Specific Learning Disabilities

Specific LD’s

Common Specific Learning Disabilities Dyscalculia Dysgraphia Dyslexia Language Processing Disorder Memory/Recall Disabilities

How many of you are learning of these specific disabilities for the first time? Does anyone feel they have a good understanding of what constitutes one or more of these specific learning disabilities?

Specific Learning Disabilities ARE Disabilities that impact a student’s ability to receive, retain, recall and/or understand information Extremely limiting to academic achievement if left unaccounted/accommodated for Varied in the ways they manifest themselves, and the level of impact they have on a given individual Potentially harmful to the healthy development of one’s self- esteem Among the most common causes for student enrollment in special education programs/access to special education resources

Specific Learning Disabilities ARE NOT Indicative of a person’s intelligence The result of economic, environmental, or cultural factors The same thing as intellectual disabilities, vision and/or hearing impairments, conditions found on the autism spectrum, or cases of emotional/behavioral disturbances

Let’s all try something together….

Complete this first activity without writing anything down except for your final answer.

Problems broken down Problem one: 8 x 2 = = x 10 = 71 – 8 = 63 Problem two: 4 x 6 = = x 10 = 102 – 4 = 98 Problem three: 3 x 5 = = x 10 = 96 – 3 = 93

How’d it go? What are your thoughts having completed this activity, regarding it’s level of difficulty? What kind of specific learning disability may this have been representative of?

Dyscalculia A specific learning disability that affects a person’s ability to understand numbers and learn math facts. Individuals with this type of LD may also have poor comprehension of math symbols, may struggle with memorizing and organizing numbers, have difficulty telling time, or have trouble with counting. Source:

Activity 2 Read the passage, and create a brief 3-4 sentence summary of its content.

How’d it go? What specific learning disability may this activity been representative of? Did you notice whether or not some of the people around you seemed to be struggling, or conversely having an easier time than you? If so, how did this make you feel? If you were struggling did noticing others complete the task with ease impact your ability to preform/concentrate?

Dyslexia A specific learning disability that affects reading and related language-based processing skills. The severity can differ in each individual but can affect reading fluency, decoding, reading comprehension, recall, writing, spelling, and sometimes speech and can exist along with other related disorders. Dyslexia is sometimes referred to as a Language-Based Learning Disability. Source:

What number 1’s saw We begin our trip at a familiar place, a body like yours and mine. It contains a hundred trillion cells that work together by design. And within each one of these many cells, each one that has DNA, The DNA code is exactly the same, a mass-produced resume. So the code in each cell is identical, a remarkable but valid claim. This means that the cells are nearly alike, but not exactly the same. Take, for instance, the cells of the intestines; that they're vital is certainly plain. Now think about the way you would think if those cells were the cells in your brain. (Excerpt from "Journey into DNA" on the "Cracking the Code" Web site, NOVA Online.)

What number 2’s and 3’s saw We pegin our qrib eq a faziliar blace, a poqy like yours enq zine. Iq conqains a hunqraq qrillion calls qheq work qogaqhys py qasign. Enq wiqhin each one of qhese zany calls, each one qheq hes QNA, Qhe QNA coqe is axecqly qhe saze, a zess-broquceq rasuze. So qhe coqe in each call is iqanqical, a razarkaple puq veliq claiz. Qhis zeans qheq qhe calls are nearly alike, puq noq axecqly qhe saze. Qake, for insqence, qhe calls of qhe inqasqines; qheq qhey're viqal is cysqainly blain. Now qhink apouq qhe way you woulq qhink if qhose calls wyse qhe calls in your prain.

What was going on? Q = D or T Z = M P =B B =P YS = ER A, as in bat = E, as in pet E, as in pet = A, as in bat

Activity 3 Those of you with camera phones, take them out, switch the camera function to enable the front facing camera, hold the phone on your forehead, and face someone in your group, like you are going to take their picture in the least convenient way possible. Those not holding a phone, facing the person with the phone, fold a sheet of paper in half and hold it to your forehead. You should now see yourself in the person’s phone holding the paper to your forehead. Those with the paper, using the phone as your mirror, write any multiple letter word that you’d like.

How’d it go? What kind of learning disability may this activity have been representative of? How was the level of difficulty?

Dysgraphia A specific learning disability that affects a person’s handwriting ability and fine motor skills. Problems may include illegible handwriting, inconsistent spacing, poor spatial planning on paper, poor spelling, and difficulty composing writing as well as thinking and writing at the same time. Source:

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Matt’s Story School has been and still is something that I dread profusely. Going to school has been like climbing up a tremendous, rocky mountain with steep cliffs and jagged, slippery rocks. This mountain is very grey and always covered in dark, murky, cold clouds. I step forth to take on this task of climbing this huge mountain. Each step is a battle against strong, howling, icy winds. The winds contain frigid rain that slams against my body, trying to push me down. I keep battling my way up. Sometimes I am knocked down, and sometimes I have to stop to regain my strength. My body is numb. My hands shake like leaves in the wind as I claw myself up the mountainside. Not being able to open my eyes, I blindly claw myself up the steep cliff. I stop because I am in such great pain. I look up and see that my struggle has hardly begun. Sometimes I just do not want to go on any further. --Matt, Grade 9, Boston, MA, October 2003 Source: LD Online KidZone Magazine,

Educational Responses In your groups discuss possible strategies you could implement as a teacher to make your respective activity/subject accessible to learners with a specific learning disability. Group 1: Mathematics/Science (number/process focused activities) Group 2: Reading and synthesizing/interpreting/comprehension Group 3: Writing, organizing thoughts on paper, etc.

What did you come up with? What were some of the strategies you came up with to make these activities/subjects more accessible? Are any of these strategies/methods present in the educational settings you have, or are currently working in?

THE END