Negotiating a path around learning difficulties

1
Negotiating a path around learning difficulties

• Robyn Yucel Ainslee Hill
• La Trobe University

2
Overview

• Learning disabilities/difficulties background
• Ainslees story
• Working with Ainslee
• Question time

3
Learning disabilities/difficulties - background

• Prevalence - 1873 at Aust. Universities (Payne
  Irons, 2003). Probably an under-estimation
• Terminology
• Difficulty
• Disability
• Discrepancy between achievement and ability not
  an intellectual disability
• Includes dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and
  other problems such as verbal learning and memory
  deficits
• Every student with a LD is unique ? no blanket
  approach ? COMMUNICATION essential

4
Ainslees Story

• History of learning disability
• Educational history
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Assistance at LAS

5
Ainslees story

• History of learning disorder
• Recognised at 3 yrs old
• Developmental delays
• Original diagnosis dyslexia
• Later diagnosis more generalised learning
  disorder due to impairment in
• verbal learning and memory
• sequencing of verbal and visual information
• visuo-spatial organisation
• IQ in average range

6
Ainslees Story

• Educational History
• VCAL (VCE without assessment components)
• Certificate IV in Horticulture
• Advanced Diploma in Horticulture
• Currently 3rd yr part time Bachelor of
  Conservation Biology and Ecology

7
Ainslee's Story

• Strengths
• Determination perseverance (stubbornness?)
• Visual memory of logically structured material
• Auditory memory
• Listening comprehension
• Lateral and abstract thinking
• Verbal communication skills

• Weaknesses
• Comprehension - Verbal memory affects learning
  new material (retention recall)
• Visuo-spatial organisation
• Mental processing
• Writing (grade 3 standard)
• Spelling (grade 5 standard)
• Reading (year 8 standard)

8
Ainslees Story

• Assistance at LAS
• Exam revision strategies
• Analysis of assessment tasks
• Writing skills
• Reading skills
• Presentation skills
• Confidence building and encouragement

9
Working with Ainslee

• One to one consultations - intensive, detailed
  instruction and reinforcement to develop skills
• Novice LAS lecturer no training in teaching
  LD students
• A negotiated strategy for assistance each LD
  individual unique

10
Writing support

• Identifying areas of weakness in writing
• Organisation and development of ideas
• Formality of language
• Cohesion lack of logical order and linking
• Sentence structure
• Creating tasks to develop skills

11
Writing Support

• Tasks created
• Analysing features of model exam responses
• Re-ordering cut up text
• Gap fill linking words
• Key word notes ? paragraph

12
Any Questions