“Early Detection of Learning Disabilities – The Situation Today”. Lalitha Ramanujan Alpha to Omega Learning Centre 1

Early Intervention benefits : The child The family The society 2

Some children differ in their pattern of development in Language Thinking skills Social skills Behaviors and motor abilities These later often fall under the “ at risk or high risk category”. 3

Prevention is better than cure Who & Why? A percentage who do not receive adequate stimulation or find learning to accomplish daily life activities or pre-skills for academics, difficult. 4

Issues in identification Individuals differ in their developmental patterns. Help or not help the at risk child. Labeling has more disadvantages than advantages. The biological and environmental factors that influence the development. 5

Areas Pre academic readiness Intelligence Language Perceptual Motor Social-emotional Physical-sensory 6

The focus is on what is, not there in the child’s content and also improve his cognitive function. The aim is to create a foundation for further learning and develop cognitive, social, and specific skills that are prerequisites for school work. 7

“At risk or high risk category” often land as learning disabled in higher grades in school. 8

“Prevention is better than cure”. The question is if the detection is early, is the cure cent percent? Why should we have early intervention? 9

Skills needed to rule out LD. Basic concepts Adaptive behaviors for daily living Primary cognitive behaviors 10

Basic concepts Color Shape Size Orientation in space and related concepts Number and quantity Time Cause and effect relationships Feelings and moods The human body 11

Adaptive behaviours for daily living Motor skills Dressing Personal grooming and physical self-care Eating and table manners Independence and helping in-home activities General knowledge about the immediately experienced world 12

Primary cognitive behaviours Attending to stimuli Focusing Imitative behavior Symbolic play Question and answer responses Initiatory\adaptive play. 13

The four stages of emerging cognitive function – Prof. Reuven Feuerstein 1. Lack of function 2. Function is there – but not expressed, 3. The child has the function but it is expressed in a deficit manner-emerging 4. Function present – he can remember – but fragile when complexity increases and varies day to day. 14

Early Intervention benefits are Improves intelligence Brings in developmental enhancement in physical, cognitive, language, social and self esteem Prevents secondary learning problems Removes family stress and anxiety Creates an enriched environment to promote independency and self concept. 15

The current need of the day The young child should be placed in the natural setting to be with his peers. Individualized teaching plan to meet the needs of the child Assessment should be carried out informally and in the natural environments 16

The Need Have child initiated activities. Ample opportunities to know about the child’s interest, motivation and his preference for activities. 17

Our focus - to reduce the gap Activities to enhance Motor development – gross and fine motor, body activities Auditory processing – listening to sounds, auditory discrimination, memory Visual processing – perception, memory Tactile processing 18

Teach the parent the skills to prevent any gaps in development. Train the mediating adult the skills to enhance cognitive skills. 19

Perceptual Modality - shows that all of us have different ways to learn. “If they cannot learn the way we teach, can we teach the way they learn?” Kathleen Hickey 20

The mediation is the one that helps to develop the flexibility and plasticity for adaptation to change. 21

What makes the innate and acquired schemata flexible, plastic and modifiable? It is the human environment interaction. The answer is Mediated Learning Experience 22

The mediator’s role --- select organize set a schedule be aware of when and in what amount to change the frequency, saliency and amplitude. 23

The mediator’s goal Focus attention Make transcendence Activate and enhance prior knowledge Bring in a cognitive change 24

Mediated Learning Experience is the vitamin for cognitive development. 25

Who will benefit? 1.Children or those who need to develop or improve in the basic content and concepts to function effectively in their learning environment. 2.Prevent or overcome at risk factors 3.Establish those functions which the child missed due to lack of appropriate mediation. 26

Targets Learners who need development and or acceleration Prevent dysfunction or any delay Restore or establish functions that are not acquired at the right time. 27

Current trend --- LD is on a rampage in recognition. The cause can be exogenous – environment or endogenous – with the child. 28

Didactic Cog. Map 29

It can also be due to: Culture Societal values on intelligence and its functions Acceptance by parents Commitment Parents role in mediation 30

Causes Child lacks exposure from family and culture Result from psychological or and emotional disturbance The effect of the above inadequacies could be: ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINANTS 31

Immigration. Poverty Ideology Parent child relationship— 32

Endogenous condition Autism \ ASD Constitutional factors – hypo or hyper Down syndrome Emotional disorders 33

MLE is open – age, stage of development should not be an issue. 34

Rich get rich Poor get poorer Belief - modifiability Restricted environment 35

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