Specific Learning Disabilities Video Learning About Learning Disabilities

Specific Learning Disabilities

Video �“Learning About Learning Disabilities” �Phillip Schultz �https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=LXE 60 Nd Gcpg �The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and author of "My Dyslexia, " Philip Schultz, talks about growing up as a child with learning disabilities and his struggle with reading. He also describes why he felt compelled to write about his dyslexia. Find out more information about dyslexia on our site: http: //www. ncld. org/types-learningdi. . .

What is Specific Learning Disability? � Specific Learning Disability (SLD): A disorder in which one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language. The disorder may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do math. � Most states require three criteria be met to receive services, however changes were made in 2004 reauthorization of IDEA ◦ Discrepancy between the student’s intellectual ability and academic achievement �An “unexpected” difference between general ability and achievement ◦ Exclusion criteria: the student’s difficulties are not a result of another known condition that can cause learning problems ◦ A need for special education services �The student shows specific and severe learning problems despite standard educational efforts

The NJCLD and the Definition of SLD � The NJCLD believes the federal definition of SLD contains several weaknesses: • Exclusion of adults • Learning disabilities can occur across the life span • Reference to “basic psychological processes” • This is a curricular issue concerning how to teach and not a definitional one • Inclusion of spelling as a learning disability • Spelling can be subsumed under “written expression” • Inclusion of obsolete terms • Includes terms that are difficult to define • Wording of the exclusion clause • Suggests that learning disabilities cannot occur with other disabilities Heward Exceptional Children, 10 e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 -4

The NJCLD Definition of SLD q. A general term that refers to a group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities q. These disorders are intrinsic to the individual and presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction and may appear across the life span q. Problems with self-regulatory behaviors, social perception, and social interaction may coexist but do not themselves constitute a learning disability q. Although learning disabilities may occur with other handicapping conditions or with extrinsic influences, they are not the result of those influences Heward Exceptional Children, 10 e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 -5

Response to Intervention �Response to Intervention (RTI) ◦ Shifts the identification of learning disabilities from a “wait-to-fail” to a model of early identification and prevention ◦ The 3 tiers of RTI �Primary Intervention to all students in the General Education Classroom, includes progress monitoring �Secondary Intervention for students struggling in the general education classroom receive small group tutoring �Tertiary Intervention individualized instruction

Identifying SLD by Assessing Responsiveness to Instruction (RTI) � Basic premise of RTI: • Measuring low-achieving student’s response to increasingly intensive, scientifically validated instruction can determine whether the child’s struggles to learn are the result of poor or insufficient instruction or of a disability for which special education is needed � Two functions of RTI • Screening/identification • Prevention � Trustworthiness of RTI depends on • The consistent, rigorous implementation of research-based interventions • Accurate, reliable, easy to use measures for monitoring student progress 5 -7 Heward Exceptional Children, 10 e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Response to Intervention

Benefits and Goals of RTI q. Earlier identification of students using a problemsolving approach instead of a “wait-to-fail” approach q. Reduction in the number of students referred for special education q. Reduction in the over-identification of minority students q. Provision of more instructionally useful data than those provided by traditional methods of assessment and identification q. Increased likelihood that students are exposed to high -quality instruction in the general education classroom by stipulating that schools use evidence-based instructional practices and routinely monitor the progress of all students q. Service to all students with achievement problems, so that only those students who fail to respond to multiple levels of intervention efforts receive the label learning disabled Heward Exceptional Children, 10 e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 -9

Characteristics of SLD � The Defining Characteristic ◦ Specific and significant achievement deficits in the presence of adequate overall intelligence ◦ The performance gap becomes especially noticeable and handicapping in the middle and secondary grades ◦ The difficulties experienced by children with learning disabilities, especially for those who cannot read at grade level, are substantial and pervasive and usually last across the life span Heward Exceptional Children, 10 e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 -10

�Reading Problems: ◦ Dyslexia: neurobiological in its origin. It is characterized by difficulties with word recognition, poor spelling, and decoding abilities. These difficulties usually are the result of a deficit in the phonological component of language. �Phonological Awareness: the understanding and knowledge that language is made up of sounds ◦ Phonemic awareness: the knowledge the words have separate sounds

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�Written Language Deficits: ◦ Problems with and written expressions tasks: vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, spelling ◦ They produce poorly organized writing compositions ◦ Explicit instruction, involving motivation and feedback, is an effective method for helping students to improve their skills

�Math Underachievement: ◦ Problems with numerical reasoning, calculations, retrieving number facts, and solving story problems ◦ 50% of students with learning disabilities have IEP goals in math �Social Skills Deficits: ◦ 75% of students with learning disabilities exhibit deficits in social skills ◦ Deficits in social skills lead to rejection, low social status, fewer positive interactions, difficulty making friends, loneliness

�Attention Problems and Hyperactivity: ◦ There is a high degree of comorbidity (two conditions occurring in the same individual) between ADHD and learning disabilities �Behavioral Problems: ◦ Higher than usual incidence of behavior problems among students with disabilities ◦ It is important to plan educational programs for students with learning disabilities that have skill in deal with social and behavioral deficits.

Prevalence �Prevalence ◦ Learning disabilities make up the largest of all special education categories ◦ 42. 3% of all school-age students with disabilities received special education services under the specific learning disabilities category

Causes �Causes ◦ In most cases the causes of a child’s learning disability is unknown ◦ Different learning disabilities are likely to have different causes ◦ 4 suspected causes � 1. Brain damage � 2. Heredity � 3. Biochemical imbalances � 4. Environmental factors

Identification and Assessment � Standardized Intelligence and Achievement Tests ◦ Used to measure the discrepancy between achievement and general intellectual ability � Response to Intervention � Curriculum-Based Measurement ◦ Used to measure the growth of student’s proficiency in the core skills that contribute to success in school � Direct Daily Measurement ◦ Used for observing and recording a child’s performance on a specific skill each time it is taught Criterion-Referenced Tests ◦ Used to compared a child’s score with a predetermined criterion Heward Exceptional Children, 10 e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 -18

Educational Approaches � Content enhancements are used to enhance the organization and delivery of curriculum content ◦ Graphic Organizers and Visual Displays ◦ Note-Taking Strategies - Guided Notes ◦ Mnemonics � A learning strategy is an individual’s approach to learning tasks ◦ Students use task-specific strategies to guide themselves successfully through a learning task or problem Heward Exceptional Children, 10 e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 -19

Educational Placement Alternatives � General education classroom ◦ During the 2008– 2009 school year, 62% of students with LD were educated in general education classrooms. ◦ Research on the academic achievement of students with LD in inclusive classrooms is mixed. � Consultant teacher ◦ Provides support to general educators who work directly with students with learning disabilities ◦ Works with several teachers and thus indirectly serve many children ◦ Most consultant teachers have little direct contact with students Heward Exceptional Children, 10 e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 -20

Educational Placement Alternatives � Resource room ◦ A resource room is a specially staffed and equipped classroom where students with LD come for one or several periods during the school day to receive individualized instruction ◦ The resource room teacher works closely with general educators to suggest and plan each student’s program ◦ During the 2008 -2009 school year, 28% of students with learning disabilities were served in resource rooms � Separate classroom ◦ A special education teacher is responsible for all education programming for 8– 12 students with learning disabilities ◦ During the 2008 -2009 school year, 8% of students with learning disabilities were served in separate 5 -21 classrooms Heward Exceptional Children, 10 e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.