Download Characteristics of Disabilities and learning to

Characteristics of
Disabilities
SPED 576
Jessica Hovland & Kary Zarate
Disabilities
•
•
•
•
•
Learning Disabilities: Reading, Writing, Mathematics
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Emotional Disorders
Gifted and Twice Exceptional
Researching
Patterns are Important!
• Look for patterns in performance across assessments
• Error analysis – are the same errors made on multiple tests?
• Strengths – what does the child consistently do well?
• Ease of task completion – did the child complete the task quickly and easily?
• Look for similarities in behavior and performance across settings
• Home
• School and different classrooms within school
• Clinic
Learning Disabilities
• The new DSM-5 now suggests an
overall diagnosis of specific
learning disorder, rather than a
more specific definition of, for
example, dyslexia or dyscalculia.
Retrieved from: http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Specific%20Learning%20Disorder%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
Things to Rule Out for a
Learning Disability
•
•
•
•
•
Cultural-linguistic differences
Noncognitive factors (e.g. motivational issues, emotional disorder, trauma)
Intellectual disability
Sensory/health impairment
Lack of instruction
Reference: Christo, C., Davis, J.M., Brock, S.E. (2009). Identifying, assessing, and treating dyslexia at school. In Developmental Psychopathology at School.
• Often referred to as dyslexia
• Difficulties with: phonological processing, rapid naming, working memory, language
• Weaknesses in reading, but no overall language delay
• Link between cognitive ability area and academic achievement (e.g. phonological processing and
difficulty sounding out words)
• Difficulties with accurate/fluent word recognition
• Poor spelling and decoding abilities
• Comprehension difficulties secondary to word-level difficulties
Reading Disability: Word-level
Reference: Christo, C., Davis, J.M., Brock, S.E. (2009). Identifying, assessing, and treating dyslexia at school. In Developmental Psychopathology at School.
Children being evaluated in late elementary school or middle school may:
• Read slower than expected
• Have poor spelling
• Have poor handwriting
• Have difficulty with new, technical vocabulary
• Struggle to learn a foreign language
Can You Read This?
Reading Disability: Word-level
Anewun kan lurn if thay nothe
rite stradijy.
Reference: Christo, C., Davis, J.M., Brock, S.E. (2009). Identifying, assessing, and treating dyslexia at school. In Developmental Psychopathology at School.
Reading Disability: Comprehension
• Often referred to as hyperlexia
• Scores on standardized tests show deficits in comprehension despite
average to above average scores in reading accuracy
• May have deficits in oral language skills
• Difficulty with working memory, accessing prior knowledge, and
identifying relevant information in a text
• Difficulty with organization information, making inferences, and
comprehension monitoring
Reference: Hulme, C. & Snowling, M.J. Developmental Disorders of Language, Learning and Cognition.
Characteristics of dysgraphia, or challenges with the physical act of writing,
include:
• Inconsistencies in letter formation and spacing
• Illegible writing despite adequate time
• Talking to self while writing
• Watching hand while writing
• Slow copying
• Omitted words
• Cramped, unusual grip
Writing Disability
• Can be due to a learning disability or ADHD
• Writing is a very complex cognitive process &
can be affected by many things
Writing Disability
Characteristics of difficulties with written expression:
• Problems generating text
• Produce shorter, less interesting writing
• Poorly organized sentences and paragraphs
• Less likely to proof-read for spelling, punctuation, and grammar
• Less likely to use strategies
• Less likely to revise writing for clarity
Writing Disability
Reference: Fletcher, J.M., Lyon, G. R., Fuchs, L.S., & Barnes, M.A. (2007). Learning disabilities: From identification to intervention. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Mathematics Disability
• Inconsistencies in answers for mathematical operations
(addition, subtraction, multiplication and division)
– Ex. saying 5 + 4 = 20
• Inability to remember formulas, rules, or concepts
• Difficulty with abstract concepts like time and direction
• Consistent errors when recalling numbers
• Difficulty remembering how to keep score in games
• May show deficits in working memory, visual-spatial skills,
sequencing, and following procedures
Defining ADHD
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
DSM-V is considered primary authority for diagnosis
Two categories: 1) inattention 2) hyperactivity and impulsivity
Symptoms must be present in multiple settings
Children must have 6 symptoms for either/both group of criteria
Adults (over age 17) must have 5 symptoms for either/both group of criteria
Symptoms must be present before age 12
Typical behaviors: failure to pay attention to details, difficulty organizing tasks and
activities, excessive talking, fidgeting, inability to remain seated in appropriate
situations, difficulty sustaining attention on tasks that require effort.
References: http://www.dsm5.org/documents/adhd%20fact%20sheet.pdf; Wriight, J. (2002). ADHD: A school-based evaluation manual. Retrieved from: www.interventioncentral.org.
Executive Functioning Skills
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Response inhibition
Working memory
Emotional control
Sustained attention
Task initiation
Planning/prioritization
Organization
• Time Management
• Goal-directed persistence (sticking
with challenging tasks, such as problemsolving)
• Flexibility (okay with changes in plans,
tries multiple approaches to solve
problems)
• Metacognition (awareness of thinking,
checks work, tries to solve problems)
Emotional Disorders
•
•
•
•
•
Learning difficulties that can’t be explained by other factors
Significant difficulty with relationships
Inappropriate feelings or behavior under normal circumstances
General pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression
Physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems
Social maladjustment exclusion– technically excludes children from eligibility for special education,
however, the term is ambiguous and there is currently no research base to reliably distinguish “socially
maladjusted” children from those with emotional disturbances.
Emotional Disorders
• Defiant behavior linked to language/communication skills, literacy skills, and/or difficulties
controlling impulses should be ruled out
• Emotional and behavioral challenges often co-occur with ADHD and Autism Spectrum
Disorders
• Often display immaturity, acting like much younger children
• Behavior is inappropriate for developmental age
Anxiety & Depression:
• Chronic, excessive fears, worries and/or uneasiness that impedes daily routines
• Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, inability to relax, trouble falling asleep
• Irritability, loss of interest in activities, loss of energy, change in appetite or weight
Reference: Davis, M.R., Culotta, V.P., Levine, E.A., Rice, E.H. (2011). School success for kids with emotional and behavioral disorders. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press Inc.
Unique traits of Gifted Children
•
•
•
•
•
Tend to have more fear, insomnia, and anxiety
May have high levels of energy and intense focus
Heightened sensitivities make it hard to “turn off ” brain
Tendency to ask deep questions; lack of answers may cause anxiety
Creativity and imagination can lead to tendency to think about worse case scenarios,
which can also lead to anxiety
• Tendency toward perfectionism and depression
• Uneven maturity and levels of development; cognitive maturity may be higher than
emotional maturity
Reference: Lamont, R.T. (2012). The fears and anxieties of gifted learners: Tips for parents and educators. Gifted Child Today, 35(4), 271-276.
Twice Exceptional Children
ADHD
Learning Disability (LD)
•
•
•
•
• LD can mask giftedness
• Giftedness can mask LD
• Easily frustrated by lack of
High ability can mask ADHD
May have difficulty making friends
Character traits overlap
Will need different accommodations
than a typical child with ADHD
understanding
• Uneven academic skills
• Over-sensitivity to criticism/blaming
others
• Lack of organizational & study skills
References: “Consdierations: Twice Exceptional: Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities” (2014); Neihart, M. Gifted children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Retreived from: ldonline.org.
Researching Disabilities
Resources to start your research
http://ldaamerica.org
References
Available on Blackboard:
•
•
•
•
Christo, C., Davis, J.M., Brock, S.E. (2009). Identifying, assessing, and treating dyslexia at school. In Developmental Psychopathology at School.
Lamont, R.T. (2012). The fears and anxieties of gifted learners: Tips for parents and educators. Gifted Child Today, 35(4), 271-276.
Neihart, M. Gifted children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Retreived from: ldonline.org.
Wright, J. (2002). ADHD: A school-based evaluation manual. Retrieved from: www.interventioncentral.org.
Resources from websites or books:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
http://www.dsm5.org/documents/adhd%20fact%20sheet.pdf
http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Specific%20Learning%20Disorder%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
“Considerations: Twice Exceptional: Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities” (2014). Retrieved from:
http://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/documents/packets/twiceexceptional.pdf.
Davis, M.R., Culotta, V.P., Levine, E.A., Rice, E.H. (2011). School success for kids with emotional and behavioral disorders. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press Inc.
Dawson, P. & Guare, R. (2010). Executive skills in children and adolescents: A practical guide to assessment and intervention. New York, NY: The Guilford
Press.
Fletcher, J.M., Lyon, G. R., Fuchs, L.S., & Barnes, M.A. (2007). Learning disabilities: From identification to intervention. New York, NY: The Guilford
Press
Hulme, C. & Snowling, M. J. (2009). Developmental disorders of language learning and cognition. West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.