Specific Learning Disabilities in Plain English

1. Specific Learning Disabilities in Plain English

2. Specific Learning Disabilities in Plain English • Children with specific learning disabilities (SLD) have severe trouble learning or demonstrating academic skills in one or more of the following areas: • Oral expression • Listening comprehension • Written expression • Reading Fluency/Reading comprehension • Math calculation/Math reasoning

3. SLD Definition (Continued) Although these children often do well in some school subjects, they have extreme difficulty with certain skills such as decoding words, calculating math facts, or getting their thoughts into writing. As a result, they lag significantly behind their peers in these skills. While children with SLD almost always hear and see normally, they have trouble understanding or using what they see or hear.

4. Specific Learning disabilities are believed to be caused by problems the child has processing information in the brain. • Perceptual disability • Brain injury • Minimal brain dysfunction • Dyslexia • Developmental aphasia

5. When a Learning Disability is Suspected • The student has two six week courses of intervention in the problem area (RTI). • If the child does not make progress in RTI, an IEP team, including the child’s parents, conduct the evaluation. • The IEP team decides if the child meets state and federal criteria for having a learning disability.

6. Each of the following criteria must be considered in order for the child to be determined to have a specific learning disability. • Significant Discrepancy • Information Processing • Classroom Achievement • Does the child show a need for special education services?

7. Information Processing • Information processing problems may affect the child’s ability to memorize, pay attention, and use information to complete assignments, process information quickly, or communicate what they know.

8. Information Processing Components • Storage – adding information to existing information • Organization – structuring information that is stored in memory, categorizing and sequencing • Acquisition – Accurately gaining, receiving and/or perceiving information

9. Information Processing Components • Retrieval – locating or recalling stored information upon demand • Expression – communicating information • Manipulation – applying, using, or altering information

10. Classroom Achievement • The child cannot do the same academic work as peers of similar age and ability. • The child has severe difficulties in one or more of the academic areas compared to children in the classroom. • Interventions tried/not effective

11. Environmental disadvantage Cultural disadvantage Lack of instruction in reading or math Limited English proficiency Any other disabilities the child may have Exclusions If a child’s learning problems are primarily due to other reasons, the child does not qualify as a child with SLD.

12. Speech & Language Consideration • If a child only has problems in speaking or understanding language, but no serious trouble in other academic areas, and he/she meets the criteria for having a speech and language impairment, the IEP team should consider speech and language as the child’s primary area of impairment.

13. Conclusion • Each of the criteria: 1. Two RTI interventions 2. Classroom achievement below peers that is not due to lack of instruction or other disbilities. 3. Special education evaluation which includes classroom observations • must be considered and met in order for a child to be determined to have a specific learning disability. If one of the four criteria is not met, the child cannot be found eligible for special education even if they show a deficit in the other areas.

14. Determination of Need for Special Services • Once the child is determined to have a specific learning disability, it must then be decided if the child demonstrates a need for special services. • If accommodations can be provided in the classroom that allow the child to succeed, then the child does not have a need for special services and does not qualify as a child with a disability.

15. The End