Awareness

What could you do to assist students with Learning Disabilities?

Help students with Learning Disabilities by:

Offering a clear and detailed statement on syllabus inviting collaboration (basically, provide students with necessary accommodations in the classroom to ensure academic success)-

● extended test time

● common set of class notes (either student generated or teacher generated)

● extra review sessions before exams

● extra credit for sessions with tutors, attendance at extracurricular, co-curricular events.

Try to build a respectful, collaborative relationship with the student that is struggling with obstacles due to their learning disability.

Communicate and listen to the student with learning disabilities. Find out how they were able to succeed in other courses, but be ready for an incomplete answer; they may not be the experts we hope they will be in this collaboration, and we have to manage a very delicate communication process and be open to experimentation.

Offer the student advice: for example, how might similar strategies or technologies enable success in the foreign language classroom?

Enable autonomy: help students with learning disabilities form their own connections with others in the school.

Berber, T. E. (n.d.).Strategies for Helping Students with Learning Disabilities. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from http://www.miusa.org/ncde/spotlight/outline2.

Community Resources

Resources in the City of Boston for Students with Learning Disabilities

Department of Education - Special Education - Ages 3 - 21

States' departments of education oversee disability education services to children. It monitors school districts for compliance with IDEA and state special education regulations. The Department of Education handles formal complaints, due process hearings, and mediation on special education issues. 

Special Education Planning and Policy Development Office
Department of Education
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148-5023
Telephone: (781)338-3000, (781)338-3388

Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers with Disabilities

Services to children with disabilities include instruction, speech, physical, and occupational therapies. 

Birth - 2:
Division for Perinatal, Early Childhood and Special Health Needs
Department of Public Health
250 Washington Street, 4th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
Telephone: (617)624-5901
Toll Free: (800)905-8437 (Early Intervention Programs)
 

Programs for Children with Disabilities: Ages 3 - 5
Early Education and Care
51 Sleeper Street
Boston, MA 02210
Telephone: (617)988-6600
State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
Vocational rehabilitation services help people with disabilities live independent lives with education, support, and employment assistance. The department works with middle schools, high schools, and higher education to help students with disabilities access appropriate supports for employment and independence such as job coaching, teaching skills, support in job placement, assistive and adaptive supports, and more. 

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
Fort Point Place
27 Wormwood Street
Boston, MA 02210-1616
Toll Free Telephone: (800)245-6543 (Inside Massachusetts)
Telephone: (617)204-3600
State mental health agencies provide services to individuals and families dealing with mental illness, mental retardation, and substance abuse. Services include advocacy, nursing home screening, psychiatric services, intervention, coordination of treatment, case management, and more. 

Department of Mental Health
25 Staniford Street
Boston, MA 02114
Telephone: (617)626-8123
Disability Advocacy Services
Protection and advocacy offices offer information and referrals relating to disability issues, a resource database for self-advocacy, education and training in disability rights, and individual case advocacy. 

Protection and Advocacy Agency
Disability Law Center, Inc.
11 Beacon Street, Suite 925
Boston, MA 02108
Toll Free Telephone: (800)872-9992 (Voice Line) Telephone: (617)723-8455 Toll Free TTY Line: (800)381-0577 TTY Line: (617)227-9464

Lodgson, A. (n.d.).Massachusetts - Where to Find State Disability Assistance in Massachusetts. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/mp/tp/Massachusetts_Disability_help.htm.

Learning Strategies

Which are effective learning strategies to help students with Learning Disabilities complete and understand homework assignments?

It can be  a challenge for students with learning disabilities to successfully accomplish their homework assignments on their own. Therefore, here are several tips that will help students with learning disabilities complete and understand homework assignments effectively.

1. Create an appropriate study area-  Ensure that the child's study area is free of distractions that include television, noise, clutter, and siblings; make sure the child has easy access to school supplies.
2. Collect resource and reference materials- Ask your child's teacher to provide extra materials that the child uses on a daily basis in school. This is known to increase the effectiveness of studying. 
3. Consider the use of CD-ROM reference materials versus the internet- Often dial-up connection can be painstakingly slow, and can be frustrating for students with learning disabilities. 

These suggestions may promote the effectiveness of studying and doing homework for students with learning disabilities, who typically struggle with lack of organization. These strategies can help prevent all-night homework sessions, and potential stress. We need to try and help children with learning disabilities to ensure their early success in their academic endeavors.  

Logsdon, A. (n.d.). About.com: Learning Disabilities. Retrieved April 20, 

2009, from http://learningdisabilities.about.com/od/resourcesresearch/tp/homeworkhelps.htm.

Teaching Strategies

Presentation of Teaching Strategies to Implement in the Classroom to Assist Students with Learning Disabilities

• "Always ask questions in a clarifying manner, then have the students with learning disabilities describe his or her understanding of the questions.
  
• Use an overhead projector with an outline of the lesson or unit of the day.
  
• Reduce course load for student with learning disabilities.
  
• Provide clear photocopies of your notes and overhead transparencies, if the student benefits from such strategies.
  
• Provide students with chapter outlines or study guides that cue them to key points in their readings.
  
• Provide a detailed course syllabus before class begins.
  
• Ask questions in a way that helps the student gain confidence.
  
• Keep oral instructions logical and concise. Reinforce them with a brief cue words.
  
• Repeat or re-word complicated directions.
  
• Frequently verbalize what is being written on the chalkboard.
  
• Eliminate classroom distractions such as, excessive noise, flickering lights, etc.
  
• Outline class presentations on the chalkboard or on an overhead transparency.
  
• Outline material to be covered during each class period unit. (At the end of class, summarize the important segments of each presentation.)
  
• Establish the clarity of understanding that the student has about class assignments.
  
• Give assignments both in written and oral form.
  
• Have more complex lessons recorded and available to the students with learning disabilities.
  
• Have practice exercises available for lessons, in case the student has problems.
  
• Have students with learning disabilities underline key words or directions on activity sheets (then review the sheets with them).
  
• Have complex homework assignments due in two or three days rather than on the next day.
  
• Pace instruction carefully to ensure clarity.
  
• Present new and or technical vocabulary on the chalkboard or overhead.
  
• Provide and teach memory associations (mnemonic strategies).
  
• Support one modality of presentation by following it with instruction and then use another modality.
  
• Talk distinctly and at a rate that the student with a learning disability can be follow.
  
• Technical content should be presented in small incremental steps.
  
• Use plenty of examples, oral or otherwise, in order to make topics more applied.
  
• Use straight forward instructions with step-by-step unambiguous terms. (Preferably, presented one at a time).
  
• Write legibly, use large type; do not clutter the blackboard with non-current / non-relevant information.
  
• Use props to make narrative situations more vivid and clear.
  
• Assist the student, if necessary, in borrowing classmates' notes.
  
• Consider cross-age or peer tutoring if the student appears unable to keep up with the class pace or with complex subject matter. The more capable reader can help in summarizing the essential points of the reading or in establishing the main idea of the reading."

Keller, E. (2005, April 18).STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING STUDENTS WITH. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/learning.html#sect3.

Classroom Intervention

According to Rosenberg (2008), in the book titled, Special Education For Today's Teachers effective curriculum design and instruction is vital for providing students with learning disabilities with strategies to succeed in the classroom.

Principles That Guide Effective Curriculum Design And Instruction

Figure 6.2

1. 
   
   Big Ideas-key concepts or principles that facilitate the most efficient and broadest acquisition of information.


2. 
   
   Conspicuous strategies-steps used to accomplish a task or solve a problem.


3. 
   
   Mediated scaffolding-temporary instructional support provided until the student can solve a problem or understand a concept independently.


4. 
   
   Strategic Integration-integrating knowledge to promote higher-level learning.


5. 
   
   Judicious review-opportunities to practice or apply information that was previously taught.


6. 
   
   Primed background knowledge-ensuring that previous learning is used to facilitate current learning.

Rosenberg, Michael S. , David L. Westling, and James McLeskey. Special Education for Today's Teachers. New Jersey: Pearsons Education, Inc., 2008.

Early Intervention

When identifying children with potential learning disabilities, and providing early intervention there is a series of steps:

• Difficulty in diagnosing
• Predicting-Profiling
• Programming-individualized
• Continuos monitoring of learning

(1999 Allyn & Bacon)

These steps explain the Early Intervention for process that helps children that are showing signs of learning disabilities early on.

Early intervention is important because researchers have determined that childrens early experiences have an impact on their later growth and development. However, providing Early Intervention can be a complex process, and this is due to the difficulty in identifying students with learning disabilities. As we may already know students are typically identified, becauase of their delay in reading ability. Usually, students are not expected to learn how to read until kindergarten or first grade. Therefore, identifying students with potential learning disabilities for early intervention may require hypothesizing that the student may be at risk for future learning disability in order to help them.

Early Intervention has truly benifited those students with learning disabilities that have difficulty reading. Due to the success of Early Intervention the RTI approach for identifyinf students with disabilities has become more common, because it is ensuring that students receive evidence-based instruction early on in kindergarten and first grade in order to prevent future failure in school.

Rosenberg, Michael S. , David L. Westling, and James McLeskey. Special Education for Today's Teachers. New Jersey: Pearsons Education, Inc., 2008.

Response to Intervention (RTI)

An alternative to the approach of identifying students with learning disabilities that does not include the severe discrepancy is called Response to Intervention (RTI). It is currently being implemented in a number of different states. "The RTI approach to identification is based on the assumption that students who are struggling academically should only be identified with a learning disability if they do not respond to effective instruction (i.e. instruction that is based on scientific, research-based interventions)" (Rosenberg, 2008, p. 144-145). RTI is comprised of different levels of instruction, and a systematic manner of measuring student's academic progress while they are being given instruction. 

1. Students are first tested in the first grade to determine whether they are struggling with reading or math.
2. Those students who are identified as at risk for poor learning during first grade are then identified for intervention. Intervention is implemented on these students with evidence- based practices that are guaranteed to be the most effective.
3. After the intervention students are tested. Those students who respond well are considered the ones that can achieve at the appropriate level with their peers in the first grade meaning that they instead had difficulty learning due to insufficient background knowledge or lack of instruction. 

Finally, those students who do not respond at all then lack of quality instruction is removed from the list of possibilities, and they are referred to the Child Study Team for further evaluation.  

Rosenberg, Michael S. , David L. Westling, and James McLeskey. Special Education for Today's Teachers. New Jersey: Pearsons Education, Inc., 2008.

Referral Process

The 10 Basic Steps in Special Education

1. Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services (i.e. Child Find, referral or request for evaluation).
   
2. Child is evaluated.
3. Eligibility is decided.
4. CHild is found eligible for services, and within 30 days IEP Team must develop IEP for child.
5. IEP meeting is scheduled.
6. IEP is held and the IEP is written.
7. After the IEP is written, services are provided.
8. Progress is measured and reported back to parents.
9. IEP is reviewed (at least once a year).
10. Child is reevaluated. 

Autism

What is Autism?

According to Rosenberg (2008), "Autism is a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The term does not apply if a child's educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance. A child who manifests characteristics of autism after age 3 could be diagnosed as having autism if the criteria in this paragraph are satisfied" (p. 8).

Which are the five types of Autism Spectrum Disorder?

• Autistic disorder- Severe developmental disability with early age onset, poor social development, language impairments, and rigidity in behavior.

• Asperger's disorder- Impairments in social development, which are often sustained or lifelong, and repetitive behavior, interests, and activities.

• Rett's disorder- Rapid deterioration of behavior, language, and purposeful hand movements. Also, mental retardation and seizures may exist.

• Childhood disintegrative disorder- A rare condition that occurs between the ages of 3 and 15, and affect the child in a way that leads to rapid loss of language, social, motor, and toileting skills.

• Pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)- Applied to children who resemble autistic disorder or Asperger's disorder, but may differ diagnostically in a significant way, for instance, with age of onset. 

How do you serve students with Autism disorder?

Students with Autism Spectrum disorders should receive academic in the least restrictive environment, meaning the educational setting that is most appropriate for them to learn in. This provides these students with programming that involved them in opportunities for social inclusion since most students are placed in the general education classroom. While students with ASD are often not very responsive being surrounded by peers who are social may elicit a response from them to interact with others. Language content is also implemented in the classroom to improve different aspects of language production. Ultimately, programs within schools serve to improve students with ASD's academic, social, and language skills. 

Rosenberg, Michael S. , David L. Westling, and James McLeskey. Special Education for Today's Teachers. New Jersey: Pearsons Education, Inc., 2008.

ADD/ADHD

What is ADD/ADHD?

"Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that appears in early childhood. You may know it by the name attention deficit disorder, or ADD. ADD / ADHD makes it difficult for people to inhibit their spontaneous responses—responses that can involve everything from movement to speech and attentiveness" (Helpguide.org).

How can we determine whether a child has ADD/ADHD?

May appear before the age of 7, and is often difficult to distinguish from "normal kid behavior." Therefore, it is important to have the child visit a mental health proffesional so that they can diagnose whether or not the child has ADD/ADHD, or if the child is possibly being affected by: major life events, learning disabilities, psychological problems, behavioral disorders, or medical conditions.

Which are the three primary characteristics?

• Inattentiveness
• Impulsivity
• Hyperactivity

It depends on which of these characteristics are predominant within the child in order to associate the degree level of ADD/ADHD in a child. For instance, a child may be:Inattentive, but not hyperactive or impulsive, Hyperactive and impulsive, but able to pay attention, or Inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive (the most common form of ADHD).

Symptoms of Inattentiveness:

• Doesn’t pay attention to details or makes careless mistakes
• Has trouble staying focused; is easily distracted
• Appears not to listen when spoken to
• Has difficulty remembering things and following instructions
• Has trouble staying organized, planning ahead, and finishing projects
• Frequently loses or misplaces homework, books, toys, or other items

Symptoms of hyperactivity:

• Constantly fidgets and squirms
• Often leaves his or her seat in situations where sitting quietly is expected
• Moves around constantly, often running or climbing inappropriately
• Talks excessively, has difficulty playing quietly
• Is always “on the go,” as if driven by a motor

Symptoms of Impulsivity:

• Blurts out answers without waiting to be called on hear the whole question
• Has difficulty waiting for his or her turn
• Often interrupts others
• Intrudes on other people’s conversations or games
• Inability to keep powerful emotions in check, resulting in angry outbursts or temper tantrums

The Positive Affects of ADD/ADHD

Creativity- Child may day dream, and have ten different thoughts all at once can become a problem-solver, can have a flow of ideas, or can be an artist.

Flexibility- Don't conform to one option, and are open to alternatives, because they are always thinking about multiple things at once, which allow them to be more open to ideas.

Enthusiasm and Sponraneity- Rarely ever boring, have many interests, and lively personalities.

Energy and Drive- When motivated children are hard workers, and strive for success. May be difficult to distract them from tasks that they are interested in, especially if it is a hands on activity.

How do you diagnose ADD/ADHD?

Here is a criteria that may be followed to attempt a diagnosis:

Early onset – Symptoms must have been present before age 7.

Duration – A combination of symptoms must have been present for at least 6 months.

Settings – The symptoms must be present in two or more settings, such as home, school, and other social settings.

Impact – The symptoms must have a negative impact on the individual’s school, family, and/or social life.

Developmental level - The symptoms are not due to the child’s normal developmental level.

Alternative explanation - The symptoms are not caused by another physical, mental or emotional disorder.

How can you help a child with ADD/ADHD?

If a child's symptoms are not treated this can lead to many problems. They may experience many frustrations due to their possible struggle focusing in school, inability to make friends, or often getting into trouble. Here are some parental tips that will help your child: "Children with ADHD need structure, consistency, clear communication, and rewards and consequences for their behavior. They also need lots of love, support, and encouragement" (Helpguide.org). 

 

Belmonte, J. (n.d.). ADD & ADHD in Children. Retrieved April 23, 2009, from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_signs_symptoms.htm.

Dyslexia

What is Dyslexia?

"According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, dyslexia is a learning disability  that can hinder a person's ability to read, write, spell, and sometimes speak" (MedicineNet.com). Dyslexia is very common among children, and can actually persist throughout life meaning into adulthood. The sooner dyslexia is treated the better the results are going to be for children. However, it is never too late to receive treatment in order to improve language skills. Children with dyslexia have difficulty learning to read and write due to their brains inability to translate images through hearing and seeing into comprehensible language. With this being said, dyslexia is not caused by hearing or visual problems, and it is not caused by mental retardation, brain damage, or lack of intelligence. 

What are the signs of a child potentially having Dyslexia?

• Letter and number reversals are the most common warning sign.
• Difficulty copying from the board or a book.
• Not being able to remember content, even if it was from a favorite book or video.
• Issues with spatial relationships.
• Difficulty with organized sports or games.
• Challenges to understand the difference between left and right.
• Problems moving to rhythm of music.

Parents, what should you do if you think your child may have Dyslexia?

It is important to consult your pediatrician if you are worried about your child's development. In addition, having frequent meetings with your child's teacher to follow up on their academic development is also very important. Every school should have a special group often referred to as the Child Study Team that meet to discuss issues concerning student's academic achievement. These teams consist of school psychologist, nurse, speech therapist, reading specialist, and other pertinent professionals including the principal, special and general education teachers. If a parent or teacher suspects a learning problem they are responsible of reporting their concerns to the Child Study Team where they will discuss an approach to help the child learn in the classroom.  

MedicineNet.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2009, from www.medicinenet.com/dyslexia/article.htm.

 

LD FAQ's

Who are they?

• Students with learning disabilities have an intelligence level in the normal range (i.e. avg of 70+), and unexpectedly achieve poorly in one or more academic areas, mostly in reading.
• Students with learning disabilities have been labels with terms such as dyslexia (reading disability), dysgraphia (handwriting or written expression disability), dyscalculia (math disability).

What are typical characteristics?

• Low achievement
• Inattention/Distractibility
• Information-processing deficits
• Social-skills deficits
• Poor motivation
• A heterogenous category
• Impulsive
• Overreliance on teachers and peers
• Poor language and cognitive development
• Perceptual, Perceptual Motor, and General coordination problems
• Delays in learning reading, math, or both

What are the demographics?

• 5.24% of students ages 6-17 have been identified with learning disabilities.
• Approximately 45% of all school-age students with disabilities have a learning disability.
• Between 1990 and 2004 an increase of approximately 14% of the school-age population was identified with learning disabilities.
• 90% of students with learning disabilities have reading problems.
• Approximately 75% are male.

Where are students educated?

• 51% of the students with learning disabilities spend most of their day learning in the general education classroom.
• The proportion of students with learning disabilities educated in segregated setting declined by approximately 42% between 1990 and 2003.

How are students identified and assessed for intervantion?

• Primary criteria for identification are a severe discrepancy between expected and actual achievement levels and exclusion of students who have other disabilities and those who have not had adequate opportunities to learn.
• A test of intelligence is used to determine expected achievement level, while a standarduzed achievement test is used to determine actual achievement level. These tests are compared to determine if severe discrepancy exists between expected and actual achievement levels.
• Curriculum-based measures are used to determine current academic level in classroom curriculum as well as to monitor student progress.
• Assessments- Standardized Achievement tests, Informal reading inventories, Formative evaluation, and Authentic assessment.

What are the outcomes?

• Reading problems tend to become more severe as students with learning disabilities move through school.
• Learning disabilities tend to persist throughout adulthood.
• Many adults with learning disabilities have difficulty finding good employment, living independently, and finding satisfaction in life.

Rosenberg, Michael S. , David L. Westling, and James McLeskey. Special Education for Today's Teachers. New Jersey: Pearsons Education, Inc., 2008.

Defining Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabilities

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), "The term '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, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, speak, read, write, spell, or to do math calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia."

The disorders that are not included under this IDEA definition of learning disabilities are learning problems that result from "visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage" (Rosenberg, 2008, p. 141).

Rosenberg, Michael S. , David L. Westling, and James McLeskey. Special Education for Today's Teachers. New Jersey: Pearsons Education, Inc., 2008.

Introduction

My name is Irza Torres, and I am an undergraduate student in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor degree in the Human Development major. One of my greatest passions is equal education for all students. Therefore, in the future I hope to become a teacher, and work to achieve equality within the education system. While I am taking courses as an undergraduate I have learned immensely from one specific course titled Working with Special Needs Students. In this course, I have learned about the rights that students with disabilities are entitled to have under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act also known as IDEA. Though this act provides a range of students with disabilities different services, there are many who are unaware of the rights that this law entitles them. I have chosen to create learning disabilities the focus of this blog in order to raise awareness.