Hidden Disabilities

1
Hidden Disabilities

• Presented by Anita Moore

2
Test Your Knowledge

• Lets test your disabilities.
• Take 5-10 minutes to complete this puzzle.

3
Test Your KnowledgeAnswers

• 9 5 1
• 7 11 8
• 2 4 12
• 6 3 10

4
Goal of Workshop

• Achieve a better understanding of the impact of
  hidden disabilities
• Improve interactions with students who have
  hidden disabilities
• Increase awareness of possible accommodations and
  assistive technology
• Learn effective strategies for teaching
• Learn how to make course materials more accessible

5
What are hidden disabilities?

• Any disability that cant be seen with the naked
  eye.
• Examples learning disabilities, ADHD, mental
  illness, epilepsy, cancer, arthritis, traumatic
  brain injury, AIDS and asthma

6
What is it like to have a hidden disability?

• Read Robyns story
• Discussion Questions
• Do you have any students that are similar to
  Robyn?
• What have you found to be the best way to help
  students like Robyn?
• What has been the biggest challenge in working
  with students with hidden disabilities?

7
Hidden Disabilities at Heartland

• Students registered with DSS in FY 05
• 56 had Learning Disabilities
• 14 had ADD/ADHD
• 9 had Psychological Disorders

8
Students with Learning Disabilities

• Definitions/Range of Disabilities
• Impact of Learning Disabilities
• Limitations Imposed by Learning Disabilities
• Overcoming Limitations

9
Learning Disabilities Defined

• Neurological Disabilities that may alter an
  individuals ability to store, process, retrieve
  or produce information (Thornton, 2000).
• Manifested by significant difficulties in
  listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning
  or math.
• No one type of learning disability. There is no
  specific profile to describe a person with a
  learning disability.

10
Types of Learning Disabilities

• Dyslexia affects a students reading skills and
  development.
• Dysgraphia affects a students ability to write
• Dyscalculia affects a students ability to
  perform math calculations
• Information Processing Disabilities affects a
  students ability to assign meaning to sensory
  information of all kinds (auditory, visual)

11
Impact of Learning Disabilities

• The impact of a learning disability varies
  according to
• Severity of the disability
• Educational setting
• Use of Assistive Technology

12
Limitations imposed by learning disabilities

• Difficulty reading text
• Spelling difficulties
• Poor handwriting
• Problems involving a written document
• Difficulties expressing ideas on paper
• Poor mental math ability
• Poor math processing ability (e.g., addition,
  subtraction)
• Difficulty seeing a specific image

13
Environments Where Learning Disability Can Be
Seen

• Home
• Classroom
• Work

14
Overcoming These Limitations

• Instruction
• Assessment
• Assistive Technology

15
Instruction

• 1st Consider the limitations that the disability
  imposes
• 2nd With the student, brainstorm ways to help
  the student overcome his/her limitation.
• 3rd Implement the strategies/accommodations that
  are likely to lead to success for the student
• 4th Periodically, review the effectiveness of
  this strategy/accommodation with the student.
• 5th Revise as necessary

16
Tips to Keep in Mind for Instruction

• Allow students to record lectures on tape.
• If you are using the blackboard or other visual
  aids, describe verbally what you are showing the
  class.
• You academic standards or course content should
  not be modified.

17
Exams

• Discuss plans for modifying testing procedures
  prior to the first exam
• Remember that the use of adaptive equipment or an
  alternate format takes time
• Determine which format will work best for the
  student

18
Assistive Technology

• Digital formats
• Word Processors
• Spell Checkers/Grammar Checkers
• Proofreading Software
• Outlining/brainstorming software
• Speech Recognition Software
• Screen Readers
• Calculators
• Books on Tape and Tape Recorded Lectures
• Digital Books