Chapter 4: Learning Disabilities

1
Chapter 4 Learning Disabilities
2
Definitions of Learning Disabilities

• Definition IDEA defines the term specific
  learning disability as a disorder in one or more
  of the basic psychological processes involved in
  understanding or in using language, spoken or
  written, which disorder may manifest itself in
  imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read,
  write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.

3
Definition of Learning Disabilities NJCLD

• Definition general term that refers to a
  heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by
  significant difficulties in the acquisition and
  use of listening, speaking, reading, writing,
  reasoning, or mathematical abilities. These
  disorders are intrinsic to the individual, are
  presumed to be due to central nervous system
  dysfunction, and may occur across the life span.

4

• Problems self-regulatory behaviors, social
  perception, and social interaction
• Not the result of sensory impairment, mental
  retardation, serous emotional disturbance,
  cultural differences, or insufficient or
  inappropriate instruction

5
Criteria for Classification

• The student demonstrates
• Inclusionary Criterion- A severe discrepancy
  between perceived potential and actual
  achievement
• Exclusionary Criterion- A learning disability
  that is not primarily the result of other factors
• Need Criterion- A demonstrated need for special
  education services

6
Intelligence Tests

• Students with learning disabilities generally
  perform better on intelligence tests than low
  achievers do.
• Low achievers, on the other hand, tend to score
  higher on achievement test than those with
  learning disabilities.
• Educators use intelligence tests and
  norm-referenced test to determine whether a
  student has a disability or not.

7
Ranges of Intelligence
8
Learning Disabilities Characteristics

• Reading- often related to deficient language
  skills, especially phonological awareness. These
  students might exhibit word recognition errors,
  difficulty comprehending what they have read
  because they limited ability to recall. Severe
  reading problems are referred to as dyslexia.
• Written Language- difficulties usually occur in
  the area of handwriting, spelling, productivity,
  text structure, sentence structure, word usage,
  and composition. The partial inability to
  remember how to make certain symbols is
  dysgraphia.

9
Characteristics

• Mathematics- difficulties with math may range
  from mild to severe. Dyscalculia is the lack of
  the ability to perform mathematical functions.
  Common problems include differentiating numbers
  or copying shapes, recalling math facts, writing
  numbers, relating arithmetic terms to meaning or
  vocabulary, abstract reasoning, and
  metacognition.

10

• Memory- difficulty with short- and long-term
  memory. Research has shown that students with
  learning disabilities
• 1) have poor strategies for memorizing
  information
• 2) have insufficient metacognitive skills for
  recalling information
• 3) possess limited semantic memory capabilities.

11

• Metacognition- lack of skills to direct ones
  own learning. Areas of difficulty tend to be
• knowing a large number of strategies for
  acquiring, storing, and processing information
• understanding when, where, and why these
  strategies are important
• selecting and monitoring the use of these
  strategies wisely and reflectively

12
Behavioral, social, and emotional characteristics

• Interpersonal Skills- difficulty understanding
  social cues, behaving in socially acceptable
  situations, and misinterpret feelings of others.
• Motivation and self-concept- general sense of
  diminished value and potential, which can lead to
  learned helplessness.

13
Causes and Prevalence

• Causes-
• Neurological- many researchers and educators
  believed that learning disabilities resulted from
  central nervous system dysfunction. Improved
  technology have helped determine more causes.
• Hereditry/ Genetic- there is a tendency for
  severe reading disabilities to be inherited.
• Teratogenic/ Pollutant factors-lead exposure and
  drug use are two known causes of learning
  disabilities.

14

• Prevalence-
• Approximately 50 percent of all students served
  under IDEA with disabilities have learning
  disabilities.
• Since 1975, the number of students with a
  learning disability has nearly tripled.

15
Determining the Presence

• A nondiscriminatory evaluation to determine
  whether a student has a specific learning
  disability must 1) adhere to the IDEA
  inclusionary and exclusionary criteria and 2)
  establish a discrepancy between the students
  intellectual ability, as measured by an IQ test,
  and the students achievement, as measured by a
  standardized achievement test.

16
Evaluation Process

• In addition to using individualized intelligence
  tests and individualized achievement tests in the
  evaluation process the following are also
  considered
• Behavior rating scale- Students learning
  problems cannot be explained by the presence of
  an emotional or behavioral problem.
• Anecdotal records- Students problems are not of
  short duration.
• Curriculum based-assessment- The student is
  experiencing difficulty in more than one area of
  curriculum.

17

• Direct observation- The student is experiencing
  difficulty and/or frustration in the classroom.
• Ecological assessment- The students environment
  does not cause the learning difficulty.
• Portfolio assessment- The students work is
  inconsistent and/or poor in specific subjects.

18
Evaluation Process

• Curriculum-based assessment- often used to
  identify learning disability, develop IEPs,
  determine instructional effectiveness, and
  monitor ongoing student progress.
• When developing such assessments make sure that
  1) the test items directly reflect the objectives
  emphasized in the curriculum, 2) the items are
  clearly stated, and 3) the time limit and level
  of mastery are reasonable.

19
Effective Teaching Practices

• Curricular Goals
• Teach students to learn in independent and
  self-directed ways
• Help students generalize skills from the
  classroom to new situations
• Engage students in meaningful learning
  experiences to increase motivation, self-esteem
  and agency

20
Augmenting Instruction

• Learning strategies help students with
  acquisition of information, storage of
  information, and expression or demonstration of
  knowledge.
• Self-questioning strategy is one strategy for
  acquiring information. It requires students to
  create questions, predict answers to those
  questions, and search for the answers while they
  read a passage.

21
Learning Strategies

• Acquisition Self-Questioning Strategy
• A Attend to clues as you read
• S Say some questions
• K Keep predictions in mind
• I Identify the answers
• T Talk about the answers
• Storage Graphic Organizers
• Inspiration software, webs, maps, or concept
  diagrams

22

• Expression POSSE ( to aid in reading
  comprehension)
• P Predict Ideas
• O Organize Ideas
• S Search for the structure
• S Summarize the main idea
• E Evaluate your understanding

23
Augmenting Curriculum

• Principles of Direct instruction
• The student does not first learn something in a
  concrete singular sense and then generalize to
  some larger set.
• Teacher can instruct generalizations explicitly
  and systematically by using examples that
  communicate a critical sameness among sets of
  examples.
• Generalization represents efficiency.

24
Programs and Practice

• Early Childhood Years- ELO program- embedding
  learning opportunities to provide children with
  lots of practice to achieve goals and objectives.
• Elementary Years- Whole-Language school in
  Oregon uses a pull-out model to help kids learn
  to read.
• Middle and Secondary Years-Chase Middle School,
  where 85 of the students are economically
  disadvantaged, incorporated an after-school
  program based on strategies and tutoring.

25

• Transitions and Postsecondary Years- Support
  services, including strategy instruction and
  mentoring program.