AchieveAbility Interventions Framework

1. AchieveAbility Interventions Framework Stage 1 Training An introduction Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and DyscalculiaThe Toolkit AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

2. Define SpLD Identify underlying causes Realise why these are a learning difficulty and/or difference Recognise strengths Identify strategies to enhance the learning of all learners Plan Institutional Audit Use SpLD Checklist Investigate Teaching and Learning Checklist The role of the observation Continuing professional development Sources of support Intended outcomes AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

3. T. G. West In the Mind’s Eye ‘When people are known for their gifts, their difficulties remain unknown’ ‘When people are known for their difficulties, their gifts remain unknown’ AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

4. Pilot Toolkit Elements Institutional audit Checklists Resources A Framework for Understanding Dyslexia Access for All The Key Questions Where are you now? Where do you want to be in the future? Resources AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

5. What is dyslexia? From the Greek • Dyslexia = difficulty with words • ‘Dys’ means ‘difficulty’ • ‘lexis’ means words or language AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

6. A difficulty processing written language. Independent of intelligence. Affects at least 10 % of the population. From “Access for All” - DfES 4 % severely. Often not identified at school. Dyslexic adults may not know they are dyslexic. Dyslexia AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

7. Dyslexia is… ‘an unexpected, or surprising difficulty in learning to read, write and spell’ ‘a specific difficulty, typically characterised by an unusual balance of skills’ AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

8. Other specific learning differences Examples: • ‘dyspraxia’ – motor co-ordination • ‘dyscalculia’ – mathematical comprehension • ‘dysgraphia’ – writing ability • ‘dysphasia’ – speech/verbal comprehension AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

9. Movement. Comes from the word praxis, which means 'doing, acting'. Affects planning of what to do and how. Associated with problems of perception, language and thought. Affects approx 10% and up to 2% severely. Males four times more likely to be affected than females. Sometimes runs in families. Possibility of co-occurrence. Dyspraxia AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

10. DfES definition “A difficulty that affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills” “lack an intuitive grasp of numbers” How common? Thought to affect 6-7% schoolchildren. Screening test for Children – Prof Brian Butterworth. Loughborough University developing computerised dyscalculia screening test for undergraduates. (DyscalculiUM) Dyscalculia AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

11. Numeracy and dyslexia • Short-term and working memory • efficient learning of number bonds • multiplication tables • mental calculation • Language decoding and comprehension • understanding of written/verbal problems • mastering the technical language AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

12. Severity Mild Moderate Very severe Ability Below average Average Exceptional Personality Confident/Robust Poor self-esteem/Fragile Specific Learning Differences AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

13. Co-occurrence About 50% of dyslexic people have another specific learning difference AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

14. Specific Learning Differences AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

15. Checklist for signs of SpLD • Familiarise yourself with this section • Pick out the signs and indicators • Decide how to use the checklist • Consider the learners you may identify “why” are we using these signs/indicators? AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

16. Seeking Discrepancies in… • Intelligence/attainment • Oral/written work • Assurance (possibly superficial)/uncertainty • Understanding/memory of facts • Good days/bad days • Effort put into written work/quality of end product AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

17. Strengths shared by many dyslexic people Good interpersonal skills Imaginative Good at practical activities Often creative Good at 3-D, visual–spatial activities Problem solvers Lateral thinkers AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

18. Common SpLD strengths • Making personal, meaningful connections to secure things in long-term memory • Remembering patterns rather than sequences • Remembering landmarks rather than directions • Thinking holistically – all at once – rather than step by step • Developing skills e.g. (literacy) by being interested in the subject • Learning by experience rather than being told AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

19. Left brain hemisphere Language Facts Analysis Time orientation Sequencing Structure Mathematics Listening This is true for the majority of people. Right brain hemisphere Pictures Feelings Humour Artistic Musical 3-D visual/spatial Patterns ‘Whole picture’ ‘In terms of specialised functions there is an important difference between the left and right halves of the brain’Neuropsychological Treatment of Dyslexia D.J. Bakker AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

20. Causal modelling framework • Biological (genetics and neurology) • Cognitive (information processing) • Behavioural (Frith, 1997) http://www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/understandingdyslexia/ AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

21. A Model • Genetic and Biological Features • Cognitive processes • Behaviour • But we can only see the behaviour AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

22. The Brain • Has to “make sense” of incoming signals • Has to reconstruct the digital signal AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

23. The Brain continued • Working memory • The cerebellum is a busy switching station. It receives messages, communicates with the other parts of the brain, and then sends messages back to the body. “The organisation centre of the brain” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/343139.stm AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

24. Information from the eye is sent to the brain Rather like a digital camera to a screen The brain as a digital processor AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

25. Two eyes, two signals • Each eye is sending a signal “The words on a poster” AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

26. The signal • We do not “read” the words as a continuous stream • They become “digitalised” AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

27. 2 signals, one from each eye Digitalised, fragmented Come into the short term working memory The brain puts these digits together From what it already knows (long term memory) and from what it perceives Using the big picture (context) and detail (the words) The brain puts the bits together AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

28. The process • Signals from the eyes • To the two halves of the brain • Reconstructed using working memory • Linked to long term memory AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

29. Eyes Failure en route from the eyes to the brain weakness of connectivity Long Term Memory Inefficient storage creates lack of reference Inability to retrieve references In the working memory Not received unable to manipulate information correctly because of overload Lack of co-ordination Between left and right brain Between long term and short term memory Where can things go wrong? AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

30. Each half receives the signal and normally “works together” to make sense of things Look at the next slide and think about what might be happening in the two halves of the brain A closer look at what might ‘go wrong’ AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

31. When reading a at an optician’s that he had to half of the line over the wall’ half of the first line. the wall, remembering to then read the start and so on, block of print the learner said read the first and then ‘jump to read the second Then jump back over what he had read, of the second line and so forth… Left and right brain? AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

32. discriminating or 'holding' sounds problems decoding when reading confusing or omitting sounds when spelling word confusions or mispronunciations recognising letters or familiar words when reading or remembering the visual image of a word Behaviour AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

33. remembering the sequence of letters in spelling remembering numbers and signs in maths a poor short-term or ‘working' memory or difficulty storing and retrieving linguistic information difficulty remember language-based e.g. instructions Behaviour continued AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

34. poor motor integration e.g. controlling a pen when writing omitting or repeating letters when spelling directional confusions (From Access for All, DfES) problems with sequencing and organisation a poor sense of time getting lost easily difficulty achieving 'automaticity' or fluency of skills. More behaviour AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

35. And that’s only one process • Visual processing • Auditory processing • Fine motor processing • Gross motor skills • One processing area (in 2 halves) AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

36. So, what is SpLD? • It is generally argued that the difficulties associated with what we call SpLD are caused by developmental abnormalities. AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

37. What is dyslexia? • An information processing difficulty that can affect: • Working memory • Speed of information processing • Visual/spatial discrimination/perception • Auditory and visual short-term memory • Auditory discrimination/perception • Storage and retrieval in long-term memory • Sequencing AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

38. These behaviours or characteristics are the “indicators” to look for • Indicators – sometimes called ‘symptoms’ • Observing ‘at-risk’ factors in learners • outward behaviours – cognition – genetic/biological features AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

39. Here’s where you ‘catch’ SpLD • Recall of visual image • Same process for all learners except that learners with SpLD have a difficulty AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

40. AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

41. Look at Teaching and Learning checklist in detail Identify commonalities for delivery So, how do we support the SpLD learner in the classroom? AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

42. Multisensory learning AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree

43. To recap: Accessibility Readability Clarity Multi-sensory Activity based Linking whole picture to detail Using strengths Using logic, meaning and context to support memory How do we make learning accessible for learners with SpLD? AchieveAbility Interventions Framework: Stage 1 Training devised by David Crabtree