Learning+Disabilities

Learning Disabilities **Characteristics:**
 * Unexpected difficulty or low performance in one or more academic areas
 * Ineffective or inefficient information-processing or learning strategies in area of difficulty
 * Exclusion Clause - Learning-disabled students are NOT mental retarded, autistic, physically impaired, or have a behavioral disorder.
 * Discrepancy - average IQ achievement
 * Scattered learning abilities by content
 * ESL children do not necessarily have a learning disability.
 * Attention disorders, such as ADHD, and learning disabilities often occur at the same time, but the two disorders are not the same.

1. Dyslexia (difficulty in learning to read – decoding and spelling) 2. Dysgraphia (difficulty in learning to write – handwriting) 3. Dyscalculia (difficulty in learning math)
 * Three most common Learning Disabilities:**


 * Signals for Possible Learning Disabilities (not all applicable – only certain characteristics will apply for each unique student):**
 * Trouble understanding and following directions
 * Short attention span
 * Difficulty with handwriting and fine motor activities
 * Difficulty with visual or auditory sequential memory
 * Difficulty memorizing words or basic math facts
 * Difficulty allocating time and organizing work
 * Unmotivated toward difficult tasks
 * Difficulty segmenting words into sounds and blending sounds
 * Confuses familiar letters and words
 * Listens and speaks well but decodes poorly when reading
 * Difficulty with tasks that require rapid naming of pictures, words and numbers
 * Not efficient or effective in using learning strategies

**Accommodations to:** **Environment-**
 * Preferential seating (at front of the room, near a positive role model, near teacher and/or avoiding distracting stimuli like the window, door or active students)
 * Teaching in small interactive groups of six or less
 * Keep classroom rules simple and clear
 * Teaching Style-**
 * Direct instruction mixed with cognitive strategy instruction (Cognitive strategy instruction – modeling thinking processes & instructional conversations)
 * Teachers provide a framework for learning through the use of Advanced Organizers
 * Teach students to use memory strategies (acronyms, rehearsal, visual imagery, categorizing information, etc.)
 * Teach students self-regulation and self-monitoring
 * Present information in multiple ways (use multi-sensory modes)
 * Stand near the student when giving directions or presenting lessons
 * Ask a question, give wait time by erasing the board giving LD students the chance to process question and formulate answer, then call on LD student first.
 * Outline lesson on board with keywords
 * Provide notes or peer note-taker for LD student
 * When using the board, say what you are writing as you write it.
 * Break long presentations into shorter segments
 * Learning Activity-**
 * Control task difficulty
 * Extended time for practice and application of new skills and strategies
 * Use learning tools and aids (computer, calculator, tape recorders, handheld organizers, etc)
 * Adjust workload and time (reducing amount of work if mastery can be shown with less examples, chunking into smaller tasks)
 * Allow students to present information in multiple ways
 * Books on tape (podcasting, etc.)
 * Encourage students to use memory strategies while working on learning tasks

**Assessment-**
 * Extended time on tests and quizzes and large projects
 * Divide large projects into smaller sections or tasks
 * Develop timelines for work to be completed
 * Tests can be read out-loud
 * Do not grade handwriting
 * In math, do not deduct for spelling mistakes
 * Allow for open-book tests
 * Students may answer orally or on tape recorder
 * Provide word banks
 * Provide study guides for tests & quizzes