1. Students with Learning Disabilities
Chapter 4

2. What is the History of Learning Disabilities?
Foundational Phase ( )
Transition Phase ( )
Integration Phase ( )
Term “learning disability” coined
Current Phase (1974-present)
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

3. What is the IDEA 04 Definition of Learning Disabilities
What is the IDEA 04 Definition of Learning Disabilities? (continued on the next slide)
Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

4. What is the IDEA 04 Definition of Learning Disabilities? (continued)
Specific learning disability does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

5. How Do the IDEA04 and NJCLD Definitions of Learning Disabilities Compare?
Similarities to IDEA 04 Definition
Both define learning disabilities as involving deficits in a number of academic and cognitive areas.
Differences from IDEA 04 Definition
NJCLD definition eliminated psychological processing deficit requirement.
Redefined exclusion aspect of IDEA 04 definition stating that a learning disability cannot be the result of other disabilities or extrinsic factors, but that they can coexist.
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

6. What is the Prevalence of Learning Disabilities?
5.24% of students 6-17 received services for learning disabilities in 2005.
Largest area of IDEA 04 disability - 45% of all served under IDEA 04 have a learning disability.
Three to four times more boys receive services for learning disabilities than girls.
African Americans are underrepresented in this category (and over-represented in the intellectual disabilities category).
Prevalence by state varies.
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

7. What are Causes and Possible Characteristics of Learning Disabilities?
No known cause
Possible causes:
Neurological
Genetic
Environmental
Prenatal
Perinatal
Postnatal
Characteristics
Hyperactivity
Perceptual-motor impairments
Emotional Lability
Coordination deficits
Attention disorders
Impulsivity
Memory & thinking disorders
Specific learning disabilities
Speech & hearing disorders
Equivocal neurological signs
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

8. What are Some Common Academic Deficits?
Reading
Phonological awareness, vocabulary, comprehension
Mathematics
Calculation, math facts and concepts, problem-solving, word problems, math anxiety
Writing and Written Expression
Handwriting, spelling, written expression
Expressive and Receptive Language
Speaking, listening, understanding, following directions
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

9. Effects of Word Substitutions on Reading Comprehension (Figure 4.2)
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

10. Writing Sample Showing Several Problems (Figure 4.3)
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

11. What Other Deficits Should Be Considered?
Cognitive-Related Characteristics
Attention, memory, strategy use, metacognition
Social and Emotional Characteristics
Social skills deficits, learned helplessness, low self-concept, anxiety
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

12. How are Students with Learning Disabilities Identified?
Response to Intervention
Three-tier model to identify students who might have a learning disability
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

13. Three-tiered Response to Intervention Model (Figure 4.5)
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

14. What is the Severe Discrepancy Formula?
Severe discrepancy between intelligence and achievement to identify individuals with learning disabilities*
Example:
IQ = 90 or above and
Significant deficit in Achievement Score (in reading, math, spelling, handwriting, listening, speaking, etc.)
*Not required by IDEA 04
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

15. What Do I Teach Students with Learning Disabilities?
Knowledge
Declarative knowledge – facts
Procedural knowledge – how to learn
Conditional knowledge – when and why
Reading
Phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension
Written language
Prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, final draft
Mathematics
Problem solving, computation, self-regulation, strategy use
Study Skills
Listening, note taking, time management, comprehension, test taking, memory strategies, textbook usage
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

16. How Do I Teach Students with Learning Disabilities?
Task Analysis
Breaking a task down into simpler components to be taught in sequence
Direct Instruction
Daily review, presentation, guided practice, independent practice, and weekly and monthly reviews
Strategies Instruction
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

17. What is Strategies Instruction?
Cognitive Strategies
Deliberate, planned activities used to acquire information or knowledge
Example: mnemonics, acronyms, acrostics, keyword methods
Metacognitive Strategies
Self-regulatory strategies to plan, monitor and check outcomes
Mnemonics
Devices, like rhymes or songs, to help remember information
Attribution Retraining
Teaching students to attribute success to using effective strategies
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

18. What Procedures can be Effective with English Language Learners?
Using visuals
Implementing cooperative learning
Setting up peer tutors
Allowing use of the native language to organize thoughts
Providing sufficient time to use language
Focusing on vocabulary to teach concepts
Providing multi-sensory teaching
Using supplementary materials
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

19. What are Considerations for the Instructional Environment?
Physical arrangements
One-to-one instruction
Instructional grouping
Small group, whole class, peer tutoring
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

20. What Types of Instructional Technology can be Effective?
Word processing
Speech recognition
Digital voice recorders
Computer programs
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

21. What are Some Considerations for the General Education Teacher?
Consider Using
Accommodations
Adaptations
Parallel outcomes
An overlapping curriculum
Collaborate
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

22. Accommodations vs. Adaptations
Changes based on student’s needs in how information is presented by the teacher or how understanding is demonstrated
Levels the playing field for the student
Adaptations
Changes the methods, materials, or concepts being taught based on the student’s needs
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students

23. Summary
Though there is no known cause of learning disabilities, there are many techniques and strategies that teachers can use to help students identified with learning disabilities acquire knowledge and skills and to experience success.
Taylor/Smiley/Richards, Exceptional Students