Learning Disabilities

1. Learning Disabilities Dr. Crawford

2. Agenda • Mini-lesson on Learning Disabilities • Definition, characteristics, eligibility, prevalence, causes, teaching techniques (e.g. RTI, DIBELS, Task analysis) • Supplementary material: Review Misunderstood minds

3. Learning Disability: U.S. Federal Definition In general – The term specific learning disability means a disorder in 1 or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, … manifest in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical computations. • Does not include a learning problem as a result of visual, hearing, motor disabilities, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

4. Prevalence and Cause • Most prevalent disability category • In 2006, 45.3% of all children receiving special education services were identified with SLD • This number is about 4% of the entire school-age population. • Males outnumber females with SLD 3:1. • Brain structure of some children with reading difficulties differs slightly from those of children without disabilities (Collins & Rourke, 2003; Leonard, 2001). • Different minds learn differently. ( See All Kinds of Minds (1993) by Mel Levine • Multiple intelligences. (see Art, Mind, and Multiple Intelligences (1993) by Howard Gardner.) • Speak out for understanding (Vermont high school students raising disability awareness).

5. Characteristics • Deficit in academic achievement as compared to intellectual capabilities • Can have disability in academic areas such as reading, math, written expression • Is not limited to one area of learning • Can have reading and math learning disability

6. Difficulties may also be found in attention, memory, cognition, metacognition, perceptual and motor skill deficits (Smith, Polloway, Patton and Dowdy, 2008) May be observed as: overwhelmed, disorganized and frustrated in new learning situations have difficulty following directions have trouble with the visual or auditory perception of information students do not readily believe that there is a connection between that which they do, the effort they make, and the likelihood of academic success. (Sturomski, 1997, as quoted in Sousa (2001) p. 24) Characteristics

7. Eligibility Areas for Children with SLD

8. Visual-Auditory SkillSymbol Imagery • Sees the word cat • Can spell letters c-a-t • But says the word “cap” The brain sees the word correctly but does not orally convert this information correctly

9. Visual Spatial Accommodation • Use of grid paper to help align numbers • One problem completed orally and dictated to teacher

10. Visual Spatial Difficulties • Difficulty aligning numbers • Difficulty with algorithms • Age 11-5

11. Accommodations • Setting: • Preferential seating • Space with minimal distractions • Test in small group setting or alternative private room • Other: • Provide on-task/focus prompts • Special test preparation • Presentation of Material: • Audio on tape • Large print • Designated reader • Oral instructions • Student Responses: • Verbal • Answers dictated and scribed • Use tape recorder to record answers • Timing: • Frequent breaks • Extended time on tests

12. Teaching Techniques: • Response to Intervention (RTI) • Early intervention model used as first step in identification process • Program focuses on assessment and individualizing instruction based on assessment • Thought is that students who are do not have a learning will close achievement gap with the boost of support

13. Teaching Techniques • Learning Strategies • Learning how to learn • note taking • asking questions to the teacher, peers, and his/herself • re-reading what is not understood • going through the revision process for written work • working to become more aware of thought process when learning new material (Sousa, 2001)

14. Teaching Techniques • Becoming self-advocates • Articulate specific information about their learning and behavioral needs • have established networks of individuals to whom they can turn for support • are proactive in arranging for accommodations and modifications • more likely to experience successful transitions during the school years and beyond. Horowitz, 2004, p.839

15. Response to Intervention (RTI): New way to determine a learning disability • Alternative of old model of “waiting to fail” • Teachers use scientific, research-based intervention as part of the evaluation. • https://dibels.uoregon.edu/dibels_what.php video clip using DIBELS to benchmark reading skills as a form of RTI. • DIBELS = Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills • Systematic, reliable, easy-to-use measures of student progress over time.

16. DIEBELS • measures assess the 5 Big Ideas in early literacy identified by the National Reading Panel: • Phonemic Awareness • Alphabetic Principle • Accuracy and Fluency • Vocabulary • Comprehension

17. Task Analysis: Breaking down a complex task into smaller, easier-to-learn sub-tasks • 1. Independently perform task from start to finish; • 2. Each sub-task is taught discretely and then chained together • 3. Example of how one might use this process in the classroom: • What steps can he/she complete independently? • What steps require a prompt? • What steps require an adaptation?

18. Task Model - Borrow Book • Example Goal Tasks to complete goal Subtasks to carry out one task From Interaction Design, Preece Rogers and Sharp

19. Example: Task Model - Write a Letter Write a Letter Get Supplies Write the Actual Letter Prepare Envelope Prepare To Mail Get Address Apply Stamp Insert Letter Seal Envelope This process can go arbitrarily deep Stop when not useful to go further - but not before! Is this model done? Find Address Book Find Address

20. Task Analysis: Summary • Determine what data you need • Gather it using various appropriate methods and techniques • Represent the tasks and subtasks, plus other related information • Use this data as basis for design • Note: Be efficient!