1 Learning disabilities

2 Spaghetti test!
3 What it is not
Learning disability is not mental retardation. Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Walt Disney and
Mickey Mantle all manifested learning disabilities. Each at one time or another was labeled a failure because of specific
deficits in language or mathematical processes. Each had a discrepancy between estimated intellectual potential and
actual academic achievement. Claudine Sherrill
4 Definition
(as defined by IDEA legislation)
A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language,
spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or
do mathematical calculations. Conditions such as dyslexia (a severe reading disorder) and aphasia (impairment of the
ability to communicate, such as writing) are included in this definition.
http://www.kidsource.com/NICHCY/learning_disabilities.html
In schools, students are diagnosed with a learning disability when there is a significant discrepancy between their IQ
and performance on achievement tests.
http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/teachers/understanding/adhd.asp
5 Communication
breakdown
Impaired ability to process information
Breakdown in the information input and retrieval system
6 Learning disabilities
may occur in the
following academic
areas:
Spoken language: Delays, disorders, or discrepancies in listening and speaking
Written language: Difficulties with reading, writing, and spelling
Arithmetic: Difficulty in performing arithmetic functions or in comprehending basic concepts http://www.ncld.org/
learning-disability-resources/videos/video-what-is-dyscalculia
Arithmetic: Difficulty in performing arithmetic functions or in comprehending basic concepts http://www.ncld.org/
learning-disability-resources/videos/video-what-is-dyscalculia
Reasoning: Difficulty in organizing and integrating thoughts
Organization skills: Difficulty in organizing all facets of learning
http://www.kidsource.com/NICHCY/learning_disabilities.html
7 Federal Law
According to the law, learning disabilities do not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual,
hearing, or motor disabilities; mental retardation, cultural, or economic disadvantage. Definitions of learning
disabilities also vary among states (www.kidsource.com ).
8 Prevalence
In 2010, 5 million children 317 years of age (8%) had a learning disability; 9% of boys had a learning disability
compared with 6% of girls. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_250.pdf
Very little reliable data on prevalence within adult population
Four and one-half million children 317 years of age (7%) had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Boys
were more than twice as likely as girls to have ADHD (11% and 4%).
In families with an income of less than $20,000, the percentage of children with a learning disability was twice that of
children in families with an income of $75,000 or more (12% and 6%).
9 Learning disabilities
in colleges and
universities
Roughly 2% of the college population or 2/100 are currently asking for accommodation
Not under IDEA legislation, but Section 504 and ADA legislation
Equal access and equal opportunity
Controversy regarding reasonable accommodation
10 Is ADHD a learning
disability?
ADHD is not considered to be a learning disability. It can be determined to be a disability under the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), making a student eligible to receive special education services. However, ADHD
falls under the category Other Health Impaired and not under Specific Learning Disabilities.
Many children with ADHD approximately 20 to 30 percent also have a specific learning disability. http://
www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/teachers/understanding/adhd.asp
11 Characteristics of
ADHD
Many children with ADHD approximately 20 to 30 percent also have a specific learning disability. http://
www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/teachers/understanding/adhd.asp
11 Characteristics of
ADHD
Impulsivity: difficulty waiting for turn, talks without thinking beforehand
Inattention: difficulty in following directions, problems paying attention to detail, difficulty sustaining attention
Hyperactivity: fidgets, squirms in seat and leaves at inappropriate times, abundance of energy
12 LEARNING
DISABILITIES AND
THE JUVENILE
SYSTEM
Some studies suggest that up to 36 percent of youth in correctional facilities have specific learning disabilities
(Rutherford 2002).
Between 20 to 50 percent of incarcerated youth are estimated to have ADHD (Rutherford 2002).
Information retrieved from http://www.ldaofmichigan.org/articles/ld.jj.htm / article by Hume
13 Etiology, cont.
...causes of learning disabilities may be as diverse as the types of learning disabilities. http://www.naset.org/
2535.0.html
Any factor causing dysfunction in one or more of the areas of the brain responsible for processing information. These
include
Genetic factors
Neurological factors
Environmental stimulus
14 Soft signs related
to social
adjustments
sometimes
accompany learning
disorders
These are dysfunctions that cannot be substantiated through technology (EEG)
Some or all may apply to individuals with LD
14 Soft signs related
to social
adjustments
sometimes
accompany learning
disorders
These are dysfunctions that cannot be substantiated through technology (EEG)
Some or all may apply to individuals with LD
-social imperception: inability to recognize meaning and significance of behavior of others
-conceptual rigidity: inability to shift, be flexible or accept alternative ways of doing things
-perseveration: the persistence of a repetitive behavior after it is needed OR...
15 Perseveration
Stop kicking a dead horse!
16 Social adjustment
Two schools of thought:
Social deficits are the result of the same etiology that cause information processing problems.
Caused by chronic failures in the school environment that can lead to social adjustment issues.
17 Perceptual motor
differences
Immature body perception (difficulty telling right from left)
Poor spatial orientation (discrimination of shapes, depth perception
Motor proficiency (balance, coordination, overflow movements)