Learning Disabilities and related cognitive/processing concerns

1. 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

2. Definitions • Learning disability • Types of learning disabilities • ADD • ADHD

3. 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.

4. 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)

5. DyscalculiaDifficulty 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.

6. DysnomiaDifficulty in remembering names or recalling appropriate words to use in a given context. DyspraxiaDifficulty 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

7. DyslexiaImpairment 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.

11. 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:

12. 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.

13. 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:

14. 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.

15. 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).

16. 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.

17. 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).

18. 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, predominantlyinattentive 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.

19. Identification • All are syndromes • Individuals affected differently • Typically must evidence a significant number of characteristics to be identified

20. 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.

21. 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, /, =).

22. 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

23. More in-depth list available at: • http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/early_identification/characteristics_students.html

24. 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

25. Difficulty mastering the rules of spelling • Trouble remembering facts and numbers • Poor handwriting, awkward pencil gripSlow 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 directionsTrouble with word problems in math

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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.

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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.

33. 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

34. 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.

35. 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

36. 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_techniques/strategies.html#general

37. 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.

38. 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

39. 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).

40. 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.

41. 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.

42. 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

43. 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.

44. 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 note-taking. • Have a proofreading buddy for notes and essays.

45. 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.

46. 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.

47. 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

48. ADD/ADHD • http://www.ldonline.org/article.php?id=906&loc=102 • Good strategies for getting, focusing and maintaining student attention…

49. Sensory integration approaches • http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/teaching_techniques/focusing_to_learn.html