When remediation is not enough . . .

1
When remediation is not enough . . .

• Technology to Assist Younger Students with
  Learning Disabilities
• Presenters
• Kristen OHare, Nipissing Student
• Mark Giddens, Adaptive Technology Technician
• Mike Walker, Learning Strategist
• Presented at Checkmark 2002,
• International Conference on Technology in
  Education,
• November 2002

2
Presentation Outcomes

• Create a context for this presentation
• Why need we accommodate?
• Accommodation, Modification Remediation
• Kristens experiences as a learner with a LD
• Define learning disabilities
• Definition, diagnosis information processing
• Problems - social/emotional, vocational
  academic
• Describe potential strategies for learners w/LDs
• Teaching strategies to help students w/LDs
  succeed
• Resources to help exceptional learners
• Briefly review technology for students w/LDS
• The Big Three
• Other Tools

3
Premise

• Our Desire - we want all of our students to be
  able to master the Three Rs and to develop
  normally physically, mentally and emotionally.
• The Reality approximately 9.4 of our
  elementary and secondary students are
  exceptional (MET, 1997).
• The Result - many of our students will not read,
  write or perform other academic tasks
  efficiently, despite our best effort and intense
  remediation.

4
Consequently

• In order for many of these exceptional students
  to be successful their
• skills must be remediated and/or
• learning either modified or accommodated
• Remediation may be needed for the student to
• overcome performance deficits (reading, writing,
  speech, motor)
• consolidate skills for future learning
• Modification may be needed for the student to
• experience academic success
• maintain motivation to learn
• Accommodation may be needed for the student to
• maintain grade level standards
• broaden future learning opportunities

5
Remediation

• Should
• provide direct intervention and instruction
• build skills in areas of deficit
• teach strategies to cope in areas of deficit
• But may involve
• withdrawl creating gaps in class learning
• constant repetition and extra work leading to
  frustration and fatigue
• low-level material leading to low self-esteem
• stigmatization (retard room) leading to
  emotional and behavioural issues

6
Modifications

• Should
• change curriculum outcomes
• lessen expectations
• make work easier
• shorten assignments
• But
• can lead to learned helplessness
• are ineligible for high school credits
• do not exist at college/university level

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Accommodations

• Should
• meet learning outcomes/objectives
• keep expectations at grade level
• allow for similar work
• allow for alternative presentation of info,
  assignment completion, test taking
• Can or Are
• build self-esteem
• eligible for high school credits
• available at colleges and universities

8
Accommodation in Action

• Meet Kristen, a Nipissing University student with
  a learning disability.

9
Meet me and my bisadility

• See WhatI See

10
Why cant you read this?

• Nigissinq Univeristg in North GaG miqht de
  detite, dut it is gugging with dotential.
  specialises
• It in training today to be the teachers students
  of of tomorrow.
• Set among mature, the tool offers a beautiful few
  for mutants while they are in mass or while they
  are sat launch indoors.
• Is this clearer?

11
Welcome to elementary school

• Learning with dyslexia and dysgraphia

• She has great ideas for stories but must take the
  time to recheck her work for careless mistakes in
  spelling and sentence structure. (Gr. 4 teacher)

12
My elementary school experience

• How I was perceived
• How I performed
• the remedial accommodations
• How I learned
• accommodations at home
• How I was identified as LD (grade 4)

13
My Elementary Years

• My school experience
• Never trying hard enough
• She tends to try to guess what is written instead
  of slowing down and trying to discriminate the
  different sounds. (Gr. 5 teacher)
• Having no free time
• Krissy has used the tape recorder and the
  computer to help improve her spelling skills.
  The weekly test results with the class are very
  positive. (Gr. 6 teacher)

14
My Elementary Years

• My school experience
• Walls of frustration
• Getting the right answer
• Always being alone
• All day, every day
• she finds written work a real chore. Her
  grammar, spelling and handwriting are still weak
  however, many errors could be avoided if she were
  to take the time to recheck her work carefully.
  (Gr. 5 teacher)

15
My learning context then...

• Previous accommodation
• progress monitored
• Spec Ed assistance
• removed from regular French program
• periodically removed from regular class for
  remediation

• Previous assessment (wasnt shared with Kristen)
• weakness in
• letter word identification
• reading comp
• writing skills
• diagnosis - specific learning disability

16
My university experience

• Has the perception changed?
• How I perform
• the exam accommodations
• How I learn
• using my learning strengths
• accommodations for learning

17
My learning context now

• New assessment greater self-knowledge
• 4 page to 20 page assessment
• Im now part of the IEP process (shut out before)
• Access to Resources
• Special Needs, LOP, Assistive Devices Tech
  Learning Strategist
• Increased self-confidence
• ability to explain self-advocate
• More efficient learning
• reading, writing, organization test-taking

18
In addition I now know

• new assessment information
• poor visual memory
• visual tracking problems including reversals
• poor visual decoding
• poor phonetic decoding (phoneme/grapheme
  awareness)
• auditory memory is weak although this is my
  strongest learning modality

19
Current Accommodations

• Kurzweil 3000 (text to speech)
• Dragon Naturally Speaking (speech to text)
• textHELP Read Write (editing reads back,
  dyslexic spell checker, homophone checker)
• Pocket PC keyboard organization, note taking
  in class reading
• Study carrels in library
• Exams above tools and extra time if necessary

20
A brief overview . . .

• What is a
• Learning Disability?
• A new definition
• from the LDAO

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In brief "Learning Disabilities"

• refers to a variety of disorders that affect the
  acquisition, retention, understanding,
  organization or use of verbal and/or non-verbal
  information.

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These disorders

• result from impairments in one or more
  psychological processes related to learning in
  combination with otherwise average abilities
  essential for thinking and reasoning.

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These psychological processes are

• phonological processing
• memory and attention
• processing speed
• language processing
• perceptual-motor processing
• visual-spatial processing
• executive functions (e.g., planning, monitoring
  and metacognitive abilities)

24
Learning disabilities

• range in severity and invariably interfere with
  the acquisition and use of one or more of the
  following important skills

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These skills are

• oral language (e.g., listening, speaking,
  understanding)
• reading (e.g., decoding, comprehension)
• written language (e.g., spelling, written
  expression)
• mathematics (e.g., computation, problem solving)
• organizational skills
• social perception
• social interaction

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What a LD is Not!

• IT IS NOT
• low intelligence/an intellectual disability
• mental illness/emotional disturbance
• autism
• visual or auditory acuity problems
• laziness/lack of motivation
• a way to avoid other issues
• a physical handicap
• the result of a poor academic background

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A Learning Disability is a Information Processing
Impairment

• It is like having too many bridges out as well as
  too many overlapping pathways along the
  information highways of the brain.
• Dale R. Jordan
• U. of Arkansas

28
Some Stats . . .

• learning disabilities impact the lives of
  approximately 10 of the population
• approximately 4 of Ontarios school aged
  population is formally identified
• of Ontarios identified exceptional population
• approx. 48 of elementary students are LD
• approx. 54 of secondary students are LD
• 25 to 30 of those with LDs have AD/HD
• 75 to 80 of those with AD/HD have LDs

Sources Weber and Bennett, Special Education in
Ontario Schools, Fourth Edition and LDAC
National, Spring 2000
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Diagnosing a Learning Disability

• What does a LD look like?

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The Criteria

• identification is NOT diagnosis
• diagnosis must be made by a psychologist
• based on a discrepancy between ability (as
  measured by IQ) and academic achievement and/or
  information processing
• students at the post-secondary level MUST have a
  recent assessment with a valid diagnostic
  statement in order to get academic accommodation

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Traditional Aptitude vs. AchievementAverage
Student
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Traditional Aptitude vs. Achievement Student
with a LD
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Aptitude, Achievement, Info Processing Visual
(Dyslexia)
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Aptitude, Achievement, Info Processing Auditory
(CAPD)
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So how might an LD affect a Learner?

• A Couple of Examples . . .

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Cant you read this?

• Myle arn in gdisa bi LI tyma kesit dif Ficu
  ltform eto re Adi tslo wsm edo wnwh eniha veto re
  AdmYte xtbo Ok sbu twhe nius Eboo kso Nta peo rco
  mpu Teri zedsc ree nrea Din gsof twa Reto lis
  tent Om yte xtbo ok sith elp sal Ot.

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Cant you see this?

• Cant you see the _________?

38
As a result, learners with LDs may have

• Difficulty with Alphabet/Penmanship
• Problems Expressing what is Known and Understood
• Problems in Personal Organization
• Difficulty in Copying/Note-Making
• Problems in Arithmetic
• Problems in Reading
• Slow Work Speed
• Problems with Time and Sequence
• Confusion in Spelling

39
Social Emotional Aspects of a Learning
Disability

• From Introducing Learning Disabilities to
  Postsecondary Educators
• The Meighen Centre for Learning Assistance and
  Research, Mount Allison University

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What does a Learning Disability feel like?

• Ask someone who has one!

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Tough Facts from LDAC

• 35 of students identified with learning
  disabilities drop out of high school.
• 50 of adolescent suicides had previously been
  diagnosed as having learning problems.
• Volumes of research have shown that 30 to 70 of
  young offenders have experienced learning
  problems.

Statistics on Learning Disabilities. LDAC,
October 2001. Source Online http//www.ldac-taac
.ca/english/indepth/bkground/stats01.htm
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Possible Academic Problems

• silent reading/reading aloud
• writing/spelling
• learning languages/math
• expressing what is known and understood
• having to re-do school work at home
• having no time off since everything takes longer
• dropping out

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Possible Social/Emotional Problems

• feeling dumb, stupid, embarrassed, frustrated,
  anxious, lonely, isolated
• being called stupid, lazy being put down by
  teachers, friends, and even parents
• feeling nobody understands
• feeling need of help
• fearing rejection failure
• always having to cover up, act a role

44
Possible Career/Vocational Problems

• lack of basic skills
• lack of social skills
• Its never cured, It never goes away
• having to cover up
• never feeling adequate
• low expectations
• jobs dont last

45
What you can do . . .

• How can an elementary classroom/resource teacher
  support a student with a learning disability?

46
Be a GREAT teacher

• Use multi-modal teaching techniques, offer valid
  performance and evaluation alternatives, and
• remember . . .

47
We Learn... William Glasser

• 10 of what we read
• 20 of what we hear
• 30 of what we see
• 50 of what we both see and hear
• 70 of what is discussed with others
• 80 of what we experience personally
• 95 of what we teach someone else

48
Or Simply

• Tell me and I will forget
• Show me and I may remember
• Involve me and I will understand
• Ancient Chinese proverb

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What you can do . . .

• Provide Access to Curriculum and Accommodation

50
Follow the principles of

• Universal Instructional Design
• . . . curriculum is accessible to all students,
  regardless of their learning style or the
  presence of learning and/or other disabilities.
• or . . .

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Universal Design for Learning (CAST description)

• UDL shifts old assumptions about teaching and
  learning in four fundamental ways
• Source online Center for Applied Special
  Technology (CAST) www.cast.org/udl/

52
UDL basic concepts (CAST)

• Students with disabilities fall along a continuum
  of learner differences rather than constituting a
  separate category
• Teacher adjustments for learner differences
  should occur for all students, not just those
  with disabilities

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UDL basic concepts (CAST)

• Curriculum materials should be varied and diverse
  including digital and online resources, rather
  than centering on a single textbook
• Instead of remediating students so that they can
  learn from a set curriculum, curriculum should be
  made flexible to accommodate learner differences

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For more about UDL see

• CASTs Universal Design for Learning site
• http//www.cast.org/udl/
• Online textbook
• Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age
  Universal Design for Learning. David H. Rose
  Anne Meyer ASCD, 2002
• www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

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For more about meeting individual learner needs

• Work of Mel Levine, M.D.
• Books
• All Kinds of Minds
• A Mind at a Time (new) read the first chapter
  online at
• www.allkindsofminds.org/library/excerpts/aMindAtaT
  ime.htm
• All Kinds of Minds Institute
• www.allkindsofminds.org/
• Misunderstood minds (PBS video)
• www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/

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For more about social/ emotional issues

• Work of Richard Lavoie
• Videos
• How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City
  Workshop - - For kids with learning disabilities,
  the classroom can be an intimidating place.
• Learning Disabilities and Social Skills Last One
  Picked ... First One Picked On - - kids with
  learning disabilities are often isolated and
  rejected.
• Learning Disabilities and Discipline When the
  Chips Are Down -- Strategies for Improving
  Children's Behavior

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So generally, you can

• Raise self-esteem by staying positive -- you may
  be the adult who makes a difference
• Include the student in the process
• Focus on strengths, accommodate for weaknesses
• Teach learning strategies
• Use technological aids/software
• Encourage/teach social skills
• Offer positive, realistic feedback
• FIGHT FOR FUNDING, ASSESSMENT TECH

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Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities

• Tools to Help Accommodate for Information
  Processing Deficits

59
The Big Three

• Kurzweil 3000
• textHELP Read Write
• Dragon Naturally Speaking

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OCR Reading Software

• Kurzweil 3000

www.kurzweiledu.com
61
Kurzweil 3000

• For individuals with
• learning disabilities
• reading difficulties - print physically
  disabled
• improves reading speed and comprehension
• highlights tracks text as it is spoken aloud
• use for reading, writing, test taking, research
• use a multisensory approach to reading and
  writing
• at school, at home, at work

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Kurzweil 3000 Scan Read (BW or Colour)/Read
Only

• Reads
• scanned content with page formatting retained
  (.kes format)
• e-text files (.doc, .rtf, .wpd, .txt format)
• web pages while in the browser window (.html
  format)
• new version reads .pdf files

• Scans
• textbooks
• workbooks
• tests exams
• newspaper articles
• magazines
• reading materials
• Comes with CD - Classic Literature
• 1,100 titles in e-text!

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Kurzweil 3000

• scan read print materials
• scan in colour or black white
• save with page formatting or without
• reading toolbar features
• track print visually (change colour highlights)
  
• vary voice, reading speed pitch, reading mode
• speak definitions, provide pronunciation guide
• reading the web (integrates with Internet
  Explorer)
• web reading toolbar

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Kurzweil 3000

• study skills toolbar features
• navigate by page or to book mark
• add text notes, sticky note, audio notes
• highlight and extract notes
• test taking features
• scan read
• write or speak responses to document
• integrates with Dragon NaturallySpeaking
• lockout various features, if required, for test
  taking
• toolbars are customizable

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Kurzweil 3000

• writing skills toolbar features
• word processor
• dictionary
• thesaurus (synonyms)
• spell check
• word prediction (create a custom word list)

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Voice Recognition Software
Demo

• Dragon NaturallySpeaking

http//www.dragonsys.com
67
Dragon NaturallySpeaking

• Benefits people
• physical disabilities
• fine motor problems
• LDs who can verbalize but not write
• Writing tool
• get the ideas down
• worry about grammar and sentence structure
  afterwards

68
Dragon NaturallySpeaking

• Dictate directly into the computer
• 15-minute training session
• Patience!
• Works with MS Word, WordPerfect, almost all
  Windows programs

• Allows hands-free use of the computer
• Have to memorize commands
• Mobile unit available, too!
• Reads back what you say
• Beware the voice!

69
Dragon Naturally Speaking
Demo

• dictation
• read back two modes
• make corrections
• training note (for reading disabilities)
• test taking alone or in combination with
  Kurzweil or textHELP Read Write

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textHelp

• Read Write v. 5.0
• (Read Write v. 6.0 now released)

www.texthelp.com
71
textHelp Read Write

• Reading tools
• Screen Reader
• read virtually anything on desktop or in
  applications
• Text Reader
• read e-text
• read as you type
• read after you type
• the Internet

• Writing tools
• use YOUR word processor
• Word Prediction
• Dyslexic Spell Checker (speaks)
• Thesaurus (speaks)
• Homonym Checker (speaks)
• Word Wizard - looks up topics for you

72
RW Reading Tools

• highlights and reads e-text (docs html)
• tracks reading in speech balloons or
• highlights in TextReader
• changes voice character, speed, pitch, and
  highlighting colours and size
• reads back as you type by letter, word,
  sentence or speak punctuation
• reads words and definitions in Spell Check,
  Thesaurus and Word Wizard

73
RW Writing Tools

• Listen to your writing
• Spell check as you type or after
• dyslexic (b p q d) and first letter errors -
  filosofy
• speaks back definition gives examples in context
• by parts of speech noun, verb, adjective,
  adverb
• keeps spelling log errors and dates
• Homophone check
• speaks back definition gives examples in context
• Thesaurus another word for big

74
RW Writing Tools

• Word Prediction
• the word starts with an e
• learns vocabulary spelling lists
• set up to make phonetic replacements (fone
  filosofy)
• Word Wizard expands vocabulary
• looks for alternative or linking words
• example auto part of speech get a definition
  do a search more things like or different
  kinds of

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textHelp - Helps!

• Assists and Motivates
• Accommodates reading and writing difficulties
• Helps build reading and writing skills
• Probably the best all round LD tool for the money

76
Look for Read Write GOLD

• GOLD has Read Write features plus
• scanning
• speech input (speech to text XP engine)
• research tools gather, organize, annotate info
• simple scientific talking calculator
• Teacher Toolkit manage spelling and activity
  logs and student access

77
Other Technology

• More Technology for Students with Information
  Processing and Other Disabilities

78
Technology for Young Learners

• WordQ (simpler tool similar to textHELP!)
• www.wordq.com
• Kidspiration
• www.inspiration.com
• IntelliTools Inc. (www.intellitools.com)
• IntelliTalk II
• IntelliMathics
• IntelliPics Studio
• MathPad
• Accessibility Tools (for physical disabilities)

79
Other Technology for LDs

• Web tech for people with disabilities
• great accessibility tool
• brings world into the home
• communication
• learning
• research
• resources
• advocacy information
• Project Gutenberg free books online
• http//promo.net/pg/

80
A Bit About Computers

• The basics
• multimedia system
• lots of ram is good
• Monitor flat screen or slim (TFT like laptop)
  is best for disabled
• CD-R (burner)
• scanner (sheet feed is nice)
• OCR software ( for scanner)
• Keyboard mouse

• Other input devices
• Microphone
• Track ball
• Touch screen
• Writing tablet
• Scanner
• Digital camera
• Bliss Board

81
Reading and Research

• The tools
• Text readers
• Screen readers
• Web readers
• Books on Tape
• e-Text
• Reading pens
• Scanners

• Products include
• Kurzweil 3000
• WYNN 3
• Scan Read, Lite Pro
• textHELP Read Write
• HELPRead/ReadPlease
• TextAloud Mp3
• Iris Pen
• Quicktionary Pen

82
Writing, Expression Presentation

• The tools (and uses)
• Voice dictation
• Word prediction
• Spelling aids
• Idea gathering
• Organization
• Portable writing
• Presentation
• Recorders (tape digital)

• Products include
• Dragon NaturallySpeaking
• IBM Via Voice
• textHELP Read Write
• Franklin Spell Checkers
• Inspiration/MindManager
• AlphaSmart/Quick PAD
• DreamWriter/DreamMax
• Pocket PC (keyboard)

83
Mind Mapping for Writing and Organization

• The tools uses
• Idea gathering
• Brainstorming
• Planning
• Organization
• Sharing Ideas

• Including products such as
• Inspiration
• Kidspiration
• MindManager
• eMindMaps

84
Planning, Organization Time Management

• The tools (and uses)
• Master notebook
• Day planner
• Time poster
• Idea gathering
• Organization
• E-organizer

• Including products such as
• MindManager
• Inspiration
• SmartDraw
• Watch Minder
• PDAs - Palm Pilot, Handspring, Pocket PCs

85
More Info . . .

• On learning disabilities
• www.schwablearning.org
• www.ldonline.org
• www.ldpride.net
• www.ldao.on.ca
• www.ldrc.ca
• http//specialed.about.com/cs/learningdisabled
• Mikes Learning Resources site
• www.nipissingu.ca/faculty/mikew/resource

86
More Info . . .

• On adaptive technology for young learners
• Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative
• www.wati.org/
• Assistive Technology Guide
• http//www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r488g
  4
• Assistive Technology Evaluation Guide
• www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/technology/evaluation.
  pdf
• Considering Your Childs Need for Assistive
  Technology
• www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/technology/bowzer_reed
  .html

87
Questions?

• . . . our thanks for this opportunity!