1. Learning Disabilities in the Classroom

2. “Life is not so much a matter of holding good cards but of playing a poor hand well”
Robert Louis Stevenson

3. The term learning disabilities refers to a neurobiological disorder in one or more of the basic processes involved in understanding spoken or written language. It may influence an individual’s ability to speak, listen, read, write spell, reason, organize information or do mathematical calculations.

4. Reading Disability (Dyslexia) Math (Dyscalculia) Nonverbal Learning
Written
Expression
Disorder
(Dysgraphia)
Math
(Dyscalculia)
Nonverbal
Learning
Difficulties
Spelling
Handwriting
Visual-Spatial
& Social
Writing

5. Skill Areas That May Be Affected By Learning Disabilities
Receptive & Expressive Language
Auditory/Phonological Processing
Visual-Motor Processing
Visual Processing
Attention / Concentration
Memory
Metacognition
Organizational/Study Skills
Social Skills

6. Disorders of Attention
Does not focus when a lesson is presented; short attention span, easily distracted, poor concentration; may display hyperactivity

7. Psychological Processing Deficits
Problems in processing auditory or visual information
(difficulty interpreting visual or auditory stimuli)

8. Oral Language Difficulties
Underlying language disorders; problems in language development, listening, speaking, and vocabulary

9. Lacks Phonological Awareness
Poor at recognizing sounds of language; cannot identify phoneme sounds in spoken language, and cannot manipulate these sounds

10. Poor Cognitive Strategies for Learning
Does not know how to go about the task of learning and studying; lacks organizational skills; passive learning style, does not direct his own learning

11. Poor Motor Abilities
Difficulty with gross motor abilities and fine motor coordination
(exhibits general awkwardness and clumsiness)

12. Poor in tasks requiring written expression, spelling, and handwriting
Writing Difficulties
Poor in tasks requiring written expression, spelling, and handwriting

13. Social Skills
Does not know how to act and talk in social situations; difficulty with establishing satisfying social relationships and friendships

14. Mathematics
Difficulty with quantitative thinking, arithmetic, time, space, and calculation facts

15. Reading Difficulties
About 80% of students with learning disabilities have disabilities in reading; problems in learning to decode words, basic word recognition skills, or reading comprehension

16. How to Play a Poor Hand Well?
If provided with the right support, a teacher of a student with learning disabilities can help the student succeed in school by both fostering the student’s strengths and recognizing his weaknesses