Nicole Aune 12/1/09

A learning disability (LD) is a neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to receive process, store and respond to information. The term learning disability is used to describe the seeming unexplained difficulty a person of at least average intelligence has in acquiring basic academic skills (Rief, 1997).

Learning disabilities fall into two major types, plus another miscellaneous category. Speech and language disorders Academic skills disorders  Difficulty producing speech sounds  Difficulty using spoken language to communicate  Difficulty understanding what other people say Reading problems Writing problems Arithmetic skills problems Miscellaneous learning disabilities Fine motor skills problems Nonverbal Learning Disorder

*According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD): Currently, almost 2.9 million school-aged children in the US are classified as having specific learning disabilities (SLD) and receive some kind of special education support. *They are approximately 5% of all school-aged children in public schools. * Boys outnumber girls 3 to 1.

A learning disability is not a disease, so there is no cure, but there are ways to overcome the challenges it poses through identification and accommodation.

Provide Cognitive training which involves a group of training procedures designed to change thoughts or thought patterns (Hallahan, Kauffman, & Pullen, 2009).  Self instruction  Self monitoring  Scaffold instruction  Reciprocal teaching Educational Considerations Classroom Structure

Educational Considerations Provide content enhancement which is modifying the curriculum materials to make them more salient or prominent (Hallahan, Kauffman, & Pullen, 2009).  Graphic organizers  Mnemonics  Direct instruction-emphasize drill and practice  Task analysis-procedure of breaking down academic tasks into components Classroom Structure:

Educational Considerations One way teachers can help their students with LD is to create a well-managed, structured classroom environment. Classroom Management

 Get students attention *Varying your voice *Signal students auditorily *Use visual signals *Use eye contact *Model excitement and enthusiasm about the upcoming lesson  Focus students attention *Call students up front and close to you *Position all students so that they can see the board and/or overhead screen *Use visuals *Employ multisensory strategies when directions are given and a lesson is presented *Maintain your visibility

 Maintain Students Attention * Teach thematically whenever possible * Be prepared and avoid lag time in instruction * Use pictures, diagrams, gestures, manipulatives, and high interest materials * Alter the way students are called on to avoid calling on students one at a time  Keep Students on Task * Check for clarity * Make sure necessary supplies are available * Study buddies or partners may be assigned for any clarification purposes * Give positive comments with high frequency, praising students specifically whom you observe to be on-task. * Teach students to self-monitor their own on-task behavior Check list accessed from:

IEP Requirements By law, the IEP must include certain information about the child and the educational program designed to meet his or her unique needs. Current performance Annual goals Special education and related services Participation with nondisabled children Participation in state and district-wide tests Dates and places Measuring progress

Assessment of Progress *Curriculum based measurements (CBM) -Brief samplings of academic performance to see if student is making progress toward a specified goal. * Standardized achievement assessments -Used to determine discrepancies between achievement and ability -Used to document student outcomes *Progress monitoring -measures performance, if student isn’t performing you can make changes to the instruction Hallahan, Kauffman, & Pullen, 2009

References Hallahan, D.P., Kauffman, J.M., & Pullen, P.C. (2009). Exceptional learners. Boston, MA: Pearson. Rief, S.F. (1997). Checklist for teachers. Retrieved from (2009, November 30). A Guide to the individualized education program. Retrieved from