About LDs

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About LDs AD/HD and Transition to University

• Part 1 Transitions the Video
• Part 2 Review - What is a Learning
  Disability?
• Part 2 Affects of a Learning Disability
• ESP Orientation 2005
• Mike Walker, Learning Strategist
• September 1, 2005

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Part 1

• Transitions to Post-Secondary Learning

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about the Video

• Transitions to Post-Secondary Learning by H.
  Eaton and L. Coull
• Howard Eaton himself has a severe learning
  disability (dyslexia)
• Joint Canada/USA production
• students are from both American and Canadian
  colleges and universities

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Part 2 Review - 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.
• 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)

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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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Analogy A Learning Disability is an 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

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A Simple Model of Learning Information
Processing

• Attention
• Sensory Input
• Decoding
• Processing
• May include Storage
• and/or Retrieval processes
• Encoding
• Physical Output

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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

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Some Stats . . .

• learning disabilities impact the lives of
  approximately 10 of the population
• approximately 4 of Ontarios school aged
  population is formally identified with LDs
• 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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Types of LDs - the Dyss

• Dyslexia-any problems with reading, decoding or
  comprehending written information.
• Dyscalculia- any problems with basic math
• Dysgraphia-a disorder of written expression.

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Types of LDs DSM IV

• Reading Disorder
• Mathematics Disorder
• Disorder of Written Expression
• Learning Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

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Types of LDs - LOTF

• Visual
• Auditory
• Motor
• Organizational
• Conceptual
• Non-Verbal
• Math

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LOTF Types in Detail

• Visual LD related to problems with information
  that is seen. Many with dyslexia fall into this
  category.
• Auditory LD related to problems with information
  that is heard. (Seems very common here at
  Nipissing)
• Conceptual LD related to problems with abstract
  reasoning sometimes also called "problems with
  cognition.
• Organizational LD related to problems managing
  time, organizing tasks such as assignments,
  managing space, etc.

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LOTF Types in Detail

• Motor LD related to problems in small and/or
  large muscle co-ordination activities and sensory
  integration difficulties.
• Non-verbal LD related to problems with
  visual/spatial and other non-language-based
  tasks, e.g. difficulty with visualizing things,
  understanding large amounts of written
  information including charts and graphs,
  difficulties with social skills and often with
  math.
• Math LD related to problems with math in terms
  of managing the numbers and concepts.

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Diagnostic 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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For you visual learners
What does an LD look like? LDs from an Info
Processing perspective.

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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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Non-verbal LDWAIS Profile
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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 Dalmatian?

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Cant you see this?

• Cant you see the Dalmatian?
• Visual LD
• visual ground figure

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What is this object?
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What letter is this?
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What letter is this?
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What letter is this?
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What letter is this?

• A learning disability may involve difficulty with
  perception and symbolic processing

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Cant you write this?

• Copy this Ill time you put your hand up when
  youre done
• Can you copy? Its not hard.Look, Im
  finished already!
• Now, please copy this using your
  non-dominant hand?!
• Grapho-motor LD
• Also demonstrates role of Working Memory

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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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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

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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

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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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Predictors of Success in Adults with LD

• IQ or Achievement scores are at best MINOR
  predictors of success in adults with LD
• Six other factors were far BETTER PREDICTORS
  (Raskind et al, 1999)
• Dr. Marc Wilchesky, York University
• Pathways 2002

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Predictors of Success in Adults with LD

• Self-awareness
• Proactivity
• Perseverance
• Goal Setting
• Emotional Stability
• Social Support Systems
• Raskind et al, 1999

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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
• Activities to help understand processing deficits
• http//www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/
• Mikes Learning Resources site
• www.nipissingu.ca/faculty/mikew/resource

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Questions?

• . . . lets take a break!

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Where can IP break down? Dr. Allyson G.
Harrison, Queens University

• 1. Frontal lobe functioning deficits
• - abstract and conceptual thinking
• 2. Memory impairment
• - Short term memory
• - Working memory-mental blackboard dynamic
  process
• - Long term memory
• - Storage vs retrieval issues
• 3. Sequencing deficits (visual or auditory)

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Breakdown continues Dr. Allyson G. Harrison,
Queens University

• 4. Speed of information processing
• 5. Attention
• - Selective (cannot choose/focus)
• - Sustained (cannot maintain)
• - Divided (cannot shift/hyperfocus)
• 6. Narrow processing style - cant simultaneously
  attend to process multiple aspects of a
  stimulus field

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Still breaking down Dr. Allyson G. Harrison,
Queens University

• 7. Poor scanning resolution-miss relevant data
• 8. Right hemisphere dysfunction good at details
  but not global picture. Gets lost in details,
  easily overloaded. Cant make sense of
  holistically presented information. Poor ability
  to interpret visual cues.
• 9. Faulty output mechanism - interferes with
  demonstration of adequate information processing.