Students with Learning Disabilities

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Students withLearning Disabilities
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LD Learning Disabled

• a cognitive disorder that affects people's
  ability to either
• interpret what they see and hear or
• link information from different parts of the
  brain.

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LD Learning Disabled

• Specific difficulties in
• Reading
• Writing
• Or Arithmetic

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What causes learning disabilities?

• There are no specific reasons as to why learning
  disabilities are found in some people and not in
  others.
• learning disabilities tend to run in families, so
  they can be inherited
• are more common in boys than in girls

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What this means to us as teachers. . . .

• Over 50 of student disabilities are learning
  disabilities. (2000)
• At least 10 of the population has one or more
  learning disabilities.
• 5 of students receive special education services

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What this means to us as teachers. . . .

• One of the major educational implications for a
  child with a learning disability depends on when
  the disability is diagnosed.
•  As teachers, we need to be able to recognize
  characteristics in order to effectively teach our
  students with learning disabilities.

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Common Characteristics

• Discrepancy between intelligence and performance
• Fluctuations in day to day performance
• unpredictable test performance
• incomplete work
• Language problems show up as delays or
  difficulties in
• listening, speaking, reading, writing and
  spelling

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Common Characteristics

• Math problems consist of difficulties with
• understanding concepts
• problem solving
• Organizing thoughts
• difficulties with information and instructions
• disorganized approach to learning

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Referral Process

• Educational professionals have the task of
  distinguishing between students with learning
  disabilities and students who may be low
  achievers.

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Pre-referral

• Once a pattern is recognized
• Check your students records
• Get feedback from other teachers and guidance
  counselors
• Hold a parent conference
• Start with the positive
• Get the parents feedback
• Explain the problems
• .He is having difficulty with
• .I would like to try giving him some extra
  attention

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Referral

• If everyone agrees, refer the student for
  evaluation
• (must have written notification from the family)
• A Child Study Team will be formed
• Assessment or testing by the School Psychologist
• Identification of the disability
• Recommendation by the Psychologist
• Approval by the Child Study Team
• Instructional Recommendations (IEP)

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Individualized Education Program (IEP)

• A program tailored to the needs of a learner with
  exceptionalities.
• The individualized education program consists of
  the childs
• level of academic performance
• long term goals
• short term goals
• all services that the child will be receiving

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• Annual review
• Termination
• Renewal
• or additions to the IEP

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Strategies in the classroom

• Allowing time will reduce frustration
• (time to respond, test, complete activities)
• Set priorities
• focus on the task at hand
• Take into account the students Learning Style
• Make sure learning materials are available

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Strategies in the classroom

• Provide (discreet) immediate feedback
• Breakdown long assignments
• Testing should be flexible
• (this maybe listed on the IEP)
• Maintain constant communication
• (parents, resource teacher, tutors)

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References

• Giuliani, George (2001). What Every Teacher
  Should Know about Students with Special Needs.
  Champaign, Il Research Press.
• Slavin, Robert (2003). Educational Psychology
  Theory and Practice, Seventh Edition. Boston,
  MA Allyn and Bacon.
• National Center for Learning Disabilities
  www.ncld.org