Learning Disabilities
 

Definition: Learning disability is a condition that interferes with a person's ability to receive, process, or communicate information and affects the ability to read, write, speak, or compute math.

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Definition: Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not apply to children who have learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or emotional disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

Causes: This disorder of the central nervous system often runs in families. It can be caused by illness or injury during or before birth and use of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy, premature birth, lack of oxygen at birth, nutritional deficiencies, poison (e.g. lead), abuse, and head injuries.

Characteristics: A student with learning disabilities usually has average or above average intelligence and demonstrates a significant difference between potential (typically measured by an aptitude or intelligence test) and actual achievement. The student may have difficulty in reading, math, speaking,concentration, attention, listening skills, and retaining information. There are different disabilities associated with learning, such as Dysgraphia (difficulty writing and with spelling); dyslexia (language difficulty, often reading); Dyssemia (difficulty with signals, such as social cues); and others.

Prevalence: 10-20 % of U.S. population is estimated to have some form of learning disabilities. Most of those (85-90%)have deficits in language and reading. Boys and girls are both as likely or have learning disabilities. Only 5% of school -aged children in public school with learning disabilities receive special education even though they comprise 50% if entire special education population.

Parent Note: Early diagnosis and intervention and support are critical. Learning disabilities can have a "snowballing" effect resulting from repeated failure that can cause low self-esteem and affect other learning. Most children with learning disabilities are identified in elementary school. If the child seems to have a short attention span, difficulty in following directions, reverses letters and words, is disorganized, and other learning difficulties, a teacher may alert others of the student's challenges. If the family suspects learning disability, it, too, can gather information supporting the diagnosis and present that to the school.

 Teaching Strategies for Children with Learning Disabilities

Approaches depend on the specific learning disability. The approach, for instance, with dyslexia, includes individual, systemic, multidisciplinary teaching with use of an alphabetic-phonic system (rather than "whole language" instruction). Specialized instruction methods are available for specific learning disabilities.

Other Classroom Strategies: Typically, students with learning disabilities are in the same classroom as their non disabled peers. Some may spend some time in a resource room as well. Teachers often use textbooks and work sheet of lower readability, taped books, and other adapted materials to accommodate the student. Other useful techniques are oral testing, tutoring, presenting material using different senses (e.g. hearing, sight, touch), and allowing for extra assignment time. Research also indicates that students benefit from exposure to learning strategies, such as paraphrasing, note taking, or error monitoring. In general, students should work in a setting free of distraction, and receive instruction in short, highly structured (e.g., 20-minute)time frames. Parents and peers can be invaluable aids and should be given opportunities to help. In later school years, career training that capitalizes on child's strengths and demands less rigorous academic training might be considered because of relatively high unemployment statistics for recently graduated students with learning disabilities.

Behavior Strategies: Students may be easily distracted and have problems sitting in a seat for long periods of time. If the student continually disrupts other students during independent work time or doesn't complete assignment, make sure the student understands and is able to do assignment. Consider developing a plan that reinforces on-task behavior. Behavior support plans should be started as soon as the student begins displaying behavior challenges, because school failure and illiteracy create a downward cycle of frustration and despair that will make behavior problems escalate. Research indicates that undetected learning disability leads to antisocial behavior, school dropout, poor employment, and involvement with juvenile justice system. Increase sense of confidence to take away tension. Relationship building plans may also be necessary, because youths with learning disabilities tend to have problems socially, display immature behavior, and not learn easily from experiences.

*taken from the Beach Center on Families and Disability

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