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193 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Learning Disabilities
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are a general term that a specific type of learning problem.
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The IDEA
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is a federal law that regulates how schools provide special education and related services to children with disabilities or learning disabilities.
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As many as
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1 out of every 5 people in the United States have a learning disability.
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A few other signs to look for are
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difficulty learning the alphabet, ryming words, connecting letters to their sounds, repeat and pause often when reading, messy handwriting, struggle with idea expression when writing, limited vocabulary, math number confusion and reversal, and a difficulty in re-telling a story in sequential order.
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A learning disability can cause
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a person to experience difficulty in learning, processing information, and to use certain skills.
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The skills that are most commonly affected are:
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reading, writing, listening, speaking, mathematics, and reasoning.
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This is due to the fact that children with learning disabilities have
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average or above average intelligence levels.
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Generally, children diagnosed with a learning disability usually do not reveal serious psychological or sensory impairment.
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Learning disabilities may carry with them demoralization, low self-esteem, and social skills deficits.
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Learning disabilities are often co-morbid with
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1. Oppositional Defiant Disorder,
2. Conduct Disorder, 3. Dysthymic Disorder, and 4. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. |
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A reading disability is a learning disability that involves significant impairment of
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reading accuracy, speed, to the extent that the impairment interferes with academic achievement or activities of daily life.
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Reading involves several steps, including:
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pronunciation, phonics, silent letters, word recognition, and so forth.
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People with reading disabilities might experience the following:
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slow reading speed, poor comprehension, omission of words, reversal of words or letters, difficulty decoding syllables or single words and associating them with specific sounds (phonics), and limited sight word vocabulary.
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Children who experience a reading disability tend to experience more negative emotions than children who have typical reading skills
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Some negative emotions that have been associated with reading disabilities are: shame, low self-esteem, and lack of motivation.
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Some negative emotions that have been associated with reading disabilities are: shame, low self-esteem, and lack of motivation.
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slow reading speed, poor comprehension, omission of words, reversal of words or letters, difficulty decoding syllables or single words and associating them with specific sounds (phonics), and limited sight word vocabulary.
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"popcorn reading,"
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or reading aloud
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Some techniques that teachers can use to help children are:
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individual reading time, clapping to the rythm of the different phonemes, tutoring, reading shorter passages, pairing with skilled readers on topic tasks, and picture and physical action association.
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Continued reassurance, maintaining frustration levels low, providing flexibility, and providing realistic expectations are critical to reduce negative emotions and provide positive methods
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for children to cope with their disability
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This rate of improvement is at an astonishingly
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90 to 95%.
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Child vs. Adult Presentation
About 4% of school-age children in the United States |
are diagnosed with reading disability
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Children are usually presented with a reading disability when they
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start kindergarten or first grade, when reading skills are first developed.
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Since learning disabilities, are life-long, they
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persist into adulthood.
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If a person receives adequate intervention and treatment for their disability while in school,
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they will usually have learned coping skills by the time they enter adulthood.
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In contrast, if coping skills are not learned,
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they could continue to struggle as adults and fall into socially unacceptable lifestyles, such as substance abuse or other crimes.
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Gender and Cultural Differences in Presentation
Sixty to 80% of children who are diagnosed with reading disabilities are |
male
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The prevalence in females with the disability may be underestimated
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, since males tend to be more disruptive in class and referred to special education classes more often.
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Females, on the other hand, tend to
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quietly disassociate or daydream in expression of their disability.
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Twin Studies
Dyslexia was found in 80% or higher of monozygotic twins. |
In other words, monozygotic twins share the same environment and, therefore, share heritability.
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Depending on how strict the criteria is in a given country,
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the incidence and prevalence figures for Reading Disorder may vary from place to place.
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Epidemiology
It is approximated that between 5 and 15% of the general population has a learning disorder and about 80% has a reading disorder. |
Studies also suggest that about 4 percent of school-age children have a reading disorder.
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Symptoms of difficulty in reading can be seen as early as Kindergarten,
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but they are seldomly diagnosed before the end of Kindergarten or the beginning of first grade, because formal reading instruction does not begin until that time.
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Etiology
Therefore, the cause of reading disorder is difficult to pinpoint. |
However, research has found that this disorder may be partially inherited.
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Therefore, reading disorders are more common in children that have a
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first-degree biological relative with a learning disability.
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Other theories suggest that problems in certain locations of the brain may cause a reading disorder.
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Studies have shown that the left-hemisphere posterior brain system does not respond correctly when people with the disorder are reading.
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There may also be a visual or auditory processing deficit,
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such as having problems moving the eyes to follow text and moving the eyes back and forth across a line. This would not be a problem in seeing, but in processing information from the eyes and in using the eyes to get information.
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Empirically supported treatments
Early intervention is essential to the individuals well being. |
Customized education plans that has a cross-disciplinary educational approach is a treatment option.
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Many of the successful programs all use systems that are sound or symbol based, which breaks down the words into letters and sounds.
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Also, they attempt to build and reinforce mental associations using visual, auditory, and kinesthetic channels of stimulation.
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Mathematics Disorder
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Formerly known as developmental arithmetic disorder, developmental acalculia, or dyscalculia.
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This is a learning disorder in which
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a person's mathematical ability is substantially lower than the expected base for age, intelligence levels, life experiences, educational background, and physical impairments.
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Associated Features
Early difficulties with arithmetic are very noticeable through |
low scores in math
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There are four types of symptom categories that people with Mathematics Disorder can be observed having:
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1.) Language Symptoms:misunderstanding of greater than or less than or misunderstanding of word problems
2.) Recognition or Perceptual Symptoms: difficulty reading numbers, difficulty understanding plus or minus signs, or properly aligning numbers to perform calculations 3). Mathematical Symptoms: difficiencies in the ability to count, memorize basic arithmetic data as multiplication tables, or follow sequential steps in problem solving 4.) Attention Symptoms: inability to copy numbers or ignoring operational signs |
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Child vs. Adult Presentation
This is primarily seen in children in elementary school more than in adults |
because of the amount of mathematical requirements that schools tend to impose on children to progress with their peers.
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It can also be seen in children as young as 6,
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but it is usually diagnosed when the child is 8 or in the third grade due to a foundation of basic math at that age.
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If proper diagnosis and treatment is not received early,
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studies show that there is higher risk of school drop out rates in children suffering from the disorder.
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Gender and Cultural Differences in Presentation
Some studies have shown no significant gender difference, but it may occur with greater frequency in |
girls
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Social constructs and state level administered tests tend to suggest that boys are better at math and
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girls are better at reading and writing.
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Epidemiology
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approximately 1% of school age children have a mathematical disorder
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Mathematical disorders appear to be
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less prevalent than reading disorders.
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Approximately ______ cases of learning disorders has a specific mathematics disorder.
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one in every five
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This disorder appears to run in families, similar to other learning disabilities.
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This suggests that there is a genetic component to this disorder.
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Etiology
he genetic components, which are thought to be a possible culprit for the disorder, are ones such as: |
Fragile X and Turner Syndrome
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Fragile X
is a genetic syndrome which results in a spectrum of characteristics |
physical, intellectual retardation, emotional and behavioral features which range from severe to mild manifestation
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It is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation of the FMR1 gene on the
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X chromosome
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Mutation on that site is found in 1 out of every 4,000 males and
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in 1 out of every 6000 females.
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Turner Syndrome is a genetic disorder in which
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only an X chromosome is present, instead of an X and a Y chromosome.
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This disorder affects females and is associated with
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short stature, lack of sexual development, cardiac problems, kidney abnormalities, and possible mental retardation.
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It is also more commonly seen in familial instances,
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in which one or more parents show more difficulty with mathematical subjects
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Also, it is commonly thought to be
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multifactorial.
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Injury to specific portions of the brain
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are also known to cause the inability to perform critical calculations thus leading to Mathematics disorder.
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Twin Studies
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The results for a group of twins researched were shared genetic influences in mathematics disorders and language disorders.
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Empirically Supported Treatments
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Studies show that those children need to be introduced to more problem-solving skills and tactics to eliminate distraction and add to their understanding
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Placement in special math classes with expert math teachers may be the
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most helpful to a child once he or she is diagnosed.
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Remedial education
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is shown to be effective for children because they need the specific help from teachers trained in learning disorders.
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Tutoring can help when the child's learning disorder is diagnosed
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very early to help them develop more tactics to perform at the average level.
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Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
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also address other language or reading disabilities that affect a child's ability to learn mathematics and assist children in overcoming them and coping with them.
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Parents and teachers can look for the following signs to asses a potential mathematical disorder:
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problems counting, problems memorizing multiplication tables, inability to grasp the difference between addition and subtraction, poor computational skills, slowness in performing calculations, difficulty arranging numbers in order, inability to understand place values, difficulity understanding word problems, inability to understand mathmatical symbols, and inability to align two or three digit numbers to perform calculations.
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Disorder of Written Expression
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Writing skills are substantially below those expected given the person's chronological age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education.
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Associated features
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This disorder was previously called developmental expressive writing disorder.
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This disabilitiy affects both the
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physical reproduction of letters and the organization of thoughts and ideas in written compositions.
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These early studies described three types of written disorders:
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1.) Inability to form letters and numbers correctly, also called dysgraphia
2.) inability to form words spontaneously or form dictation 3.) inability to organize words into meaningful thoughts. |
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Children with Disorder of Written Expression experience
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great difficulty with the use of their writing skills.
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Also, the individuals with the disorder tend to make excessive errors and appear to have poor understanding in the areas of
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punctuation, grammar, and spelling.
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Some common symptoms of people with disorder of written expression include:
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poor or illegible handwriting, poorly formed letters or numbers, excessive spelling errors, excessive punctuation errors, excessive grammar errors, sentences that lack logical cohesion, paragraphs and stories that are missing elements and that do not make sense or lack logical conclusions, and dificient writing skills that significantly impact academic achievement or daily life.
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Disorder of written expression is almost always associated with other learning disorders like a reading or mathematics disorder, and it is frequently accompanied by
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low self-esteem, social problems, increased rates of school dropout, conduct disorder, attention deficit disorder, and possibly depression.
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However, people diagnosed with disorder of written expression often have _________ intelligence.
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average or above average
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Child vs. adult presentation
Typically, an individual is diagnosed with disorder of written expression around the age of eight |
which is usually around the time that children begin to read and write.
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Gender and cultural differences in presentation
Most researchers say _____ are more commonly diagnosed with the disorder of written expression than females. |
males
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Epidemiology
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3 to 10% of school aged children in the United States are estimated to have disorder of written expression.
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15% of the United States population are said to have a type of
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Learning Disability.
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Deficits in written work may be attributed to a reading, language, or attention disorder,
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limited educational background, or lack of fluency in the language of the institution.
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Etiology
Certain facts support the idea that _________ factors can contribute to learning disorders. |
biological and environmental
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Research has shown that high levels of _______ in the fetus may cause language delays.
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testosterone
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Which could contribute to the idea that disorder of written expression is more prevalent in
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boys.
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Environmental factors can also cause learning disorders,
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however, there is no certain cause of disorder of written expression.
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There are different factors that could contribute to written expression disorder. Some of these factors include:
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prenatal, environmental, and intrinsic factors.
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Prenatal factors refer to
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potential toxins, infections, and/or nutritional deficits to a fetus.
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Intrinsic factors refers to
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neurobiology, biochemical, genetic, and other medical conditions.
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Empirically supported treatments
Some tests that might be helpful in diagnosing disorder of written expression include the |
Diagnostic Evaluation of Writing Skills (DEWS),
the Test of Early Written Language (TEWL), and the Test of Adolescent Language (TAL). |
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The MOST EFFECTIVE treatment approach for disorder of written expression is
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remedial education.
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Learning Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
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This category is for disorders in learning that do not meet the criteria for any specific learning disorder.
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This category might include problems in all three areas (reading, mathematics, or written expression) that alone or simultaneously significantly interfere with academic achievement
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even though intelligence levels on tests measuring each individual skill is not substantially below that expected given the person's chronological age, measured intelligence, and appropriate education.
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Associated features
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These features may include deficits in intelligence or genetic influences that make them the way they are.
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Arithmetic takes the most practice as compared to reading and writing,
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which are essential components to acquire the ability to effectively communicate in social environments.
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Arithmetic is the most complicated to learn as it involves comprehension of equations, words and even more symbols.
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Comprehension and replication of how to work out problems is key to learning the processes of some of the operations such as the addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication signs.
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Child vs. adult presentation
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There seems to be about the same presentation in children versus adults in overall status.
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Bullying
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becomes a major problem when children with learning disabilities and typically learning children are placed in the same environments without supervision.
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Learning disorders usually begin during childhood in their school years,
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because that is when they are most noticeable.
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Gender and cultural differences in presentation
There has been no significant studies that show gender preference for learning disabilities, however some research has shown that certain disorders, such as written expression, have higher rates when elevated levels of ______ are present in fetuses. |
tetosterone
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There has also been no significant studies that show that culture plays any role in weather or not an individual has a learning disability.
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However, minorities usually report a lower socioeconomic status, which could result in a higher prevalence of learning disabilities.
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This can be attributed to the
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lack of funding needed to provide better education, medical care (both physical and mental), poor nutritional states, and environmental factors such as location.
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Epidemiology
Overall, anywhere from 2-10% of children have a learning disorder. However, there is a lack of research involving learning disorders not otherwise specified. |
There are no estimates on how many children have this disorder.
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Etiology
Learning disorders must be differentiated from normal variations in achievement and distinguished from difficulties due to lack of opportunity, poor teaching, inadequate schooling, or psychosocial, cultural, or other factors. |
No one is certain of the causes of learning disorders, but they may be linked to genetic factors, environmental factors, or pregnancy complications.
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Empirically supported treatments
The most common and helpful treatment for all learning disorders is an |
individualized special education plan.
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individualized special education plan
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In other words, children are evaluated by a professional, a determination of a learning disorder is made, and a specific plan is constructed for their specific needs.
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Learning disorders can now be diagnosed in the presence of a _____________ as long as the learning deficit exceeds that associated with the other deficit or condition.
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sensory deficit or general medical (e.g., neurological) condition
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6. Common Types of Learning Disabilities
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dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, auditory and visual processing disorders, and non-verbal learning disabilites are a few common learning disabilities:
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Dyslexia is
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a common type of reading disorder.
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Dyslexia
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Current definition: neurobiological in origin and conceptualizing the reading disability as a specific type of disability rather than one of several general disabilities.
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Dyslexia
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Difficulties with accurate and fluent word recongition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities a result of phonological awareness deficit.
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Associated features include
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problems in reading comprehension and poor vocabulary development resulting in a lack of actual reading.
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In other words, people who exhibit dyslexia tend to spend more time
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working on the mechanincs of the letters and words than on the comprehension of the material.
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Dyslexia is considered a learning diasbility because
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it can make learning extremely difficult for individuals who are diagnosed with it.
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The severity of the learning disability also has an effect on the individual.
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If it is severe enough, special education may be recommended for the individual
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Neurological basis of the disorder has been confirmed through functional magnetic resonance brain imaging (also known as fMRI) and magnetoencephalography.
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The images indicate that the left hemisphere posterior brain system does not respond properly to reading.
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Many schools may use a model called __________ the to identify children with learning disabilites
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Response to Intervention (RTI)
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Response to Intervention (RTI)
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This model takes children who show a reading level below what they should be and given these children individual supplemental reading instruction.
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If the children's reading level does not improve as it should,
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a learning disability in reading may be identified as positive.
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If the individual does not go through the RTI evaluation,
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a formal evaluation is required.
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In a formal evaluation, assessments will be provided to the individual who
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is suspected of having the disability.
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If there is any indication that an individual has a learning disabilty,
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an individualized intervention plan would be put in place to accommodate the individual's unique learning needs
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When many people hear the term dyslexia, they think that means people with this disability 'read backwards.'
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This is not necessarily true.
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It is true that the letters may become jumbled to a dyslexic individual,
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because they may have difficulty remembering the sounds the letters make or forming memories of the words
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Prognosis
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Dyslexia is a life-long disorder.
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Treatment for individuals with dyslexia may
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help individuals learn to read and write as they normally should.
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It is important for teachers and tutors to introduce a _______ for individuals with dyslexia.
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multi-sensory learning method
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Immediate feedback
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It also helps if the student receives immediate feedback so they can develop word recognition skills.
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Dyscalculia
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is a mathematics disorder.
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Dyscalculia
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is a broad term for severe difficulties in math.
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Dyscalculia
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It includes all types of math problems ranging from the inability to understand the meaning of numbers to the inability to apply math principles to solve problems
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Dyscalculia
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this is a lifelong disorder as well.
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Since math disorders can be so different,
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the effects they have vary from individual to individual..
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In early childhood,
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children with dyscalculia may show issues in regards to making sense of the numbers, sorting objects by their physical appearances such as size, shape and color, or recognizing patterns. These children may also show some difficulties in learning to count and matching numbers as well
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School-aged children
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with dyscalculia may show difficulties when trying to solve basic math problems involving simple addition and subtraction.
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A weakness in the visual-spatial skills may also arise at this point.
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In this case, the child may know the math facts but experience difficulties in putting them down on paper and work them out
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For adolescents and adults
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who have not mastered the basic math skills, moving on to more difficult math problems can prove to be difficult for them. Language processing disorders canmake learning math difficult as well because the individual may not understand the math vocabulary presented to them
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Some sypmtoms of Dyscalculia may include but are not limited to:
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Frequent difficulties with arithmetic, confusing the signs: +, −, ÷, x
Difficulty with everyday tasks like checking change and reading analog clocks Often unable to grasp and remember mathematical concepts, rules, formulas, and sequences. An inability to read a sequence of numbers, or transposing them when repeated, such as turning 56 into 65. Difficulty keeping score during games |
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Diagnosis
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Acording to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, students who are evaluated for math disorders are usually interviewed about their range of math abilites. Tests may be given to the student to determine whether the students abilites are at the level in which they should be at while also noting specific strengths and weaknesses
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Treatment
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Treating dyscalulia requires the student to fully understand their own strengths and weaknesses in regards to the math disorder.
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Dysgraphia
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is a writing disorder
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Dysgraphia
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can be defined as a deficiency in the ability to write, regardless of the ability to read, and is not due to intellectual impairment.
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Dyspgraphia is a _______ and usually appears when a child first learns to write
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neurological disorder
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Early recognition of dysgraphia can help the individual by having them
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perform special exercises when writing to increase muscle strength and memories of what it feels like to write certain letters
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Teachers can help children with dygraphia by allowing the student to take tests by recording their answers into a
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voice recorder or typing out their answers on a typewriter or computer instead of writing it down on a piece of paper
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there are three subtypes of dysgraphia
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Dyslexic dysgraphia
Motor dysgraphia Spatial dysgraphia |
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Dyslexic dysgraphia
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when spontaneously written work is usually illegible while copied work is usually okay. Someone who presents dyslexic dysgraphia does not mean they also have dyslexia, although they are often found together.
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Motor dysgraphia
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usually linked to deficient fine motor skills. Most written work is usually illegible, even if it has been copied. Long periods of writing may be painful and the letters will get worse as the person continues to write. Spelling is not affected with motor dysgraphia.
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Spatial dysgraphia
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usually has idifficulties understanding the space available on the page. Again, written work, both spontaneous or copied is usually illegible.
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some sypmtoms of Dysgraphia include but are not limited to:
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a mixture of upper and lower case letters in a written work
pain in the hand and arm as well as muscle spasms irregular letter shapes and sizes within a written work |
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Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
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auditory processing disorder interupts the way in which the brain recognizes and interprets sounds.
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Children with APD often do not recognize the subtle differences in sounds,
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even though they may be loud and clear to another individual. Loud environments may cause these issues to become even worse
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It may appear that a child with APD can hear normally,
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but they may have problems using the sounds they hear for speech and language.
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APD can be associated with conditions such as
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dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, autism, autism spectrum disorder, specific language impairment, pervasive developmental disorder, or developmental delay
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Children with APD may have normal hearing and intelligence but can show any of the following symptoms
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issues in regards to paying attention and remembering information that has been presented orally
issues in regards to carrying out multi-phase directions appear to have poor listening skills require more time to process information academic performance may be lower than normal some behavior problems may be present language issues may also be present (the child may confuse certain syllables and have difficulties with learning vocabulary) |
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Prognosis
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An audiologic evaluation will be given to the child to determine the softest sounds the child is capable of hearing as well as other tests to show whether the child can recogize sounds and words in sentences
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Treatment
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Auditory trainers
Envionment modifications Exercises in language building skills Auditory memory enhancement |
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Auditory trainers
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allow the child or adult to focus on the information being presented by taking out any of the background noise that would otherwise be a distracter to the individual. An example of this would be a chile wearing a special headset in the classroom and the teacher using a sort of microphone connected to the headset so the child will hear only what the teacher has to say.
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Envionment modifications
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may also be suggested to aide those individuals with APD. Here, the acoustics in the room can be modified, or even something as simple and placing the individual in a different spot in the room.
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Exercises in language building skills
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Exercises in language building skills can be introduced to the child to help them improve their vocabulary.
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Auditory memory enhancement
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helps the child to look at the basic information presented and to put the extra details aside.
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Visual Processing Disorder
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These categories include
Visual discrimination Visual figure-ground discrimination Visual sequencing Visual motor processing visual memory Visual closure Spatial relationships |
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Visual discrimination
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is when the individual uses the sense of sight to notice and compare the features of different items to distinguish one item from another. An individual with difficultes in this category may have difficulties in regards to observing a difference between two similiar letters, objects or patterns
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Visual figure-ground discrimination
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involves discriminating the difference between a figure and its background. An individual having difficulties in this category may have problems finding a certain piece of information on a page full of words or numbers. They may also have difficulties seeing an image if there is a competing background
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Visual sequencing
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involves the ability to distinguish between symbols, words, and images. Individuals experiencing difficulites in this category may find themselves unable to stay in the correct spot while reading (skipping lines or re-reading the same line over and over again), have difficulties in regards to using a seperate answer sheet, reversing or misreading letters and words, and even understanding math equations
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Visual motor processing
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involves using feedback from the eyes to coordinate movement of other body parts. Individuals may show difficultes in regards to staying between the lines while writing (or coloring), copying from a board onto a piece of paper, moving around without bumping into things, and have issues in regards to playing sports that require timed and precise movements in space
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visual memory
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There are two types of visual memory in which individuals may have difficulties with.
The first one has to do with the ability to recall something that was seen a long time ago. The second one has to do with the ability to recall something that was seen recently. An individual may show difficulties in regards to remembering how to spell familiar words, remember phone numbers, reading comprehension, as well as typing on a keyboard or pad |
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Visual closure
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is the ability to know what an object is when only certain parts of that object are visible. An individual might show difficultes recognizing an object in a picture that is not represented as its whole self (for example, showing a picture of a truck with no wheels), identifying a word with a letter missing, and recognizing a face when just one feature (such as the nose) is missing
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Spatial relationships
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is the ability to identify an object in space and relate it to oneself. An understanding of space is required in this category. An individual who may show difficulties in regards to getting from one place to another, spacing of words and letters on a page, judging time, and reading maps
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7. Other Helpful Information on Learning Disabilites
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Some facts the WETA gives on learning disabilites are as follows
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Some facts the WETA gives on learning disabilites are as follows
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- about 15% of the US population has been diagnosed with some type of learning disability
- the most common type of learning disability is a reading disorder - a genetic link has been discovered in learning disabilites - individuals who have been diagnosed with autism, mental retardation, deafness, blindness, or behavioral disorders do not neccessiarily have a learning disability - individuals who have been diagnosed with ADHD do not always have a learning disability; however, they are often comorbid with one another |
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there are some variations in ________ that are related to some reading disabilites.
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brain development
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Some learning disabilities can be traced back to _________ such as fetal alcohol and cocaine exposure and possible maternal cigerette smoking.
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prenatal dispositions
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Preschool aged children
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the child learns to speak later than normal.
the child's fine motor skills are be slow to develop the child has difficulty in the pronunciation of words the child has a slow vocabulary growth and often has a difficult time finding the right words the child shows difficulty in learning numbers, patterns, days of the week, and the alphabet the child is extremely restless the child becomes easily distracted the child shows difficulties when interacting with peers the child has trouble following directions or even a routine that is set in place |
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School-aged children, grades Pre-K through 4
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the child shows difficulty connecting letters to their sounds
the child shows confusion in basic words such as eat, want, play... the child consistently makes reading and spelling errors, including letter reversals (b to d or vice versa), inverting letters (m/w), transpositions (left/felt) and substitutions (house/home). The child may also transpose number sequences as well as words. the child is slow to recall facts the child is slow to learn new skills and may depend greatly on memorization the child is impulsive and have problems when it comes to planning the child holds their writing utensil in an unstable way the child shows problems when it comes to learn about time the child shows poor coordination, often unaware of their surroundings, and may also come across as 'clumsy' |
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School-aged children, grades 5-8
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the child reverses letter sequences, such as soiled/soild and left/felt
the child has difficultly learning the prefixes and suffixes of a word as well as the root word the child avoids reading aloud when given the opportunity to choose the child shows difficulty with word problems the child's handwriting may be poor the child exhibits an awkward way while holding a writing utensil the child avoids writing assignments all together the child is slow to recall facts the child has some problems in regards to making friends the child has difficulty understanding body language and facial expressions |
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High school students through adulthood
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the individual continues to have issues in regards to spelling
the individual avoids reading and writing tasks all together the individual shows some difficulties when summarizing the individual has problems in regard to answering open-ending questions the individual has weak memory recall the individual works slowly the individual shows difficulties adjusting to newer settings the invididual has difficulty understanding abstract concepts the individual has issues directing their attention correctly. For example, they may give too much attention to certain details or they might show too little attention to details the individual misreads information |
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It is important to know that having a learning disability does not necessary decrease one's self-esteem, but rather the characteristics that some individuals with learning disabilies exhibit may affect their
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self-esteem.
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Some of these characteristics may include:
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communication style and social awareness:
self knowledge language self-perceived social status Self-perceived ability to affect change |
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communication style and social awareness
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the individual may not be able to understand clues as to when it is appropriate to participate or not, as well as not understanding how their own behavior can affect others
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self knowledge
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individuals may have issues understanding their own strengths and weaknesses as well as evaluating whether their behavior is appropriate in social situations.
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language
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individuals may have issues in regards to expressing their thoughts in a verbal manner
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self-perceived social status
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they have have issues in regards to understanding how they fit in in a group of people. This may cause the individual to become passive and withdraw from social situations, fearing that they will stick out in the crowd.
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Self-perceived ability to affect change
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the individual may believe that they have no control over their own successes and that luck or fate is responsible for the outcome of sitations rather than their own actions
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parents can help children with learning disabilities by doing some of the following
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being empathetic to the child (seeing the world through their eyes)
communicate with respect--be sure not to interrupt them when they are talking and be sure to answer their questions give undivided attention to the child accept and love the child for who they are give the child a chance to contribute--this lets the child know that you trust them and also give them a sense of responsibility treat mistakes as learning experiences emphasize their strengths and help give them a sense of accomplisment allow the child to solve problems and make decisions discipline to teach and do not try to intimidate the child |
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8. Learning Disabilities in Adults
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learning disabilites are usually diagnosed during childhood, adults live and stuggle with learning disabilites as well since there is no cure for them
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paper "Adults with Learning Disabilities: A Call to Action,"
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which addresses facts about learning disabilities across the lifespan
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facts from the paper are still true for adults with learning disabilities
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Learning disabilities are both persistent and pervasive across the life span.
Also, the manifestations of a learning disability may change across the individuals life span. There is a lack of research concerning learning disabilities with adults. As a result, there has been misuse and misinterpretation in regards to adult with learning disabilities because the assessments in which the adult goes through are usually meant for younger children. Older adolescents and adults do not have access or are denied proper education in both the academic settings and the work place to achieve development in certain adult abilities and skills . Professionals are not usually trained in helping adults with learning disabilites. Employers do not have the awareness, knowledge of, or sensitivity to address the needs of adults with learning disabilites. Adults with learning disabilities may experience personal, social, and emotional difficulties that may affect their adapation to certain life skills. There is little advo |
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Students with learning disabilities face challenges in regards to the realistic options that are available to them.
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assortment of options available to them to include attending a 2-year community college, a 4-year university, a vocational training program, or an apprenticeship.
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About ____ of students with a learning disability drop out of school without receiving a high school diploma.
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39%
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Only ____, compared to the 53% of students who do not have a learning disability, will attend some form of continued education after graduating high school.
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13%
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Diagnosis
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If an adult suspects that they might have a learning disability but has never been diagnosed or tested for one, then that adult can find assistance by having some sort of assessment done by a qualified professional
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There are usually three stages to the assessment:
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evaluation, diagnosis, and recommendations.
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The evaluation includes
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a screening and should obtain all relevant information about the individual in question.
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The diagnosis is
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a statement on the specific learning disability in which the indiviudal may have.
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The recommendations should be focused in regard to the
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individuals employment, education, and daily living
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