-Whole Formulation 11 ➠ Visual Perseveration 12 Auditory Processing ➠ Auditory Attention 13 ➠ Auditory Discrimination 14 ➠ Auditory Sequencing 15 ➠ Auditory Memory 16 ➠ Listening Comprehension 17 Attention 18

SPECIFIC  Learning  Disabilities Functional Descriptions & Educational Strategies

INTRODUCTION

This handbook is part of an on-going effort to develop a more functional Special Education assessment which provides educators, parents, and the student with: (1) easily understood descriptions of the student’s strengths and handicapping condition; (2) information about how the student’s disability impacts the acquisition of skills needed for school success, daily living, and work; (3) an outline of the student’s educational needs and corresponding present levels of performance from which annual goals and short-term objectives can be developed, and (4) educational strategies and accommodations which promote success in school, the community, and work place. Assessment of Specific Learning Disabilities One purpose of this handbook is to assist assessment team personnel with identifying and describing the specific psychological processing disorder or disorders which are impacting the student’s school performance. For each of the five basic processing disorders listed in Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, this handbook provides a formal definition along with possible measures and assessment instruments. Functional descriptions and educational implications are given for each processing disorder which can be used by the assessor to help the parents, student, and teachers more fully understand the student’s learning difficulties and how they impact the acquisition of academic skills, school behavior, and independent living activities. In addition to identifying a basic psychological processing disorder, there are other essential criteria which must be met in determining whether a student qualifies for Special Education services on the basis of a Specific Learning Disability. The other factors which need to be addressed as specified by California Education Code Part 30, Section 56337 and Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, Section 3030(j) include: (1) A severe discrepancy must exist between the intellectual ability of the student and his/her achievement in one or more of the following academic areas: • Oral expression • Reading Comprehension • Listening comprehension • Mathematics calculation • Written expression • Mathematics reasoning • Basic reading skills

(2) The discrepancy is due to a disorder in one or more of the following basic psychological processes: • Attention • Visual Processing • Auditory Processing • Sensory-motor skills • Cognitive abilities including association, conceptualization and expression (3) The discrepancy is not primarily due to limited school experience or poor school attendance. (4) The discrepancy is not the result of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantages. (5) The discrepancy cannot be corrected through other regular or categorical services offered within the regular instructional program. Accommodations and Teaching Strategies The second major goal of this handbook is to assist teachers in identifying accommodations and teaching strategies which may be used with students who display Specific Learning Disabilities. Educational strategies and accommodations for each of the five basic processing disorders are color coded in blue for easy identification. Acknowledgments Information for this handbook was obtained from published works, colleagues in both general and special education, and the cumulative experiences and knowledge of the committee members who have worked in the area of Special Education for more years then they would like revealed. A special note of appreciation is extended to everyone who took the time to review initial drafts of this report and provide the committee with suggestions. Parent pamphlets are being planned which describe various disabilities and the strategies which can be used at home to enrich and reinforce the student’s educational program. Suggestions are encouraged and welcomed.

SENSORY MOTOR

Definition Difficulty with perceptual-motor integration, motor proficiency/speed, and perceptual organization. Difficulty with perceptual-motor integration, ➥ Possible Measures ➥ Bender-Gestalt ➥ VMI (Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration ➥ WISC-III (Block Design, Coding, Object Assembly) ➥ Handwriting sample

SENSORY MOTOR

❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Difficulty performing tasks that require eye-hand coordination such as copying from the board; catching a ball; reproducing designs, shapes and figures; drawing and art projects; and handwriting ❏ Poor pencil control, poor handwriting ❏ Changes pencil grip frequently ❏ Awkward pencil grip may be used ❏ Prefers printing ❏ Combines capitals and lowercase ❏ Slow at performing motor tasks such as completing written assignments ❏ Unable to correctly convey brain’s message to the hands ❏ Problems with the speed and ease of performing tasks with hands (such as word processing) ❏ Trouble with timed tests, tasks or essays ❏ Difficulty switching from far vision to near vision, such as losing place when copying from board ❏ Reduced reading speed (cannot process symbols quickly enough for comprehension) ❏ Slow processing when doing math calculations ❏ Loses place when performing math operations ❏ Difficulty in class note taking, drawing, and or fine motor coordination ❏ Erases or crosses out excessively ❏ Difficulty using small tools ❏ Easily fatigued when writing or copying ❏ Writing is cramped, too close together, too far apart, go uphill/downhill ❏ Resistant to do written work ❏ Written work is more simplistic than speaking ability ❏ Written work is poorly organized ❏ Poor record for handing in written work ❏ Difficulty carrying out a solution process on paper (math) ❏ Poor use of space on paper-pencil tasks ❏ Does not edit or re-check work

SENSORY MOTOR

❏ Educational Strategies and Accommodations Consider the following: Room Arrangement ❏ Seating the student near the board/point of presentation Lesson Presentation ❏ Use of peer note-takers with carbonless paper ❏ Use of visual aids with auditory cues ❏ Breaking long presentations into "chunks"/small steps ❏ Use eye tracking activities to increase reading rate and fluency (flash cards, computer games) ❏ Use place holders when reading (index card or marker) ❏ Minimize use of manipulatives ❏ Emphasize step-by-step verbal directions ❏ Teach safe use of tools ❏ Verbal directions that specify spatial relationships such as “put the number on top of the line” need to be accompanied with a visual model ❏ Use visual mapping and diagrams ❏ Minimize quantity of required copying ❏ Pause frequently to allow for “catch-up” ❏ Provide note sheets for lectures ❏ Have class scribe take notes ❏ Allow use of lap top computer Assignments/Worksheets ❏ Use of highlighters/underlining ❏ Shorten large tasks into a series of smaller tasks ❏ Allow typewritten or computer printed assignments ❏ Provide extended time to complete assignments ❏ Provide reduced homework assignments ❏ Clean copies of worksheets with print that is easy to read ❏ Use of colored paper to identify, classify, and organize ❏ Provide reduced assignments in class ❏ Limit student having to copy from the board or from worksheets ❏ Use of graph paper to help organize material ❏ Segmentation of paper (folding) ❏ Organization of paper with auditory cues ❏ Reduce number of math problems required ❏ Encourage proofing for specific items ❏ Give alternatives to written assignments or projects, such as oral report ❏ Allow student to dictate to peer or aide ❏ Modify written assignments to include fill in short answer, circle the answer, etc. ❏ Have students skip lines and use pencil or erasable pens ❏ Allow for calculators in math ❏ Accept dictated homework. Have parent write “Dictated” across the top ❏ Grade creative writing for content not mechanics ❏ Give two grades for essays - one for content, one for mechanics ❏ Teach self-checking, editing for content and mechanics ❏ Allow use of a pencil grip, large pencils, or large lined paper for writing tasks ❏ Allow the student to use either manuscript or cursive

❏ May need reading material held at a slant Test Taking ❏ Allow extended time ❏ Use multiple choice exams in place of essays ❏ Allow open book exams which can be completed with a word processor ❏ Use take home tests which can be completed with a word processor ❏ Due to visual overload, multiple choice tests should list response alternatives vertically: ❏ A ❏ B Not horizontally: ❏ A ❏ B ❏ C ❏ C ❏ Give oral tests ❏ Allow use of scratch paper on math tests ❏ Distribute study guide that highlights key terms and concepts to be addressed Organization ❏ Graph paper to improve legibility ❏ Break assignments/projects into smaller steps/units ❏ Teach systems of organization (graphic organizers, cognitive mapping, show students how to talk themselves through a sequence of steps) ❏ Use different colors to distinguish between sections of a notebook/assignments ❏ Give visual and verbal examples of how to organize paper/assignment ❏ Teach proofing/editing skills Behaviors ❏ Teach the ability to describe disability to others and, how to ask for accommodations ❏ Develop an individualized communication system (such as a private signal) for use when the student is frustrated or needs assistance

COGNITIVE ABILITIES ➠ ASSOCIATION Definition

Difficulty with storing and retrieving information through association (long-term memory); and/or the registering and immediate use of information (short-term memory). ➥ Possible Measures ➥ Test of Memory and Learning ➥ Wide Range Test of Memory and Learning ➥ WISC-III (Coding, Digit Span, Information, Similarities) ➥ TOPS (Test of Problem Solving) ➥ CELF-III

COGNITIVE ABILITIES ➠ ASSOCIATION

❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : Long-term memory ❏ Can memorize and use material in one situation, but can not recall or use same information in another ❏ Does not learn information through association (connecting names with faces, dates with events, related ideas with concepts) ❏ After exposure and apparently learning the skill or information, unable to remember information or demonstrate skill ❏ Does not recall on tests through association ❏ Does not pair visual and auditory information ❏ Difficulty memorizing poems, speeches, math facts ❏ Difficulty with tasks that require multiple associations (algebra), although initial concept understood ❏ Poor recall of facts, details, procedures, skills, methods, and events in life ❏ Does not recall information quickly, accurately, or easily Short-term memory ❏ Difficulty processing/understanding complex directions ❏ Problems following directions ❏ Difficulty remembering information long enough to process it for comprehension ❏ Trouble recalling sequences (e.g., number sequences) ❏ Note-taking is problematic ❏ Maintaining attention is difficult ❏ Acting impulsively without apparently perceiving/realizing consequences of behavior ❏ Needs extra time for information processing

COGNITIVE ABILITIES ➠ CONCEPTUALIZATION Definition Problems with understanding and reasoning, generalizing, and problem-solving. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ WISC-III (Vocabulary, Block Design, Similarities, Arithmetic, Picture Arrangement) ➥ Matrix Analogies Test (MAT) ➥ CELF-III (Listening to Paragraphs) ➥ Woodcock Language Proficiency Test (Passage Comprehension, Listening Comprehension) ➥ TOPS (Test of Problem Solving)

COGNITIVE ABILITIES ➠ CONCEPTUALIZATION

❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Difficulty keeping two or more ideas in mind ❏ Impairment in applying previously learned information to the solution of new problems ❏ Problems with seeing likenesses and differences between ideas, concepts, objects ❏ Lack of strategies for grouping incoming information into smaller units ❏ Difficulty in selecting and verbalizing appropriate relationships between two objects or concepts ❏ Rigidity of thought processes: difficulty incorporating new information ❏ Difficulty categorizing into sets and subsets ❏ Impairment in viewing facts from various angles at the same time and coordinating the multiple relationships involved ❏ Limited ability to separate essential from non-essential details ❏ Problems in testing and discarding hypothetical situations ❏ Unable to discriminate or classify objects after hearing names ❏ May understand the basic or initial concepts, but have difficulty with tasks that require multiple associations (e.g., algebra/chemistry/physics) ❏ Difficulty in abstract problem solving (e.g., math, word problems) and logical thinking ❏ Unable to verbalize what has been learned ❏ Difficulty understanding auditorily what is being explained ❏ Difficulty with creative problem solving, flexibility in thinking, math problem solving, and reading comprehension ❏ Impaired verbal reasoning ❏ Poor social judgment ❏ Difficulty understanding auditorily what is being explained

COGNITIVE ABILITIES ➠ EXPRESSION

Definition Problems with verbal knowledge and comprehension. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ WISC-III (Vocabulary, Information, Comprehension, Similarities) ➥ CELF-III (Listening to Paragraphs) ➥ Woodcock Language Proficiency Test (Passage Comprehension, Listening Comprehension) ➥ TOPS (Test of Problem Solving) ➥ TOWL -III (Test of Written Language - III) ➥ Adolescent Word Test ➥ Comprehensive reading tests such as Gray Oral Reading Test, Woodcock Reading Mastery Test, and Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement

COGNITIVE ABILITIES ➠ EXPRESSION

❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Difficulty with word retrieval when speaking or writing ❏ Limited ability to define words ❏ Reading comprehension impedes by limited understanding of vocabulary ❏ Trouble with explaining ideas or concepts despite ability to demonstrate knowledge in other ways (diagramming, drawing, building a model, etc.) ❏ Listening comprehension delayed ❏ Impaired ability to think with words ❏ Poor sentence formulation. May have substitutions, stammering, delays, etc. ❏ Possible social withdrawal and/or delinquent behavior ❏ Poor or slow language interpretation ❏ Trouble participating in class discussions ❏ Limited fund of knowledge or the ability to express a vast storage of knowledge ❏ Difficulty verbally recalling information/facts ❏ Impaired ability to recall and verbally identify through recognition of familiar objects ❏ Problems in evaluating situations and giving a pertinent response ❏ Overly concrete thinking ❏ Difficulty in expressing ideas verbally ❏ Poor use of practical knowledge and judgment in social situations ❏ Difficulty responding to oral questions ❏ May answer questions with short clipped non-elaborative responses ❏ Talks around subjects with vague rather than precise terms.

COGNITIVE ABILITIES

❏ Educational Strategies and Accommodations Consider the following: Room Arrangement ❏ Label areas of room used for specific items or tasks Lesson Presentation ❏ Begin class summarizing what was covered previously ❏ Tape lectures and put onto computer (word processor) ❏ Use review, repetition, over learning, and chunking of facts ❏ Use a multi-sensory approach to learning (visual, auditory, hands-on) ❏ Relate the information being taught back to student’s experiences and previous knowledge ❏ Keep directions short and simple ❏ Use a calculator for math processes ❏ Use key words to remember ❏ Summarize lectures in writing ❏ Present vocabulary after concrete presentation/example ❏ Teach prefixes, suffixes, and roots ❏ Use cooperative learning strategies ❏ Teach new concepts using concrete examples, personal experiences, models, and simulations ❏ Emphasize visual learning techniques which stress cause-and-effect relationships ❏ Ask “one concept” questions electing short answer, increase with mastery ❏ Accept concrete answers to reduce amount of incoming information ❏ Give ample time for responses or preparation ❏ Give written questions to think about before answering oral questions ❏ Teach categories, similarities, opposites, predicting, cause and effect, fact and opinion, making inferences, drawing conclusions ❏ Encourage oral presentations with notes and visual cues ❏ Teach paraphrasing, subvocalizing ❏ Provides handout of key questions for next day’s lessons at the end of class ❏ Teach mnemonic devices to associate new vocabulary and concepts with familiar material ❏ Help establish meaningful links between seemingly separate pieces of information ❏ Allow use of 3 x 5 card to block out visual stimulus when reading ❏ Use supplemental texts written at an adjusted reading level ❏ Simplify key vocabulary in the text ❏ Use visualizing and Verbalizing techniques Assignments/Worksheets ❏ Use SQ3R (skim reading, skim question, read, recite, review) ❏ Make copies of text and highlight key points ❏ Make sure directions are understood by having student repeat what was said or paraphrasing ❏ Provide a list of procedures to follow when working with tasks that involve problem- solving ❏ Write directions/procedures/assignments ❏ Use verbal enrichment activities including Scrabble, analogy, and other word games ❏ Allow the student to use cue cards, manipulatives, number lines, math fact charts, or calculators ❏ Encourage student to discuss experiences, ask questions, and make a dictionary

❏ Stress language development, synonyms and antonyms, and exercises involving abstract words, classifications, and generalizations ❏ Emphasize listening skills by reading sentences of increasing length and asking student to recall details ❏ Give directions of increasing complexity and have student follow them ❏ Have student demonstrate what has been learned through projects or plays Test Taking/Studying ❏ Study to music (60 beats per minute) ❏ Break study session into 10 minute intervals ❏ Frequent short quizzes ❏ Student rehearses for tests by reading into tape recorder ❏ Use verbal rehearsal (Mnemonics) to retrieve information ❏ Eliminate distractions while studying ❏ Distribute study packets that highlight key terms and concepts ❏ Give practice tests the day before ❏ Provide alternatives to paper-pencil tests ❏ Give frequent quizzes ❏ Give practice opportunities which match the way student will be tested ❏ Limit number of test items in matching ❏ Underline key words in test directions ❏ Give open note, open book tests when appropriate ❏ Extend time for assignments, provide timers with a bell or buzzer, and construct timelines for task completion ❏ Encourage the use of study buddies/partners Organization ❏ Make a list of steps that will help with organization and recall of information ❏ Teach note-taking ❏ Emphasize how things are organized ❏ Allow the use of semantic maps or graphic organizers, storyboards, story frames, or story maps for writing activities Behavior/Training Programs ❏ Role-play common social situations such as obtaining emergency service, what to do when angry, frustrated, sorry, etc. ❏ Discuss the actions of others to help the student develop an awareness of social relationships and what is expected of him/her in terms of the behavior of others ❏ Teach problem solving options ❏ Develop an individualized communication system (such as a private signal) for use when the student is frustrated or needs assistance ❏ Teach the ability to describe disability to others, and how to ask for accommodations

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL PERCEPTION/DISCRIMINATION

Definition

Problems differentiating visual figures, shapes, and symbols such as letters and numbers. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ Bender-Gestalt ➥ VMI (Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration) ➥ WISC-III (Block Design, Coding, Object Assembly, Picture Completion, and Picture Arrangement) ➥ Test of Visual Perceptual Skills

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL PERCEPTION/DISCRIMINATION ❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Deficits in noting differences and similarities among geometric forms, letters and words ❏ Impairment in differentiating one object from another (objects and symbols may be differentiated by color, shape, pattern, size, position, or brightness) ❏ Difficulty matching objects and symbols ❏ Confusion of letters with similar configurations (h-n, i-j,v-w) or similar words (lap, lip) ❏ Impaired reading fluency; may be embarrassed to read aloud ❏ Trouble following steps in math processes ❏ Difficulty knowing what math operations correspond to the visual symbol ❏ Poor speller

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL FIGURE -GROUND DIFFERENTIATION

Definition Difficulty focusing on selected figures and screening out irrelevant stimuli in the background. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ Standardized reading test (W-J, K-ABC, Norris, Terra Nova) ➥ Bender-Gestalt ➥ VMI (Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration) ➥ WISC-III (Block Design, Coding, Object Assembly, Picture Completion, and Picture Arrangement)

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL FIGURE -GROUND DIFFERENTIATION

❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Ability to see visual background, but unable to focus on a particular feature or thing in the foreground ❏ Sees all the words on a page, but cannot focus on a single word or letter of a word ❏ Inattentive and very disorganized when switching attention from one task/assignment to another ❏ Confused if too much information is presented in a small space ❏ Limited artistic and drafting ability ❏ Difficulty finding an object that is easily observable ❏ Difficulty in keeping place while reading, copying materials, taking Scantron tests, etc. ❏ Skips sections or omits parts of an assignment ❏ Problems concentrating on one math problem on a page with many problems

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL SEQUENTIAL MEMORY Definition Problems in remembering the sequence of visual stimuli. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ WISC-III (Picture Arrangement) ➥ Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude ➥ Math, spelling, and written language standardized tests ➥ Sample of timed tests

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL SEQUENTIAL MEMORY ❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Difficulty remembering the order in which information was presented ❏ Misperceives the sequence of social interactions ❏ Displaying more difficulty in spelling and writing than in reading ❏ Not remembering the order of letters in words (e.g., "the" may be spelled "het" or "teh") ❏ Difficulty remembering multistep math processes ❏ Problems remembering written directions ❏ Trouble with remembering sequences of information when reading for comprehension ❏ Difficulty getting started ❏ Difficulty prioritizing ❏ Easily distracted and deterred ❏ Difficulty completing assignments, especially long term projects ❏ Demonstrates reading inaccuracies ❏ Loses track of time and/or have difficulty with time management

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL SPATIAL MEMORY Definition Problems in remembering the placement of objects in space. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ VMI ➥ Bender Gestalt ➥ WISC-III (Block Design, Object assembly) ➥ Large motor evaluation

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL SPATIAL MEMORY

❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Difficulty differentiating letters that have the same forms, but are in different positions such as d and b, or p and q ❏ Problems sequencing letters within printed words ❏ Reversing letters or symbols ❏ Problems in model making, map reading, understanding graphs, or learning systems of measurement ❏ Difficulty remembering number placement in multistep-step math process ❏ Trouble locating/copying information on the board ❏ Difficulty with geometric concepts ❏ Messy, disorganized notebooks ❏ May lose place when reading ❏ Difficulty with directionality (e.g., performing math computations) ❏ Poor organization ❏ Forgets where things are located

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL CLOSURE ➥ Definition Difficulty visualizing a whole without omitting portions or details from objects, symbols, and pictures. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ VMI ➥ Bender Gestalt ➥ WISC-III (Block Design, Object assembly, Picture Completion) ➥ Test of Visual Perceptual Skills

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL CLOSURE ❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Limited word attack skills; trouble blending letters in words visually ❏ Difficulty performing syllabication ❏ Poor cursive writing skills ❏ Difficulty knowing that an assignment is incomplete or finished ❏ Confusion interpreting maps, charts, graphs

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL SPATIAL ORIENTATION

Definition Difficulty seeing the relationship of objects in space to the body. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ Large motor assessment

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL SPATIAL ORIENTATION ❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Becomes lost/confused on campus ❏ Clumsy - difficulty in P.E., sports, art, and "shop" classes ❏ Difficulty copying from the board accurately and with speed ❏ Difficulty following directions that use left/right orientation ❏ Becoming disoriented ❏ Difficulty making a transition from one activity to another

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL PART-TO-WHOLE FORMULATION

Definition Problem in finding visual cues which relate one part to another. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ WISC-III (Object Assembly, Block Design) ➥ VMI ➥ Bender Gestalt

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL PART-TO-WHOLE FORMULATION

❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Difficulty thinking in terms of visual images and manipulating them with fluency, flexibility, and relative speed ❏ Problems interpreting or organizing visually perceived material ❏ Impaired reasoning using analogies ❏ Difficulty perceiving whole words from their individual letters ❏ Problems in understanding written directions ❏ Trouble reading numbers such as [1, 250, 430] as a whole number rather than individual digits ❏ Trial and error approach to assembling puzzles ❏ Poor alertness to detail ❏ Poor completion of entire assignment ❏ May have good decoding skills, but poor reading comprehension ❏ Work production is slow ❏ Context clues are not used ❏ Vocabulary is poor ❏ New information can not be related to previously learned materials ❏ Math facts are memorized, but has difficulty applying them

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL PERSEVERATION

Definition Repetitive behavior or focusing on an object or situation with no regard to the total picture. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ WISC-III (Object Assembly, Block Design) ➥ VMI ➥ Bender Gestalt ➥ Handwriting sample

VISUAL PROCESSING ➠ VISUAL PERSEVERATION ❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Problems with task completion ❏ Difficulty understanding written directions ❏ Trouble with changing tasks ❏ Erases frequently ❏ Attends to pictures on wall, lint on jacket, etc. instead of task

VISUAL PROCESSING

❏ Educational Strategies and Accommodations Consider the following: Room Arrangement ❏ Organized (have routine established and posted) ❏ Visually clean (not cluttered) ❏ Cue if changes are made Lesson Presentation ❏ Use manipulatives ❏ Use color to group similar tasks ❏ Use cue card for multistep-step processes ❏ Teach editing skills ❏ Use color coding/highlighting/underlining to differentiate important parts of presentation ❏ Teach safe use of tools ❏ Teach multisensory/finger spelling ❏ Consider overhead to enlarge/highlight ❏ Use step-by-step written directions ❏ Use a visual model with verbal directions that specify spatial relationships such as “put number on top of the line” ❏ Use visual mapping and diagrams ❏ Use * or ! to emphasize important information ❏ Allow student to auditorize; encourage re-auditorizating ❏ Use phonics to teach reading, use “cloze techniques” (contextual cues to fill in blanks) to develop comprehension skills ❏ Use auditory cues/aids ❏ Permit tape recorders ❏ Encourage reading of any type ❏ Teach tracing of spelling, vocabulary, math sequences ❏ Post/show sequence for multistep-step tasks ❏ Teach sequencing vocabulary, lst, 2nd, last, etc. ❏ Use direct instruction of decoding ❏ Provide selection of books at reading level, for individual assignment possibilities ❏ Do not require to read aloud ❏ Pair students for reading assignments ❏ Show video selections of literature being read ❏ Teach pre-reading activities to develop better comprehension ❏ Allow the use of preprinted lecture outlines or preprinted picture notes for lectures Assignments/Worksheets ❏ Clean copies of worksheets with print that is easy to read ❏ Ensure break down projects into smaller units/tasks ❏ Encourage books on Tape ❏ Use large print or enlarged copies of math problems ❏ Allow assignments to be read aloud ❏ Provide graph paper ❏ Teach color coding/highliting/underlining ❏ Use colored acetate when reading (vision therapy technique) ❏ Allow extended time

❏ Include location cues, such as page numbers, on study guides so students can find answers efficiently ❏ Allow the student to use a spell-checker, word processor, typewriter, tape recorder, thesaurus, dictionary, or other reference materials during writing assignments ❏ Place the student closer to the teacher or others who can be of assistance, and separate the student from distractions ❏ Teach student to re-read information to improve comprehension ❏ Encourage word processor (enhances connection between reading and writing) ❏ Allow spell checker, calculator (allows for comprehension, not computation or decoding) ❏ Allow 3X5 card to assist in tracking when reading ❏ Fold paper to provide boxes for work ❏ Use manipulatives for math before paper/pencil assignments ❏ Use color highlighting in math operations to help code directionality ❏ Teach math phrases and corresponding operations (less than = subtraction) ❏ Read word problems aloud; ask students to demonstrate or draw what is being asked ❏ Turn lined paper so lines are vertical for math ❏ Provide peer reader for math problems ❏ Reduce homework, while student is gaining reading skills ❏ Try software that focuses on vocabulary, comprehension with speech component, and provides multimodal learning ❏ Use different colors to distinguish between sections of a notebook/assignments ❏ Give visual and verbal examples of how to organize paper/assignment Test Taking ❏ Due to visual overload, multiple choice tests should list response alternatives vertically: ❏ A ❏ B Not horizontally: ❏ A ❏ B ❏ C ❏ C ❏ Permit extended time ❏ Allow tests to be read aloud ❏ Highlight every 5th question so students can self-monitor questions they are answering on answer sheet ❏ Allow students to use 3 x 5 cards to block out visual stimuli ❏ All information needed should be on same page to prevent need of flipping back and forth to find answers ❏ Conduct review before test, distribute study guide ❏ Allow tests to be read orally Organization ❏ Teach graphic organizers ❏ Teach proofing/editing skills ❏ Post/show all assignments and due dates ❏ Teach prioritizing and sequencing study time ❏ Use different colors to distinguish between sections of a notebook/assignments ❏ Give visual and verbal examples of how to organize paper/assignment ❏ Help student develop note taking system that works for him/her ❏ Provide calendars and checklists for study units Behaviors ❏ Teach appropriate social skills and non verbal cues, personal space, gestures, facial expressions ❏ Develop an individualized communication system (such as a private signal) for use when the student is frustrated or needs assistance ❏ Teach the ability to describe disability to others, and how to ask for accommodations

AUDITORY PROCESSING ➠ AUDITORY ATTENTION

Definition Difficulty attending to auditory stimuli, locating sound in relation to the listener, and/or filtering out pertinent information when interfering stimuli are present. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ Goldman-Fristoe Test of Auditory Figure-ground ➥ Auditory Tests of Selective Listening ➥ Direct observation ➥ Test of Auditory Comprehension (TAC) ➥ Referral to audiologist

AUDITORY PROCESSING ➠ AUDITORY ATTENTION ❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Attends to sounds other than the teacher speaking ❏ Difficulty learning sound symbol relationships ❏ Seems to be unaware of what is happening around him/her ❏ Difficulty responding accurately to oral directions or questions ❏ Difficulty assigning specific voices to corresponding persons ❏ Trouble finding the source of sound or the direction from which the sound is coming ❏ Attends to all sounds equally ❏ Inability to work in a busy, noisy classroom ❏ Difficulty following complex verbal directions ❏ Difficult attending to lectures/verbal presentations ❏ Appears to be hyperactive or distractible ❏ Difficulty attending - may seem defiant ❏ Difficulty understanding suffix, prefix, plural clues

AUDITORY PROCESSING ➠ AUDITORY DISCRIMINATION

Definition Problems discriminating and recognizing the differences among speech sounds and patterns. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ Wepman Auditory Discrimination Test ➥ Test of Auditory Discrimination (Golman-Fristoe-Woodcock) ➥ Lindamood Auditory Conceptualization Test (LAC) ➥ Test of Auditory Analysis Skills (TAAS) ➥ Adolescent Word Test ➥ Comprehensive reading tests such as Gray Oral Reading Test, Woodcock Reading Mastery Test, and Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement

AUDITORY PROCESSING ➠ AUDITORY DISCRIMINATION

❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Mispronunciation of common words ❏ Limited ability to detect likeness and differences in sounds ❏ Difficulty with pitch, frequency, and intensity ❏ Trouble with phonetic concepts ❏ Problems differentiating loud, soft, long or short sounds ❏ Difficulty or failure to hear the letter sound in the beginning, middle, or end of a word ❏ Problems recognizing rhyming words ❏ Difficulty understanding messages, confuses one word for another ❏ Trouble with decoding skills ❏ Difficulties in spelling ❏ Difficulty reading own handwriting ❏ Problems learning a foreign language ❏ Difficulties in reading comprehension due to decoding problems and possible slower reading rate

AUDITORY PROCESSING ➠ AUDITORY SEQUENCING Definition Problems recalling and acting upon auditory information in the order given. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ WISC-III (Digit Span) ➥ Lindamood Auditory Conceptualization Test ➥ CELF-III (Recalling Sentences) ➥ Woodcock-Johnson Test of Language Proficiency ➥ Visual-Aural Digit Span Test ➥ Woodcock Language Proficiency Test (Word Attack) ➥ Test of Auditory Analysis Skills (TAAS)

AUDITORY PROCESSING ➠ AUDITORY SEQUENCING

❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Difficulty retaining a sequence of sounds within words ❏ Problems retaining a sequence of words within sentences ❏ Inability to recall information in a systematic, sequential order ❏ Difficulty remembering phone number, address, birth date ❏ Recalling numbers is poor ❏ Difficulty with sequential directions ❏ Difficulty speaking or writing in meaningful sentences ❏ Inappropriate responses to recall questions ❏ Inability to make generalizations about new words that are encountered ❏ Difficulty anticipating completion of spoken messages ❏ Trouble filling in “pieces” of information from a conversation when those pieces have been missed ❏ Problems hearing a series of sounds and blending them ❏ Difficulty comprehending spoken and written language ❏ Trouble with expressive oral and written language ❏ Difficulty with spelling and decoding skills ❏ Confusion in order of items ❏ Omission of all or partr of directions ❏ Difficulty with oral and written grammar

AUDITORY PROCESSING ➠ AUDITORY MEMORY

Definition Problems retaining and recalling auditory information. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ CELF-III (Concepts, Directions, Sentence Recall, and Paragraphs) ➥ Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery - Revised (Memory for Sentences) ➥ WISC-III (Digit Span)

AUDITORY PROCESSING ➠ AUDITORY MEMORY

❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Comprehends, but does not remember what is heard ❏ Shows syntax disturbances ❏ Omits items in a series ❏ Distorts sequence when recalling events in a story ❏ Substitutes improper words in verbal expression ❏ Lacks skill in grammatical structure ❏ Difficulty formulating sentences ❏ Problems following directions ❏ Can be seen as off-task or defiant in the classroom ❏ Trouble following conversation ❏ Organizational difficulties (can’t remember what is expected) ❏ Difficulty retelling stories - describing events ❏ Problems recalling information to complete job-related tasks ❏ Difficulty sequencing information when writing ❏ Verbally recalls a sentence, but has difficulty putting it in writing

AUDITORY PROCESSING ➠ LISTENING COMPREHENSION

Definition Difficulty deriving meaning from what is heard. ➥ Possible Measures ➥ CELF-III (Listening to Paragraphs) ➥ Woodcock Language Proficiency Test (Passage Comprehension, Listening Comprehension) ➥ WISC -III (Comprehension)

AUDITORY PROCESSING ➠ LISTENING COMPREHENSION ❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : ❏ Demonstrates problems comprehending /remembering what teacher says ❏ Has poor note taking, cannot listen and write simultaneously ❏ Shows difficulty comprehending vocabulary ❏ Does not pick up nuances, finer semantic features (meaning) of oral language ❏ “Misses the point” or responses to questions are “off the mark.” ❏ Demonstrates poor social skills due to not comprehending the intent of others ❏ Seems to “not have a clue” about what is being discussed or presented, may seem to daydream or become restless when listening is required ❏ Shows misinterpretations in meaning ❏ Demonstrates difficulty when following oral, sequenced directions ❏ Needs to have teacher or classmate repeat directions or facts presented ❏ Looks around to see what others are doing directly after multistep directions are given ❏ Easily distracted by background noise

AUDITORY PROCESSING ❏ Educational Strategies and Accommodations Consider the following: Room Arrangement ❏ Minimize auditory distractions ❏ Isolate in separate part of room ❏ Give preferential seating Lesson Presentation ❏ Use “pretuner” words such as “listen, read, begin” ❏ Ask student to repeat directions ❏ Use a visual approach to correct spelling errors ❏ Use flash cards for vocabulary and spelling words ❏ Use a high degree of visual cues and examples along with auditory information ❏ Keep directions brief ❏ Explain the meaning of vocabulary, check for understanding ❏ Use visual maps ❏ Highlight important information using colored highlighters ❏ Present only one or two tasks or directions at one time ❏ Use semantic story organizers and story maps ❏ Provide an overview of the “big picture.” ❏ Use manipulatives whenever possible ❏ Demonstrate learning through projects, skits, discussions ❏ Act things out, create physical representations or make models ❏ Present vocabulary after concrete presentation/example ❏ Give short breaks from listening ❏ Allow study buddy to interpret directions ❏ Use small groups to facilitate acquisition of knowledge ❏ Allow to doodle in order to listen ❏ Consider using a microphone/amplification system ❏ Give “alert” cues when you are about to deliver input instructions ❏ Strengthen sight vocabulary ❏ Ask short questions ❏ Give visual cues/aids whenever possible ❏ Have student paraphrase directions ❏ Increase length of orally presented material as student demonstrates readiness ❏ Accept yes, no, maybe responses and increase length of response expected ❏ Teach vocabulary, idioms, sarcasm, etc. ❏ Teach paraphrasing, questioning, summarizing ❏ Select a peer scribe ❏ Vary pitch, tone, speed to help students listen closely ❏ Use overhead projector Assignments/Worksheets ❏ Develop use of consistent attention getting devices before giving an assignment ❏ Use word processor with spell checker ❏ Use books on tape when reading ❏ Use note taker in class; tape lectures, write notes later ❏ Provide written directions ❏ Keep directions brief ❏ Write assignments down for student (peer or teacher) ❏ Have students underline words they believe are misspelled

❏ Check calendars before student leaves class ❏ Have student write directions and teacher or peer checks for accuracy ❏ Use highlighter during reading assignments Test Taking ❏ Read test directions, circle key words Organization/Study Skills ❏ Use data/information cards (e.g., for job applications) ❏ Teach SQ3R approach (skim reading, skim questions, read, recite, review) ❏ Use daily assignment calendar ❏ Teach how to develop and maintain an organized notebook to aide in memory ❏ Teach outlining techniques and cognitive mapping ❏ Practice cumulative reviewing ❏ Practice sequencing dates, parts of essay, steps in math problems, etc. ❏ Use flash cards to study ❏ Have student write when memorizing ❏ Write directions given orally, teacher checks Behavior/Training Programs ❏ Teach differences between extraneous noises and what needs to be the focus of attention ❏ Use frequent and tangible reinforcers ❏ Use ADD (Auditory Discrimination in Depth) program ❏ Teach visualizing and Verbalizing program ❏ Teach sound-symbol relationships ❏ Check for understanding in conversations ❏ Develop an individualized communication system (such as a private signal) for use when the student is frustrated or needs assistance ❏ Teach the use of key words and phrases such as who, what, where, when, why, and how much, therefore, in addition, consequently, next, finally, in conclusion, etc. ❏ Teach ability to describe disability, how to ask for accommodations Other ❏ Avoid foreign languages

ATTENTION

Definition Difficulty in establishing and maintaining attention to task, short-term memory, self-monitoring, and shifting mental operations. ➥ Possible Measures Global Diagnostic Features ➥ A persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development ➥ Some symptoms that cause impairment must have been present before age 7 ➥ Some impairment from the symptoms must be present in at least 2 settings (home, school, work) ➥ Clear evidence of interference in social, academic, or occupational functioning ➥ The disturbance is not better accounted for by another mental or behavioral disorder ➥ Symptoms most likely to occur in a group setting Standardized Tests and Rating Scales ➥ Continuous Performance Tests (TOVA, Gordon, Conners'). ➥ Teacher and parent rating scales (Conners', ADDES) ➥ IQ (WISC-III, WAIS); achievement (W-J, K-ABC, Terra Nova); and fine-motor assessment (VMI, Bender Gestalt) ➥ Vision and hearing assessment Interviews and Record Reviews ➥ Developmental history, medical history, family information ➥ Thorough review of report cards K, 1, 2, 3, and 4 ➥ Teacher consultation ➥ Investigate personality dynamics ➥ Student interview ➥ Classroom observation ➥ Job performance/vocational rating ➥ Rule out other possible causes for symptoms such as allergies, personal problems, drug use, processing deficits, etc.

ATTENTION ❏ Functional Description/Educational Implications Student may demonstrate one or more of the following : Academic ❏ Makes careless mistakes ❏ Difficulty organizing tasks ❏ Difficulty completing tasks/homework due to poor recall and/or follow through ❏ Avoids tasks requiring sustained self-application and mental effort or those which require organizational demands ❏ Distracted easily by irrelevant stimuli ❏ Impaired academic achieverment ❏ Frequent starts and stops ❏ Demonstrates main ideas but misses details or may attend to minor information with difficulty in seeing entire picture ❏ Rushes through work, gives up quickly ❏ Appears not to plan ❏ Appears not to listen ❏ Inconsistentlu uses skills ❏ Symptoms may not be as evident in one-on-one situations Social ❏ Has poor listening habits ❏ Makes frequent shifts in conversation ❏ Excessively mobile ❏ Talks excessively, blurts out carelessly without regard to consequences ❏ Can be very engaging, verbal, funny ❏ Bores easily ❏ Appears impatient ❏ Has difficulty delaying responses ❏ Has greater incidence of traffic accidents ❏ Has higher probability of drug and alcohol ❏ Blurts out answers, interrupts others ❏ Grabs objects from others or touches inappropriately ❏ Clowns around ❏ Demonstrates avoidance behavior which may appear as defiance ❏ Has variable, unpredictable behavior, stirs things up without meaning to; annoys and bothers others ❏ Has difficulty learning from mistakes, experiences, or after being disciplined ❏ Misperceives sequence of social interactions Occupational ❏ Fails to give attention to details ❏ Appears to not listen ❏ Frequently shifts tasks ❏ Loses materials for doing a task, if available at all ❏ Misses deadlines - difficulty seeing the whole picture and planning long term project

ATTENTION ❏ Educational Strategies and Accommodations Consider the following: Room Arrangement ❏ Use of a study carrel ❏ Seating the student at a desk for independent work rather than at a group table ❏ Seating the student near the teacher ❏ Seating the student near a positive role model Lesson Presentation ❏ Pair students, study buddies ❏ Write key points on the board/overhead ❏ Use peer note-takers with carbonless paper ❏ Use visual aids ❏ Use a variety of classroom activities ❏ Break long presentations into "chunks"/small steps ❏ Give both oral and written instructions ❏ Prepare student for any changes in advance ❏ Use small group instruction ❏ Use cooperative learning ❏ Provide a written outline of the lesson ❏ Allow the student to tape record the lesson ❏ Use computer assisted instruction ❏ Give frequent checks for understanding ❏ Keep involved (thrives on interaction) ❏ Plan transition time to minimize distractions ❏ Post daily schedule ❏ Make sure to have eye contact ❏ Develop secret signal to let student know when off task ❏ Consider playing soft background music during independent work activities ❏ Embed frequent movement into lessons and routines ❏ Monitors ratio of positive feedback to negative comments (5 to 1 is “best practice”) Assignments/Worksheets ❏ Use highlighters/underlining ❏ Shorten large tasks into a series of smaller tasks ❏ Allow typewritten or computer printed assignments ❏ Check notebook on a regular basis ❏ Check student understanding of directions by having the student give an interpretation of directions ❏ Provide extended time to complete assignments ❏ Provide reduced homework assignments ❏ Provide reduced assignments in class ❏ Provide study skills training ❏ Use borders to chunk/group material to lessen visual stimulation ❏ Turn paper so lines go vertically and can line up problems in math ❏ Circle operational signs for math Test Taking ❏ Allow extended time ❏ Give extra credit work

❏ Give frequent short quizzes rather than infrequent comprehensive exams ❏ Allow open book exams ❏ Use take home tests ❏ Use objective items rather than essay items ❏ May need tests taped so that student can hear/read ❏ May need alternative environment with fewer distractions Organization ❏ Consider reward system for tasks completed in class ❏ Encourage reward system for homework completion ❏ Use graph paper to improve legibility ❏ Maintain a calendar of weekly/monthly assignments ❏ Break assignments/projects into smaller steps/units ❏ Provide weekly progress reports ❏ Prepare student for any changes in advance ❏ Allow the student to keep an extra textbook at home ❏ Teach systems of organization (graphic organizers, cognitive mapping, show students how to talk themselves through a sequence of steps) ❏ Have students identify parts of lesson that they missed Behaviors ❏ Program academic classes in the morning ❏ Provide “stretch time” and allow for time out of seat ❏ Develop a behavior contract with the student which includes positive interventions and payoffs ❏ Communicate with the parents on a regular basis (e.g. weekly progress reports) ❏ Use peer mediation to resolve classroom disputes ❏ Praise specific behaviors ❏ Use rewards, privileges ❏ Have clear, concise, and consistent classroom rules ❏ Exercise prudent use of negative consequences ❏ Use cueing techniques to keep the student on task ❏ Maintain a daily point chart on two or three target behaviors ( Communicate results to parents on a regular basis) ❏ Provide opportunities for showing responsibility and demonstrating positive, appropriate behavior ❏ Teach social skills and reading social cues ❏ Prepare student for any changes in advance ❏ Teach alternative movement that does not disrupt ❏ Teach “STAR” (Stop, Think, Act, Review) ❏ Develop an individualized communication system (such as a private signal) for use when the student is frustrated or needs assistance ❏ Teach ability to describe disability, how to ask for accommodations Other ❏ Needs physical activity everyday ❏ May benefit from a job with movement, frequent change, and high energy ❏ Needs continual feedback (e.g., working with the computer)