Download Learning Disabilities and related cognitive/processing

Learning Disabilities and related
cognitive/processing concerns
Please note – this presentation was created
specifically for class lecture and discussion
purposes and should not be sited as a
source, as this is sourced material
Definitions
Learning disability
Types of learning disabilities
ADD
ADHD
IDEA Learning Disability (general)
A disorder in basic psychological processes
involved in understanding or using
language, spoken or written, that may
manifest itself in an imperfect ability to
listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or use
mathematical calculations. The term
includes conditions such as perceptual
disability, brain injury, minimal brain
dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental
aphasia.
However, learning disabilities do not include,
"…learning problems that are primarily the
result of visual, hearing, or motor
disabilities, of mental retardation, of
emotional disturbance, or of environmental,
cultural, or economic disadvantage." 34
Code of Federal Regulations §300.7(c)(10)
Dyscalculia
Difficulty in understanding or using
mathematical symbols or functions. A child
with dyscalculia may be able to read and
write but have difficulty in performing
mathematical calculations.
Dysgraphia
Difficulty in producing legible handwriting
with age-appropriate speed.
Dysnomia
Difficulty in remembering names or recalling
appropriate words to use in a given context.
Dyspraxia
Difficulty in performing fine motor acts such as
drawing, buttoning, etc. A person with dyspraxia
has difficulty producing and sequencing the
movements necessary to perform these kinds of
tasks
Dyslexia
Impairment of the ability to deal with
language (speaking, reading, spelling,
writing). A dyslexic may see letters,
syllables, or words upside down, reversed,
blurred, backwards, or otherwise distorted.
From NCLD Area of
difficulty
Dyslexia
Language
Dyscalculia
Math
affects
Examples
Reading,
writing,
spelling
Computation,
remembing
math facts,
time & money
concepts
Pronounce or read
letters backwards
Difficulty learning
to count by 2s, 3s,
4s
Dysgraphia
Written
epxression
Handwriting,
spelling,
composition
Illegible
handwriting,
difficulty organizing
ideas
Dyspraxia
Fine motor
skills
Coordination, Trouble with,
manual
drawing scissors,
dexterity
buttons
Auditory
processing
disorders
Interpreting
auditory
information
Visual
processing
disorder
Interpreting
visual
information
Language
Difficulty
development anticipating
& reading
how a
speaker will
end a
sentence
Reading,
Difficulty
writing, math distinguishin
g letters like
h and n
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (DMS-3)
Either (1) or (2):
(1) six (or more) of the following symptoms
of inattention have persisted for at least six
months to a degree that is maladaptive and
inconsistent with developmental level:
Inattention
(a) often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in
school work, work or other activities;
(b) often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities;
(c) often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly;
(d) often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish school
work, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behaviour
or failure to understand instructions);
(e) often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities;
(f) often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require
sustained mental effort (such as school work or homework);
(g) often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (eg toys, school
assignments, pencils, books or tools);
(h) is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli;
(i) is often forgetful in daily activities.
2)
six (or more) of the following symptoms of
hyperactivity/impulsivity have persisted for
at least six months to a degree that is
maladaptive and inconsistent with
developmental level:
Hyperactivity
(a) often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat;
(b) often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations
in which remaining seated is expected;
(c) often runs about or climbs excessively in situations
in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults,
may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness);
(d) often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure
activities quietly;
(e) is often on the go or often acts as if driven by a
motor;
(f) often talks excessively.
Impulsivity
(g) often blurts out answers before
questions have been completed;
(h) often has difficulty awaiting turn;
(i) often interrupts or intrudes on others (eg
buts into conversations or games).
B. Some hyperactive/impulsive or inattentive
symptoms that caused impairment were
present before age seven years.
C. Some impairment from the symptoms is
present in two or more settings (eg at school
[or work] and at home).
D. There must be clear evidence of clinically
significant impairment in social, academic, or
occupational functioning.
E. The symptoms do not occur exclusively
during the course of a pervasive
developmental disorder, schizophrenia or
other psychotic disorder and are not better
accounted for by another mental disorder
(eg mood disorder, anxiety disorder,
dissociative disorder, or a personality
disorder).
The DSM-IV codes ADHD are as follows (ICD-10 research
codes are almost identical):
314.01 Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder,
combined type: if both criteria A1 and A2 are met for the
past six months.
314.00 Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder,
predominantly inattentive type: if criterion A1 is met but
criterion A2 is not met for the past six months.
314.01 Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder,
predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type: if criterion
A2 is met but criterion A1 is not met for the past six
months.
Identification
All are syndromes
Individuals affected differently
Typically must evidence a significant
number of characteristics to be identified
Learning Disability (general)
(CCLD)
Late talking, compared to other children.
Pronunciation problems.
Slow vocabulary growth, often unable to find the
right word.
Difficulty rhyming words.
Trouble learning numbers, the alphabet, days of
the week.
Extremely restless and easily distracted.
Trouble interacting with peers.
Poor ability to follow directions or routines.
Slow to learn the connection between letters
and sounds.
Confuses basic words (run, eat, want).
Makes consistent reading and spelling
errors including letter reversals (b/d),
inversions (m/w), transpositions (felt/left),
and substitutions (house/home).
Transposes number sequences and
confuses arithmetic signs (+, -, x, /, =).
Slow recall of facts.
Slow to learn new skills, relies heavily on
memorization.
Impulsiveness, lack of planning.
Unstable pencil grip.
Trouble learning about time.
Poor coordination, unaware of physical
surroundings, prone to accidents
More in-depth list available at:
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/early_id
entification/characteristics_students.html
Dylsexia (NCLD)
Difficulty recognizing letters, matching letters to
sounds and blending sounds into speech
Confusion when pronouncing words, i.e. "mawn
lower" instead of "lawn mower“
Slow to learn and use new vocabulary words
correctly
Trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, days of
the week or similar common word sequences
Difficulty with rhyming
Difficulty mastering the rules of spelling
Trouble remembering facts and numbers
Poor handwriting, awkward pencil grip
Slow to learn and understand new skills - relies
heavily on memorization
Frequent reading and spelling errors such as
reversing letters (d,b) or moving letters around
(left, felt)
Difficulty following a sequence of directions
Trouble with word problems in math
Dyscalculia (NCLD)
Difficulty learning to count
Trouble recognizing printed numbers
Difficulty tying together the idea of a number (4)
and how it exists in the world (4 horses, 4 cars, 4
children)
Poor memory for numbers
Trouble organizing things in a logical way putting round objects in one place and square ones
in another
Trouble learning math facts (addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division)
Difficulty developing math problem-solving
skills
Poor long term memory for math functions
Not familiar with math vocabulary
Difficulty measuring things
Avoiding games that require strategy
Dyspraxia (NCLD)
Difficulty learning to walk, jump and skip
Trouble pronouncing words and being
understood
Slow to establish left- or right- handedness
Frequently bumps into things
Easily irritated by touch - clothing on skin,
hair brushing, etc.
Trouble with activities that require fine
motor skills, like holding a pencil,
buttoning, cutting with scissors
Poor coordination - trouble with sports
activities
Slow or difficult-to- understand speech
Speech difficulties can cause severe social
awkwardness and unwillingness to attempt
social interactions
Dysgraphia (NCLD)
Tight, awkward pencil grip and body position
Avoiding writing or drawing tasks
Difficulty forming letters shapes
Inconsistent spacing between letters/words
Poor understanding of upper and lowercase letters
Inability to write or draw in a line or within
margins
Tiring quickly while writing
Illegible handwriting
Mixture of cursive and print writing
Saying words out loud while writing
Concentrate on writing so much that they
don't comprehend what they've written
Difficulty thinking of words to write
Unfinished or omitted words in sentences
Visual processing
Misunderstanding or confusing written
symbols (example: +, x, /, &)
Easily distracted, especially by competing
visual information
Writing within margins or on lines or
aligning numbers in math problems.
Judging distances (example: bumping into
things, placing objects too close to an edge)
Fluidity of movement (example: getting out
of the way of a moving ball, knocking
things over)
Differentiating colors or similarly shaped
letters and numbers (example: b, d; p, q;
6,9; 2,5
Auditory processing
Learning to speak
Understanding spoken language
Separating meaningful sounds from background
noise
Remembering stories or songs
Staying focused on a person's voice
Unusual sensitivity to noise
Confusing similar sounding words
Difficulty in understanding speech.
Remembering and following spoken
directions
Remembering people's names
Sounding out new words
Seeming to ignore others when engrossed in
a non-speaking activity
Understanding people who speak quickly
Finding the right words to use when talking
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/teaching
_techniques/class_manage.html (learning
mode approaches)
Electronic bib of teacher strategies…
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/teaching_t
echniques/strategies.html#general
STRATEGIES – ADHD
(NCLD)
Provide structure and a consistent schedule - help
the child learn routines around daily activities
such as getting dressed and going to bed. Use a
picture calendar/schedule for the young child.
Make sure that the child gets enough sleep.
Work out "clean up" routines and organize and
label areas used for toy storage and clothing.
Make picture labels for a young child and word
labels for a child who can read.
Provide consistent, low-key reminders, prompts
and cues when needed.
Be consistent about rewards and consequences, so
that your child knows what to expect
Be generous with praise when your child performs
well, but avoid being overly critical when things
are not going well.
AD/HD children need to be taught and monitored
on the use of organizational strategies-color-coded
folders for different subjects, labeling, the use of
checklists and to-do lists, setting goals and
breaking projects into small, manageable chunks.
On a daily basis, supervise the school-age child in
reviewing homework assignments, organizing the
backpack and filing papers (but don't do it for him
or her).
Older children and adults benefit from all
these organizational pointers.
Teachers can help a lot by stressing
organizational routines and staying in close
communication with parents so that the
parent knows what is going on in school.
Teachers can allow hyperactive children to
have movement breaks.
Visual processing
Use books, worksheets and other materials with
enlarged print.
Read written directions aloud. Varying teaching
methods (written and spoken words; images and
sounds) can help promote understanding.
Be aware of the weakness but don't overemphasize
it. While helping a child work on the weakness is
important; it is just as important to build other
skills and function in any setting.
Break assignments and chores into clear, concise
steps. Often multiple steps can be difficult to
visualize and complete.
Give examples and point out the important details
of visual information (the part of a picture that
contains information for a particular question).
Provide information about a task before starting to
focus attention on the activity
Allow student to write answers on the same sheet of
paper as the questions or offer opportunities for
student to explain answers orally.
Provide paper for writing and math work that has
darker or raised lines to make the boundaries more
distinct.
Organize assignments to be completed in smaller
steps instead of one large finished product.
Use a ruler as a reading guide (to keep focus
on one line at a time) and a highlighter (to
immediately emphasize important
information).
Provide a tape recorder to supplement notetaking.
Have a proofreading buddy for notes and
essays.
Auditory processing
Keep directions simple - only tell your child
one step at a time.
Give directions both orally and visually show your child what you mean.
Speak slowly - especially when your child is
hearing information for the first time.
Maintain eye contact while speaking.
Limit background noise when teaching new
information or giving directions.
Provide specific opportunities to practice
skills that build vocabulary, rhyming,
segmenting and blending words.
Combine oral teaching with visual aids.
Ask that teachers and others make it physically,
visually or audibly clear when they are about to
begin something important so that nothing is
missed.
Have a note-taking buddy who will make sure that
information was understood.
Request seating close to teacher.
Have child repeat back information or instructions
to build comprehension skills and make sure
messages are understood correctly
ADD/ADHD
http://www.ldonline.org/article.php?id=906
&loc=102
Good strategies for getting, focusing and
maintaining student attention…
Sensory integration approaches
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/teaching
_techniques/focusing_to_learn.html