Course Materials on Learning Disability by Dr. P.N.Narayana Raja

8/2/2019 Course Materials on Learning Disability by Dr. P.N.Narayana Raja

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A LIFE IN YOUR HANDS

If a child lives with criticism,He learns to condemn,

If a child lives with hostility,He learns to fight,

If a child lives with ridicule,He learns to be shy,

If a child lives with shame,

He learns to feel guilty,

If a child lives with tolerance,He learns to be patient,

If a child lives with encouragement,He learns confidence,

If a child lives with praise,He learns-to appreciate,

If a child lives with fairness,He learns justice,

If a child lives with security,He learns to have faith,

If a child lives with approval,He learns to like himself,

If a child lives with ac ce pt an c e and friendship,He learns to find love in the world.

- Dorothy Law Holte

WHAT DO `YOUR' CHILDREN LIVE WITH?


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OUR VISION AND MISSIONS....

Resource centre for Educational Counseling, formerly known as ResourceCentre for Learning disability, established at Madurai Institute of Social Sciences,has a primary purpose of disseminating the knowledge on Learning Difficulties toschool teachers in the Southern part of Tamil Nadu, South India. Our observation of the curriculum of the Teacher training courses available in various colleges regular and distance education - had shown that they do not have adequate scopefar training our teachers in the specific areas of Learning disability. It has beenerroneously believed that the course on learning difficulty should be given tospecial educators and not to the teachers meant for normal school. Our observation clearly indicates that the children in normal school do have learningproblems and the teachers are not able to guide them. These field realities

prompted us to establish a Resource Centre for Educational Counseling.

Our Vision is: Enriching human potential through Establishing Joy in Learning.

Our Missions are:

To collect relevant literature, testing materials in the area of LearningDisability and maintain a resource centre;

To offer short courses for interested teachers and train them on identificationof learning differences among their wards and help these teachers to imbibethe skills of handling children with learning problems;

To translate the literature in local language and run specific courses for ruralteachers:

To impress upon the Educational authorities to understand the status of children with learning problems and take steps in reviewing the pattern of evaluation;

To develop a team of volunteer teachers who are willing to offer their services to train other teachers and to invite experts from within and outsideIndia to share their experiences among the teachers;

To effectively use the electronic media like Audio recorders, Video films andcomputer software to help the children with learning problems;

The present background reading and testing materials are compiled fromavailable literature such as the work of Jan Poustie et al, workshop sheetsprovided by Rick Pollack, Pauline Neasmith, Chris Kemp, Julie and Alpha &Omega Centre. The Centre acknowledges their contribution and express itsgratitude for their support.

October, 2009 Dr. P.N.Narayana Raja


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1. LEARNING

What learning is.

Websters Dictionary defines learning as the act or experience of one thatlearns; knowledge of skill acquired by instruction or study; modification of abehavioral tendency by experience."

Learning is often defined as a change in behavior (Birkenholz, 1999), which isdemonstrated by people implementing knowledge, skills, or practices derivedfrom education.

Basically, from an educators perspective, learning involves helping people along thelearning process, and learning includes all of the things that we do to make ithappen. As an end result, we know that learning occurs when people take newfoundinformation and incorporate it into their life. For example, if we are working with anaudience that lacks basic financial management skills for budgeting, one of our objectives is to see people gain knowledge in this area and to actually implement thenew skills hopefully, over a long period of time.

1.1.THEORIES OF LEARNING

1.1.1. Classical Conditioning . Classical Conditioning is an important type of learning that was actually discovered accidentally by Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936).Pavlov was a Russian physiologist who discovered this phenomenon while doingresearch on digestion. His research was aimed at better understanding the digestivepatterns in dogs. During his experiments, he would put meat powder in the mouthsof dogs that had tubes inserted into various organs to measure bodily responses.What he discovered was that the dogs began to salivate before the meat powder was presented to them. Then, the dogs began to salivate as soon as the personfeeding them would enter the room. He soon began to gain interest in thisphenomenon and abandoned his digestion research in favour of his now famousClassical Conditioning study.

Basically, the findings support the idea that we develop responses to certain stimulithat are not naturally occurring. When we touch a hot stove, our reflex pulls our handback. It does this instinctually, no learning involved. It is merely a survival instinct.But why now do some people, after getting burned, pull their hands back even whenthe stove is not turned on? Pavlov discovered that we make associations whichcause us to generalize our response to one stimuli onto a neutral stimuli it is pairedwith. In other words, hot burner = ouch (Used to express sudden pain or displeasure), stove = burner, therefore, stove = ouch.

Pavlov began pairing a bell sound with the meat powder and found that even whenthe meat powder was not presented, the dog would eventually begin to salivate after hearing the bell. Since the meat powder naturally results in salivation, these two
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variables are called the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and the unconditioned response (UCR), respectively. The bell and salivation are not naturally occurring;the dog was conditioned to respond to the bell. Therefore, the bell is considered theconditioned stimulus (CS), and the salivation to the bell, the conditioned

response (CR).

Many of our behaviors today are shaped by the pairing of stimuli. Have you ever noticed that certain stimuli, such as the smell of a perfume, a certain song, a specificday of the year, specific place results in fairly intense emotions? It's not that thesmell or the song or the place are the cause of the emotion, but rather what thatsmell or song or the place that has been paired with...perhaps an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, the death of a loved one, or maybe the day you met your husband or wife.We make these associations all the time and often dont realize the power that these

connections or pairings have on us. But, in fact, we have been classicallyconditioned. 1.1.2. Operant Conditioning . Another type of learning, very similar to thatdiscussed above, is called Operant Conditioning. The term "Operant" refers to howan organism operates on the environment, and hence, operant conditioning comesfrom how we respond to what is presented to us in our environment. It can bethought of as learning due to the natural consequences of our actions.

The classic study of Operant Conditioning involved a cat who was placed in a boxwith only one way out; a specific area of the box had to be pressed in order for thedoor to open. The cat initially tries to get out of the box because freedom isreinforcing. In its attempt to escape, the area of the box is triggered and the door opens. The cat is now free. Once placed in the box again, the cat will naturally try toremember what it did to escape the previous time and will once again find the area topress. The more the cat is placed back in the box, the quicker it will press that areafor its freedom. It has learned, through natural consequences, how to gain thereinforcing freedom.

We learn this way every day in our lives. Imagine the last time you made a mistake;you most likely remember that mistake and do things differently when the situationcomes up again. In that sense, youve learned to act differently based on the naturalconsequences of your previous actions. The same holds true for positive actions. If something you did results in a positive outcome, you are likely to do that sameactivity again.

1.1.2.1. Reinforcement

The term reinforce means to strengthen, and is used in psychology to refer to anystimulus which strengthens or increases the probability of a specific response. For example, if you want your dog to sit on command, you may give him a treat every
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time he sits for you. The dog will eventually come to understand that sitting when toldto will result in a treat. This treat is reinforcing because he likes it and will result inhim sitting when instructed to do so.

This is a simple description of a reinforcer (Skinner, 1938), the treat, whichincreases the response, sitting. We all apply reinforcers everyday, most of the timewithout even realizing we are doing it. You may tell your child "good job" after he or she cleans their room; perhaps you tell your partner how good he or she look whenthey dress up; or maybe you got a promotion at work after doing a great job on aproject. All of these things increase the probability that the same response will berepeated.

There are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative

1.1.2.1.1 Positive Reinforcement . The examples above describe what is referred toas positive reinforcement. Think of it as adding something in order to increase aresponse. For example, adding a treat will increase the response of sitting; addingpraise will increase the chances of your child cleaning his or her room. The mostcommon types of positive reinforcement are praise and rewards.

1.1.2.1.1. Negative Reinforcement . Think of negative reinforcement as takingsomething negative away in order to increase a response. Loud buzz in some carswhen ignition key is turned on; driver must put on safety belt in order to eliminateirritating buzz. Here the buzz is a negative reinforcer for putting on the seat-belt.

Another example, Rushing home in the winter to get out of the cold or Fanningoneself to escape from the heat. Cold weather as negative reinforcer for walkinghome (the colder the faster you walk), and heat is a negative reinforcer for fanning.Cleaning the house to get rid of disgusting mess or cleaning the house to get rid of your mother's nagging. Here, Nagging/Mess as negative reinforcer to cleaning.

In some books you may also see punishment as reinforcer. Punishment refers toadding something aversive in order to decrease a behavior. The most common

example of this is disciplining (e.g. spanking) a child for misbehaving. The reason wedo this is because the child begins to associate being punished with the negativebehavior. The punishment is not liked and therefore to avoid it, he or she will stopbehaving in that manner.

Research has found positive reinforcement is the most powerful of any of these. Adding a positive to increase a response not only works better, but allows bothparties to focus on the positive aspects of the situation. Punishment, when appliedimmediately following the negative behavior can be effective. Punishment can also

invoke other negative responses such as anger and resentment and hence it cannotbe taken as a good reinforcer.
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1.1.3. Social Learning Theory:

The social learning theory of Bandura emphasizes the importance of observing andmodeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. Bandura (1977)states: "Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what todo. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling:from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, andon later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action". Sociallearning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interactionbetween cognitive, behavioral, and environmental influences. The componentprocesses underlying observational learning are: (1) Attention, including modeledevents and observer characteristics, (2) Retention, (3) Motor Reproduction, and (4)Motivation. The most common examples of social learning situations are televisioncommercials. Commercials suggest that drinking a certain beverage or using aparticular hair shampoo will make us popular and win the admiration of attractivepeople. Depending upon the component processes involved (such as attention or motivation), we may model the behavior shown in the commercial and buy theproduct being advertised.

2. LEARNING STYLES:

Learning styles are simply different approaches or ways of learning.

2.1. Types of learning styles:

2.1.1.Visual Learners: learn through seeing ... .

These learners need to see the teacher's body language and facial expression tofully understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of theclassroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people's heads). They may think inpictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text

books, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs. During a lectureor classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorbthe information.

2.1.2 Auditory Learners : learn through listening...

They learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through andlistening to what others have to say. Auditory learners interpret the underlyingmeanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. Written information may have little meaning until it is heard. These learnersoften benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder.


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2.1.3. Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners: learn through , moving, doing and touching...

Tactile/Kinesthetic persons learn best through a hands-on approach, activelyexploring the physical world around them. They may find it hard to sit still for longperiods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration.

2.2. BEHAVIOURAL INDICATORS OF LEARNING STYLE

Visual Auditory Kinesthetic

Features

organized Easily organized Respond to physicalrewards

Neat and orderly Move slips when reading Physically oriented

Observant Speaks in a rhythmicpattern

Learns by doing

Good speller Likes music Touches people

Memorizes by picture Memorizes by steps,procedure

Memorizes by walking

Would rather read thanbe read to

Sequence Responds physically

Spelling

Accurate, sees wordsand can spell them

Spells with a phoneticapproach, spells withrhythmic movements

Counts out letters withbody movements andchecks with internalfeelings

Reading

Strong successful hasspeed

Attacks unknown words,enjoys reading aloud,often slow because of sub-vocalizing

Likes plot oriented books,reflects action of the storywith body movement

Writing

Having it look okay isimportant

Having it look Okay isimportant

Thick pressured handwriting not as good as theothers


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2.3. SUGGESTED AIDS FOR LEARNING STYLES

Use these aids to sharpen your students part icular dominant learningmodality or to strengthen a weaker one. Try to be aware of the differentactivities they do daily to help all three of your students modalities.

Visual Auditory Kinestheticuse guided imagery use tapes pace /walk as you studyform pictures in your mind

take notessee parts of words use

"cue" words

use notebooks

use color codes usestudy cardsuse photographic

p i c t u r e s w a t c hT V watch filmstrips

watch movies

use charts, graphs

u s e m a p s

demonstrate

draw /use drawings useexhibitswatch lips move in

front of a mirror use mnemonics

(acronyms, visual chains,mind maps, acrostics,hook-ups),

watch TVlisten lo music

speak/listen to

speakers

m a k e u prhymes/poems read

aloud talk

to yourself

repeat things orally use

rhythmic sounds h a v e

discussions l isten

carefully

use oral directions

sound out words

use theater say words in syllables usemnemonics

(word links, rhymes,

poems, lyrics), VoiceComputers

physically "do it"

practice by repeated

motion

breathe slowly

role play

exercisedance

writewrite on surfaces

with finger

Take notes

associate feelings withconcept/ information

write lists repeatedly

stretch/move in chair

watch lips move in front of

a mirror use mnemonics (word

links,

rhymes, poems, lyrics),


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3. LEARNING DISABILITY

3.1. Meaning Of Learning Disability:

Unlike other disabilities, such as paralysis or blindness, a learning disability,(LD) is a hidden handicap. A learning disability doesn't disfigure or leave visiblesigns that would invite others to be understanding or offer support.

A LEARNING DISABILITY IS A LIFELONG DISORDER WHICH AFFECTS THEMANNER IN INDIVIDUALS - WITH NORMAL OR ABOVE AVERAGEINTELLIGENCE - SELECT, RETAIN, AND EXPRESS INFORMATION WHICHMAY BECOME SCRAMBLED AS IT TRAVELS BETWEEN THE SENSES ANDBRAIN.

LD is a disorder that affects people's ability to either interpret what theysee and hear or to link information from different parts of the brain. Theselimitations can show up in many ways such as specific difficulties with spoken andwritten language, coordination, self-control, or attention. Such difficulties extend toschoolwork and can impede learning to read or write, or to do math.

Learning disabilities can be lifelong conditions that, in some cases, affectmany parts of a person's life: school or work, daily routines, family life, andsometimes even friendships. In some people, many overlapping learningdisabilities may be apparent. Other people may have a single, isolatedlearning problem that has little impact on other areas of their lives.

It has been found that number of conditions is present in individuals who havea 'Specific Learning Difficulty profile'. It is believed by many that these conditionsare related to each other primarily through the area of language. Personsaffected by Specific Learning Difficulty are likely to have a combination of languagebased difficulties which is termed as Dysphasia . These difficult ies can beapparent in any or all of the areas of written, spoken, heard languages. The

appropriate use of language, information processing, understanding and acquiringthe areas of language can all be affected.

Children with Specific Learning Difficulty have all sorts of barriers fromadequately accessing each small aspect of language and have no controlover these barriers but were born with them. They can be helped, taught toovercome the barriers to a greater or lesser degree. Theoretician and practionersuse various names to identify each of the conditions within the Specific LearningDifficulty profile and each condition has its own set of characteristics by which it can

be recognized. Some of the conditions are:


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3.1.1.DYSLEXIA: It is a "complex neurological condition which is constitutional inorigin. The symptoms may affect many areas of learning and function, and may bedescribed as a specific difficulty in reading, spelling and written language. One or more of these areas may be affected. Numeracy, notational skills (music), motor

function and organizational skills may also be involved. However, it is particularlyrelated to mastering written language, although oral language may be affected tosome degree". I t is a developmental disabili ty in reading or spell ing,general ly becoming evident in earl y schooling. To a dyslexic, letters and wordsmay appear reversed, e.g., d seen as b or was seen as saw. Many dyslexicsnever learn to read or write effectively, although they tend to show aboveaverage intelligence in other areas. With the aid of computerized brain scans suchas positron emission tomography (PET), recent studies have offered strong evidencethat dyslexia is located in the brain. Damage to the brain can cause a reading

disability similar to dyslexia, known as acquired dyslexia or alexia.

3.1.2.DYSPHASIA: It is a general term relating to a loss of language ability. Somechildren will have a delay in language but for others with a language disorder thedifficulty is more complex.

3.1.3.DYSPRAXIA: It is a motor learning difficulty which may or may not beassociated with Specific Learning Difficulty - Dyslexia - and quite often is. Someauthors regard this as "a motor form of Dyslexia.

3.1.4.DYSCALCULIA: Impairment of the ability to solve mathematical problems,usually resulting from brain dysfunction.

Combinations of different conditions

- Dyspraxia based handwriting difficulties + Dyscalculia (calculation difficulties)- Dyspraxia based handwriting difficulties + Dyslexia- Undifferentiated Attention Deficit Disorder + Dyspraxia + Dyscalculia- Low-level Speech/Language Impairment + Dyspraxia + Dyscalculia

While dealing with the children, the teachers may find combinations of different conditions that are shown above and hence what is important is that theteacher shall learn to identify all the different conditions within the Specific LearningDifficulty Profile and help the individuals within i t to overcome their d iff ic ul ti es. I n an ot her w ay l ear ni ng di ff icu lt y c an b e s een j us tdescribing various symptoms or disorderl iness.

3.2. TYPES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES:

"Learning disability" is not a diagnosis in the same sense as "chickenpox" or "mumps." Chickenpox and mumps imply a single, known cause with a predictable


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set of symptoms. Rather, LD is a broad term that covers a pool of possible causes,symptoms, treatments, and outcomes. Partly because learning disabilities can showup in so many forms, it is difficult to diagnose or to pinpoint the causes. And no oneknows of a pill or remedy that will cure them.

Not all learning problems are necessarily learning disabilities. Many childrenare simply slower in developing certain skills. Because children show naturaldifferences in their rate of development, sometimes what seems to be a learningdisability may simply be a delay in maturation. To be diagnosed as a learningdisability, specific criteria must be met.

Learning problems due to biological factors manifest themselves right fromearly development of the child. Such children can be broadly grouped into 4categories:

Group 1: Problem with general abilities. Such children have low intellectualabilities compared to average children and are known as slow learners.

Group 2: Problem with attention . These children are restless and some arehyperkinetic. They have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) or AttentionDeficit Disorder (ADD).

Group 3: Problems with visual and auditory perceptions . Some of these children

may read or write 'b' as 'd'. They also manifest soft neurological signs such asdifficulty in motor coordination or clumsy behaviour.

Group 4: These children are quite intelligent but have specific problems in spelling or writing or mathematics.

Children of groups 3 & 4 are called dyslexics.

Like the adults, children too have some basic needs which are necessary for

their sound, overall development. It is therefore important to understand children andto provide them with a favourable environment at school and home as well as givethem relevant, need-based education in order to make them grow into productiveadults. Before you read further take a piece of paper and write down the needs of children that you are aware of. Once you have done that, read on and see for yourself what you have missed out:

Physical needs : food, clothing, shelter, protection from pain and sickness, time toplay.

Psychological needs: acceptance as an individual, emotional satisfaction,reassurance, warmth, love and affection.


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Educational needs: warm and understanding atmosphere at school,encouragement for new learning and achievement, education to meet life'schallenges.

Deprivation can seriously affect the students physical, emotional, social and mentaldevelopment. This leads to certain socio-emotional problems, which can beclassified into two broad categories: emotional problems and conduct problems.

Vikram keeps failing in his school exams. His class work is of poor quality and hecannot understand anything explained to him unless simple, concrete examples aregiven to him from everyday life situations. He also finds it difficult to understandthings, which are outside his range of immediate experience. This means that he willnot be ready for formal learning (reading, writing and arithmetic) at the same age asthe other children of his class. He is probably at a lower intellectual level than hisclassmates. However, he is able to take care of his personal and social needs under guidance and is also capable of learning at the concrete level. So, he probably fallsin the category of the mentally retarded, although his retardation does not seem tobe very severe. He belongs

Learning disabilities can be divided into three broad categories:

Developmental speech and language disorders Academic skills disorders

"Other," a catch-all that includes certain coordination disorders and learninghandicaps not covered by the other terms

Each of these categories includes a number of more specific disorders.2.1.Developmental Speech and Lanquaqe Disorders

Speech and language problems are often the earliest indicators of a learningdisability. People with developmental speech and language disorders havedifficulty producing speech sounds, using spoken language to communicate, or

understanding what other people say. Depending on the problem, the specificdiagnosis may be:

Developmental articulation disorder Developmental expressive language disorder

Developmental receptive language disorder 2. 1.I.Develo p mentalArticulation Disorder

Children with this disorder may have trouble controlling their rate of speech. Or they

may lag behind playmates in learning to make speech sounds. For example,Sunder at age 6 still said "wabbit" instead of "rabbit" and "thwim" for "swim."Developmental articulation disorders are common. They appear in at least 10


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percent of children, younger than age 8. Fortunately, articulation disorders can oftenbe outgrown or successfully treated with speech therapy. 2.1.2.Developmental Expressive Language Disorder.-

Some children with language impairments have problems expressingthemselves in speech. Their disorder is called, therefore, a developmentalexpressive language disorder. Suguna, who often calls objects by the wrongnames, has an expressive language disorder. Of course, an expressive languagedisorder can take other forms. A 4-year-old who speaks only in two-word phrasesand a 6-year-old who can't answer simple questions also have an expressivelanguage disability.

2.1.3. Developmental Receptive Language Disorder

Some people have trouble understanding certain aspects of speech. It is asif their brains are set to a different frequency and the reception is poor. There is thetoddler who doesn't respond to his name, a preschooler who hands you a bell whenyou asked for a ball, or the worker who consistently can't follow simpledirections. Their hearing is fine, but they can't make sense of certain sounds,words, or sentences they hear. They may even seem inattentive. These people havea receptive language disorder. Because using and understanding speech arestrongly related, many people with receptive language disorders also have anexpressive language disability.

Of course, in preschoolers, some misuse of sounds, words, or grammar is anormal part of learning to speak. It's only when these problems persist that there isany cause for concern.

2.2. Academic Skills Disorders

Students with academic skills disorders are often years behind their classmates in developing reading, writing, or arithmetic skills. The diagnoses in

this category include:

Developmental reading disorder Developmental writing disorder

Developmental arithmetic disorder 2.2.1. Developmental Reading Disorder

This type of disorder, also known as dyslexia, is quite widespread. In fact,reading disabilities affect 2 to 8 percent of elementary school children.

When you think of what is involved in the "three R's" i.e. reading, 'writing, and'arithmetic, it's astounding that most of us do learn them. Consider that to read,you must simultaneously: Understand words and grammar


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Build ideas and images Compare new ideas to what you already know

ap

Store ideas in memory ed am

Such mental juggling requires a rich, intact network of nerve cells that connect theA l m

brain's centers of vision, language, and memory. I = E d

A person can have problems in any of the tasks involved in reading.However, scientists found that a significant number of people with dyslexia sharean inability to distinguish or separate the sounds in spoken words. Niranjana, for example, can't identify the word "bat" by sounding out the individual letters, b-a-t.Other children with dyslexia may have trouble with rhyming games, such asrhyming "cat" with "bat." Yet scientists have found these skills fundamental tolearning to read. Fortunately, remedial reading specialists have developedtechniques that can help many children with dyslexia acquire these skills.

However, there is more to reading than recognizing words. If the brain isunable to form images or relate new ideas to those stored in memory, the reader

can't understand or remember the new concepts. So other types of readingdisabilities can appear in the upper grades when the focus of reading shifts fromword identification to comprehension.

2.2.2.Develo p mental Writing Disorder

Writing, too, involves several brain areas and functions. The brain networks for vocabulary, grammar, hand movement, and memory must all be in goodworking order. So a developmental writing disorder may result from problems in

any of these areas. For example, Niranjana, who was unable to distinguish thesequence of sounds in a word, had problems with spelling. A child with a writingdisability, particularly an expressive language disorder, might be unable tocompose complete, grammatical sentences.

2.2.3.Developmental Arithmetic Disorder

If you doubt that arithmetic is a complex process, think of the steps youtake to solve this simple problem: 25 divided by 3 equals?

Arithmetic involves recognizing numbers and symbols, memorizing facts such asthe multiplication table, aligning numbers, and understanding abstract concepts like


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place value and fractions. Any of these may be difficult for children withdevelopmental arithmetic disorders. Problems with numbers or basic concepts arelikely to show up early. Disabilities that appear in the later grades are more often tiedto problems in reasoning.

Many aspects of speaking, listening, reading, writing, and arithmeticoverlap and build on the same brain capabilities. So it's not surprising that peoplecan be diagnosed as having more than one area of learning disability. For example, the ability to understand language underlies learning to speak.Therefore, any disorder that hinders the ability to understand language will alsointerfere with the development of speech, which in turn hinders learning to readand write. A single gap in the brain's operation can disrupt many types of activity.

2.3. "Other" Learning Disabilities

The additional categories of LDs are such as "motor skills disorders" and"specific developmental disorders not otherwise specified." These diagnosesinclude delays in acquiring language, academic, and motor skills that can affectthe ability to learn, but do not meet the criteria for a specific learning disability.

Also included are coordination disorders that can lead to poor penmanship, aswell as certain spelling and memory disorders.

2.4. Attention Disorders

Some of the children have a type of disorder that leaves them unable tofocus their attention. Some children and adults who have attention disordersappear to daydream excessively. And once you get their attention, they're ofteneasily distracted. Sunder, for example, tends to mentally drift off into a world of hisown. Children like Sunder may have a number of learning difficulties. If, likeSunder, they are quiet and don't cause problems, their problems may gounnoticed. They may be passed along from grade to grade, without getting thespecial assistance they need.

In a large proportion of affected children--mostly boys--the attention deficit saccompanied by hyperactivity. Niran is an example of a person with attention deficithyperactivity disorder--ADHD. They act impulsively, running into traffic or topplingdesks. Like young Niran, who jumped on the sofa to exhaustion, -iyperactivechildren can't sit still. They blurt out answers and interrupt. In games, -hey can't waittheir turn. These children's problems are usually hard to miss. Because of their constant motion and explosive energy, hyperactive children often oet into trouble withparents, teachers, and peers.

By adolescence, physical hyperactivity usually subsides into fidgeting and-estlessness. But the problems with attention and concentration often continue


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-ito adulthood. At work, adults with ADHD often have trouble organizing tasks or zompleting their work. They don't seem to listen to or follow directions. Their work

ay be messy and appear careless.

Attention disorders, with or without hyperactivity, are not consideredearning disabilities in themselves. However, because attention problems canseriously interfere with school performance, they often accompany academic skillssorders.

3. Causes of Learning Disabilities

Understandably, one of the first questions parents ask when they learn their child has a learning disorder is "Why? What went wrong?"

Mental health professionals stress that since no one knows what causeslearning disabilities, it doesn't help parents to look backward to search for possiblereasons. There are too many possibilities to pin down the cause of the disabilitywith certainty. It is far more important for the family to move forward in findingways to get the fight help.

Scientists, however, do need to study causes in an effort to identify ways toprevent learning disabilities.

Once, scientists thought that all learning disabilities were caused by asingle neurological problem. But recent research has helped us see that thecauses are more diverse and complex. New evidence seems to show that mostlearning disabilities do not stem from a single, specific area of the brain, but fromdifficulties in bringing together information from various brain regions.

Today, a leading theory is that learning disabilities stem from subtledisturbances in brain structures and functions. Some scientists believe that, inmany cases, the disturbance begins Wore birth.

3.1. Errors in Fetal Brain Development

Throughout pregnancy, the fetal brain develops from a few all-purpose cellsinto a complex organ made of billions of specialized, interconnected nerve cellscalled neurons. During this amazing evolution, things can go wrong that may alter how the neurons form or interconnect.

In the early stages of pregnancy, the brain stem forms. It controls basic lifefunctions such as breathing and digestion. Later, a deep ridge divides thecerebrum, the thinking part of the brain, into two halves, a right and lefthemisphere. Finally, the areas involved with processing sight, sound, and other


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senses develop, as well as the areas associated with attention, thinking, andemotion.

As new cells form, they move into place to create various brain structures.

Nerve cells rapidly grow to form networks with other parts of the brain. Thesenetworks are what allow information to be shared among various regions of thebrain.

Throughout pregnancy, this brain development is vulnerable to disruptions. If the disruption occurs early, the fetus may die, or the infant may be born withwidespread disabilities and possibly mental retardation. If the disruption occurslater, when the cells are becoming specialized and moving into place, it may leaveerrors in the cell makeup, location, or connections. Some scientists believe thatthese errors may later show up as learning disorders.

3.2. Other Factors That Affect Brain Development

Through experiments with animals, scientists are tracking clues todetermine what disrupts brain development. By studying the normal processes of brain development, scientists can better understand what can go wrong. Some of these studies are examining how genes, substance abuse, pregnancy problems, andtoxins may affect the developing brain.

3,2. 1. Genetic Factors

The fact that learning disabilities tend to run in families indicates that theremay be a genetic link. For example, children who lack some of the skills needed for reading, such as hearing the separate sounds of words, are likely to have a parentwith a related problem. However, a parent's learning disability may take a slightlydifferent form in the child. A parent who has a writing disorder may have a child withan expressive language disorder. For this reason, it seems .unlikely that specificlearning disorders are inherited directly. Possibly, what is inherited is a subtle brain

dysfunction that can in turn lead to a learning disability.

3.2.2. Environmental factors

There may be an alternative explanation for why LD might seem to run infamilies. Some learning difficulties may actually stem from the family environment.For example, parents who have expressive language disorders might talk less totheir children or the language they use may be distorted. In such cases, the childlacks a good model for acquiring language and therefore, may seem to be

learning disabled.

3.2.3. Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Druq Use


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Many drugs taken by the mother pass directly to the fetus. Researchshows that a mother's use of cigarettes, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancymay have damaging effects on the unborn child. Scientists have found thatmothers who smoke during pregnancy may be more likely to bear smaller babies.

This is a concern because small newborns, usually those weighing less than 5pounds, tend to be at risk for a variety of problems, including learning disorders.

Alcohol also may be dangerous to the fetus' developing brain. It appearsthat alcohol may distort the developing neurons. Heavy alcohol use duringpregnancy has been linked to fetal alcohol syndrome, a condition that can lead to 'owbirth weigh, intellectual impairment, hyperactivity, and certain physical defects. A nya lcohol use dur ing p regnancy, however, may inf luence the chi ld' s-evelopment and lead to problems with learning, attention, memory, or problem

solving. Because scientists have not yet identified "safe" levels, alcohol should be-sed cautiously by women who are pregnant or who may soon become pregnant.Drugs such as cocaine, especially in its smokable form known as crack, seem toaffect the normal development of brain receptors. These brain cell parts help totransmit incoming signals from our skin, eyes, and ears, and help regulate our physical response to the environment. Because children with certain learningdisabilities have difficulty understanding speech sounds or letters, someresearchers believe that learning disabilities, as well as ADHD, may be related tofaulty receptors. Current research points to drug abuse as a possible cause of

receptor damage.

3.2.4. Problems During Pregnancy or Delivery

Other possible causes of learning disabilities involve complications duringpregnancy. In some cases, the mother's immune system reacts to the ferns andattacks it as if it were an infection. This type of disruption seems to cause newlyformed brain cells to settle in the wrong part of the brain. Or during delivery, theumbilical cord may become twisted and temporarily cut off oxygen to the fetus.This, too, can impair brain functions and lead to LD.

3.2.5. Toxins in the Child's Environment

New brain cells and neural networks continue to be produced for a year or so after the child is born. These cells are vulnerable to certain disruptions, also.

Researchers are looking into environmental toxins that may lead to learningdisabilities, possibly by disrupting childhood brain development or brainprocesses. Cadmium and lead, both prevalent in the environment, are becoming a

leading focus of neurological research. Cadmium, used in making some steelproducts, can get into the soil, then into the foods we eat. Lead was once common inpaint and gasoline, and is still present in some water pipes. A study of animals


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showed a connection between exposure to lead and learning difficulties. In thestudy, rats exposed to lead experienced changes in their brainwaves, slowing their ability to learn. The learning problems lasted for weeks, long after the rats were nolonger exposed to lead.

In addition, there is growing evidence that learning problems may develop inchildren with cancer who had been treated with chemotherapy or radiation at anearly age. This seems particularly true of children with brain tumors who receivedradiation to the skull.

3.2.6 Learning Disabilities related to Differences in the Brain

In comparing people with and without learning disabilities, scientists haveobserved certain differences in the structure and functioning of the brain. For example, new research indicates that there may be variations in the brainstructure called the planum temporale, a language-related area found in bothsides of the brain. In people with dyslexia, the two structures were found to be.equal in size. In people who are not dyslexic, however, the left planum temporalewas noticeably larger. Some scientists believe reading problems may be related tosuch differences.

Learning Difficulty should be considered as a possible cause if a child hastrouble with one or more of the following

thinking clearly learning to compute putting things in sequence learning to read following directions spelling accurately remembering facts

writing legibly copying forms

The basic knowledge on Learning disability in general is provided here thatwould help the teachers to have a fair idea of the problem. In the subsequent pages,`he teachers would understand the details of different forms of learning disability and:o some extent how to help the children with those difficulties.

"The Wisdom of all peoples is one and the same; there are not two or morewisdoms, there is only one. My only objection to religions and churches is their tendency to intoler ance: neither Christi an nor Mohammedan is likely toadmit that his faith, though holy, is neither privileged nor patented, but a brother to


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all the other fait hs i n wh ich the trut h t ries to manifest itself'.

- Herman Hesse

1946 Nobel Prize Winner for Literature

M. DYSLEXIA.- A LEARNING DIFFICULTY

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty in learning, in or more of reading, spellingand written language. It may be accompanied by difficulty in number work, short termmemory, sequencing, auditory and/or visual perception and motor skills-, i t is par ticularlyrelated to mastering and using written language, alphabetic, numeric and musicalnotation. In addition, oral language is often affected to some degree.

1. RECOGNISING DYSLEXIA.

No two individuals will look the same as there are many aspects to dyslexia but thereis a core of indicators that we can use to spot them. "Two factors are invariably present indyslexia: 1) a poor short term memory and 2) low self esteem. Unless effectiveintervention takes place, one can expect to see many errors in both reading and spelling.Likely errors are:

1.1.READING/ SPELLING:

missing/adding in words/letters transposing words/letters( changing the position

of a word or a letter e.g. Saying 'lots' for'lost' reads/spells words back to front

1.2. READING:

repeat phrases/words when reading even though it was read correctly the first time

reverse words/letters misreads the first word in a sentence struggle with a word even though it may have been read correctly seconds before lose place when reading dislike/avoid reading missing out lines of text

1.3. SPELLINGS:

have difficulties in learning spellings unless taught using specialist teaching methods

1.4. WRITINGS:

Write letters/numerals back to front and upside down which causes many confusions


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between letters numerals e.g - bd pq hy, 69 25 un mw.

2. INDICATORS TO SPOT THE DYSLEXIC CHILD

1. A difference between their oral and written ability

2. A difference between the knowledge that they possess and their ability to communicateit on paper.

3. Confusions as to which is left and right

4. Difficulties in understanding, following or duplicating a sequence e.g tying show laces,learning tables/months of a year/days of the week.

5. Work erratically - one minute he can do it and the next he can't. (adult may feel that he is

lazy)

6. Has a reading age below of his peers

1. Is under stress which can be shown in many different ways, stomach aches, irritable bowlsyndrome, aggression, temper tantrums etc all of which are less noticeable when not in aschool or the child may become totally passive in school situation

2. Written work can have words missed out, sentences that barely make sense and incorrectuse of tenses: Their written work can follow any one of the following three patterns:

they work very slowly and very neatly, produce less work than you would expect for their ability slowly and very untidily with hardly any work to show for an hour's effort they work fast, very untidily and will often pour out their thoughts in a tangled mess

Poor short term memory, but often able to remember what they did on holiday last year.

9. Untidy rooms/ desks or the place where they keep their belongings.

10. Unable to make a start

11. Poor ability to read the time accurately and/or poor time sense12. Difficulties in processing their thoughts.

13. Difficulties in copying accurately from a black board and/or fromworksheet.14. Difficulties in proof reading their work they cannot see their mistakes even if their work is read out to them

15- Likelihood of having any of the following i.e allergies, hay fever, asthma.

The first two conditions may not be visible to the


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teacher if the child is shy. With regard to condition 6, thechild's reading age can be artificially high it the parent hasgiven the child considerable help.

3. WHAT YOU SHOULD IF YOU THINK THATONE OF YOUR STUDENTS MAY BEDYSLEXIC:

Use the checklist given in the previous page to get a feel for the likelihood of a particular student being dyslexic.

If this suggests that your student may indeed be dyslexic then you will needto talk directly to him or her. Stress that it is not uncommon that it does not meanthat the student is stupid and help is available.

Go through the later sections in the forthcoming pages and see if there isanything that you can do differently to make learning easier for your student.

You and the student in consultation with the parents will then need to decideif it will help to get him/her formally referred to the qualified person for further help.

4. What ever you call it, Dyslexia is NOT.

a result of low intelligence

based on class or ethnic origin

merely concerned with" difficulties with reading"

a result of poor eyesight or hearing

a result of an emotional problem

an impediment to an academic career

a middle class excuse for poor academic attainment

a mental handicap

5. Dyslexia is among other things:

a discrepancy between evident intelligence and actual performance

a problem with processing language quickly

a difficulty with auditory processing

a difficulty with visual processing

a directional problem - confusion of left and right


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a weakness of short term memory

a difficulty with fine motor co-ordination

a difficulty with sequencing

an organizational difficulty

Dyslexia means having to work ten times as hard.

6. QUESTIONS ABOUT DYSLEXIA

6.1. Why should teachers diagnose students as dyslexic?

Dyslexia has begun to have a positive image, with students being able to identify withfamous people who became successful in their particular field. (Einstein etc).

To diagnose a student as dyslexic indicates a positive way of understanding *he problems and applying the best methods of training, teaching and employment in order that a person's skills and talents are used in the most appropriate way and not wasted.

Without being aware of a student's specific strengths and weaknesses in reading,writing or spelling, or learning style, the teacher cannot organize and devise suitableteaching strategies to help the student progress.

6.2. Are there degrees of dyslexia?

Yes. Some dyslexic people learned to talk early but found it difficult to learn *o read.Others learn to read but find spelling difficult Students in higher education .vho have battledtheir way through the language requirement may still have :: Ificulty in telling the time,remembering their times tables, organizing their essays ::-taking lecture notes.

6.3. Are there types of dyslexia?

Yes. Dyslexia is a Veritable syndrome of difficulties and the continuum of nj ,cators makes definition of the condition difficult. However, as teachers, we can ::assify

specific areas of processing difficulties which students may have into four

a,in categories:visual processing difficulties, auditory processing difficulties, ifficulties with motor co-ordination and difficulties with organizing and sequencing. Dognosis is therefore importantto establish which strategies would be most effective lo help the student to learn.6.4. How are dyslexic learners different from slow learners?

Slow learners do not exhibit the same discrepancy between their intelligence and their written expression or between verbal and non verbal abilities. Many slow learners can spell andwrite adequately but have difficulties with concepts. The dyslexic student knows a lot andusually has a lot to say but finds it difficult to 'get it out', especially on paper.

Dyslexic students usually make good progress when they follow a structured program of work based on their specific needs and learning style, whereas slow learners make slow

progress. The dyslexic learner might be described as a 'quick forgetter' rather than a 'slow


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learner'.

6.5. Can word processors help dyslexics?

Some students, particularly those with motor problems, certainly benefit from using aword processor as they bypass the interference which poor motor coordination puts in theway of their spelling and written expression.

Dyslexic students are usually poor spellers therefore spell checks may be useful toenable students to present work which reflects their abilities and not their spelling and writingdifficulties. However, spell-checks vary in their usefulness.

Poor sequencing abilities and organization are greatly helped by being able to move textaround the screen.

6.6. Do dyslexic students have difficulties with maths?

There is often a correlation between difficulties with written language and difficultieswith maths where sequencing, directional and memorisational problems are evident. These mayreveal themselves especially in long division and algebra. Some dyslexic students (often thosewith auditory processing problems) may be very good at maths. Sometimes the difficulties arewith the language of maths.

7. Identifying dyslexia through the handwritings.

We said earlier that the learning disability is the diff iculty in selecting, retaining

and expressing ideas due to information scrambling when it travels between the sensesand brain. The scrambling may be in either of auditory processing or visual processing or of motor processing. The students' hand writing would give the teacher a good clue on the kindof difficulties that the student faces.


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9. How a teacher/parent can help?


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There are three main ways of helping dyslexic students to learn and study:

9.1. encourage them to use aids and equipment,9.2. modify the way you teach and conditions for tests and exams and 9.3.

offer specialist learning support which will enable student* to achieve their

full academic potential.

9.1.1 AIDS FOR LEARNING

Micro-cassette They are pocket size and very useful to recordTape recorder: instructions or notes if the student cannot remember

them. They can also be used as a memory aid torecord instructions, directions or appointments.

File dividers and As dyslexic students tend to be very messy andorganizers: disorganized, organization aids will help them

overcome some of the stress which studying willplace upon them.

Taped books:The tapes can be played when in the car or whenlistening to a Walkman. They can improveknowledge, vocabulary and expression. It helps thestudent to follow the course that he/she is studying.It also can be used for revision or simply .enable thestudent to enjoy a good story.

Video / film/ Educational discs are available on any particular educational discs: topic that the student is studying. This will often give

a more meaningful context to the subject for students with a 'global' learning style and help themacquire information more easily.

Electronic With & word processing program. Word processorsTypewriter or A often help those students with handwriting difficulties

microcomputer: as it improves their written expression They can alsohelp enormousl with the or anisation of essa s.Spell checks may be useful, but students havecommented that spell-checks often have to beamended order to be of use.

9.3. The Learning Process

Discuss the learning process with your students. -


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explain why you are doing a particular activity

explain skills you are hoping to develop

discuss with students how they intend to go about learningsomething

explore which strategies have worked for them

encourage students to share strategies which have been successful

develop students' analytic skills to decide why certain strategies work andothers are less successful

- help them to realize the necessity and value of practice toconsolidate learning in order to acquire a new skill

discuss how memory works

relate new learning to successful learning in the past

use 'mind mapping'

use mnemonics

Encourage students to take charge of their own learning.

offer a variety of methods and approaches for them to select or discover which works best for them

set up situations where they can explain or demonstrate thingsto each other, work in pairs or groups, select activities or projects, set goals

stress self-checking and give plenty of opportunity for self Assessment

10. Specific Skills

Dyslexic students require concentrating on certain . specific skills in enriching~-!,eir vocabulary, skills in notes taking, reading and writing. Teachers need to give--7eIr attention to satisfy themselves that the dyslexic students under their careenrich their skills on the area mentioned above. The skills are:

Technical vocabulary

- Teachers shall discuss and explain the jargon of thier subject area encourage students to compile their own glossaries


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help them focus on learning spellings of important technical vocabulary

Note taking

- Teachers shall make their own notes available to the students -

write main points and terminology on board

- when using OHPs - type information, summarize points, don't put toomuch information onto sheet

- make handouts clear and easily accessible

Reading

provide reading list with selected articles and clearly structured andpresented material

offer audio-visual sources on subject matter (e.g. Open Universityprogrammes, TV documentaries or discussions, video courses which oftengive structure to material which student can use to help written texts).

Writing

offer models of written work: essays reports, projects - explain the structure -give outline plan and guide

BE SPECIFIC & PRACTICAL.

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN CLEARLY. DONT EXPECT STUDENT TOREMEMBER WITHOUT EXTRA REINFORCEMENT OR SCURFFRAMEWORK.

Make sure instructions are clear and written d own for the studentto check Be expl ic it t o fo rmula te ques tions Be c lea r in your own communication

While dealing with the dyslexic children or children with any sort of learning

disabilities, teachers shall remember the following points.


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Some st udents can onl y gener alize from lots of spec ific concreteexamples and practice

When a student makes an error in a sequence you may need toretr ace a ll the st eps w ith them rathe r t han j ust p oint out where they wentwrong

Some students may be easily distracted by noise, activity or visual'clutter'

Dyslexic students may need more time to absorb information -try tobreak-up learning sessions, discussions etc. to allow this processing to happen

The f inal stage of learning is being able to ' teach' someone else-make opportuni ties for students to do this (throug h talking, writing,

demonstrations)

Always reinforce in the minds of dyslexic student that it simply means that ,she needs to work 10 times harder than the normal children to be equal.

"The test of Ahimsa is absence of jealousy" - Swami VivekanandaVIII. SUGGESTED AIDS FOR LEARNING STYLES

U se t he se a id s t o sha rp en y ou r p ar ti cu la r d om in an t l ea rn in gmodality or to strengthen a weaker one. Try lo be aware of the different

activities you do dally to help all three of your modalities.

Visual Auditory Kinestheticuse guided imagery form

pictures in your mind

take notes

use tapes

watch TVlisten lo music

pace /walk as you study

physically "do it"practice by repeated


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see parts of words use

"cue" words

use notebooksuse color codes usestudy cardsuse photographic

p i c t u r e s w a t c h

T V watch filmstrips

watch movies

use charts, graphs

u s e m a p s

demonstratedraw /use drawings useexhibitswatch lips move in

front of a mirror use mnemonics

(acronyms, visual chains,mind maps, acrostics,

hook-ups),

speak/listen to

speakers

m a k e u p

rhymes/poems read

aloud talk

to yourself

repeat things orally use

rhythmic sounds h a v e

discussions l isten

carefully

use oral directions

sound out words

use theater say words in syllables usemnemonics

(word links, rhymes,

poems, lyrics), VoiceComputers

motion

breathe

slowly

role play

exercise

dance

writewrite on surfaces

with finger

Take notes

associate feelings withconcept/ information

write lists repeatedly

stretch/move in chair

watch lips move in front of

a mirror use mnemonics (word

links,

rhymes, poems, lyrics),

BEHAVIOURAL INDICATORS OF LEARNING STYLE

Visual Auditory Kinesthetic

organized Easily organized Respond to physicalrewards

Neat and orderly Move slips when reading Physically oriented


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PURPOSE: To test the auditory sequential memoryPROCEDURE:1. Teacher recites A series of digits given below loud, at the rate of one per

second.1. Student must repeat thorn, with digits and their correct. Twotrials for each length are given.

2. Stop testing when child gets both trials wrong

SCORE : One mark for each correct repetition3. When student has reached his limit on digits forward. he is thenasked to repeat the next batch in reverse order.4. Continue until he gets both trials of similar length wrong.

FORWARD REVERSE

2 - 6 - 5 1 - 3 PRACTICAL ITEMS72

16

22

72

57

6 3 5 1 5 2 71 4 5 2 0- 1 9

2 7 4 6 9 4 7 3 52 4 7 1 6 1 6 8 5

6 9 1 8 3 7 1 7 5 0 41 4 5 4 7 6 3 5 2 1 7

5 1 7 4 2 3 6 8 3 9 7 5 39 8 5 2 1 6 3 1 4 0 4 7 2

1 6 4 5 9 7 6 3 8 5 9 2 3 4 22 9 7 6 3 1 5 4 4 5 7 9 2 8 1

5 3 8 7 1 2 4 6 - 9 6 9 1 6 3 2 5 84 2 6- 9 1 7 8 3- 5 3 1 3 9 5 4 8 2

SCORE : Sum of correct responses for digits forward and reverse

Score Test Age (Years &Months)

ScoreV

Test Age (Years &Mortis)

6 6-0 11 1 0 - 07 6 - 6 12 1 1 - 68 7 - 0 13 1 2 - 69 7 - 6 14 1 4 - 0

10 8 - 6 15 1 6 +


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TEST NO. 2

REVISED WEPMAN TEST OF AUDITORY

DISCRIMINATION PURPOSE : To test the auditory discriminations

capacity:

PROCEDURE: Teacher shall ask the student to sit comfortably andinstruct him to repeat what he says. Teacher shall cover his mouth to avoid lipreading.

RUB RUG MAT MAP

BACK BACK DONE BUN

WEB WED WITH WISH

BEG BED COME COMB

PARK PARK OTHER OVER

GUN DONE MINE NINE

BOAT BOAT SHAVE SAVE

VAN THAN WING WING

CHEEK CHEAP BRIDGE BRIDGE

PRIZE PRIZE PICK KICK

REACH REACH FREE THREETHREAD SHRED FOAL FALL

WENT WENT CALL CALL

PASS PATH TAR TAR

TEN PEN PAT PET

BAT SACK BUFF BUS

DIM DIN ROSE ROSE

THANK SANK MARS MARSH

COAST TOAST TEN TIN


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EYE PNITERNS

V': Visual ConstructedImages of things that people have never seen before.When people are making it up in their head, they are using visual constructed.QUESTION: "What would your room look like if it were blue?"


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VR: Visual Remembered

Seeing images from memory, recalling things they have seen before.(In addition, some people access visual remembered by defocussing their eyes.)

QUESTION: "What color was the room you grew up in?

A': Auditory ConstructedMaking up sounds that you have not heard before.QUESTION: "What would I sound like if I had Donald Duck's voice?"

A R : Auditory RememberedWhen you remember sounds or voices that you've heard before, or things thatyou've said to yourself before.

QUESTION: "What was the very last thing I said?"or "Can you remember the sound of your mother's voice?"

K Kines the t ic(Feelings, sense of touch)People generally look in this direction when they are accessing their feelings.QUESTION: "What does it feel like to touch a wet rug?"

A D: Auditory Digital

This is where our eyes go when we are talking to oneself, internal dialogue.QUESTION: "Can you recite the pledge of Allegiance to yourself?"


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HOW DO YOU LEARN BEST?


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Choose either a, b, c that is closest to your style of learning. If you are.-

LearningSpelling

Reading

Hand writinga) Do you learn best by watching diagrams posters etc.?b) Do you like listening to a lecture etc.?c) Do you like to be actively involved in practical demonstrations?

a) Do you try to picture the word?b) Do you sound it out?c) Do you write it to see if it feels right?

a) Do you enjoy descriptions and find it easy to visualize the story?b) Do you enjoy dialogue and tend to skip lengthy description?c) Do you enjoy action and are fidgety when reading - not a keen reader?

a) Do you think has is important and so you work on style?b) Did you write lightly and sometimes talk when writing?c) Do you find yon press hard with pen/pencil and find it difficult when space for writing becomes smaller?

Remembering a) Do you remember faces but forget names?

b) Do you remember names not faces?c) Do you remember what you did?

Visualizing a) Do you think in vivid detailed pictures?b) Do you think about sounds?b) Have few pictures and those seen have movement?

Solving problems a) Do you plan in advance listing possible problems?b) Do you talk yourself through problems?c) Do you tackle them by solutions that are physical?

Distracted

a) Are you distracted by visual mess?b) Do you find sounds distracting?c Are ou easil distracted articularl b

Trying to respond a) Do you look at facial expressions? tosomeone's mood b) Do you listen to their tone of voice?

c) Do you concentrate on their body language?

In a new situation a) Do you look around carefully at everything?b) Talk about it, listening to alternatives?c Do ou wei h thin s u b tr in thin s

Count how many a , b C (Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic)


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THE LEFT/RIGHT BRAIN MODEL

The neo-cortex (the thinking bit of the brain) is split into two halves. 'The . twohalves are connected down the middle with a fantastic network of nerves (called theCorpus Callosum). Some people say that we have one brain connected in the

middle, some say it's two brains connected together.

What happens if I damage the right side of my brain? (The left side isparalyzed -due to cross-lateral connection.)

Roger Sperry - two sides of your brain work on slightly different mentalabilities.

What we've found is - the brain has ALL these capacities. So if one thinksthat she/he can't do maths, or can't do art, or can't sign she/he is wrong. She/hecan. All she/he has to do is to find out how her/his brain works and develop all these

capacities. All her/his skills then start to get better.Educational experiments have been done on people who say, 1 can't do that"

-they've been trained - they haven't found anyone who couldn't draw, or sign, or domaths, or whatever.

As you develop, you don't just get better in the area in which you train.

As you learn rhythm, you get better at numbers.

The greatest musicians were also mathematicians, and the greatestmathematicians also musicians, [of Bach.]

People have said - "all very well, but if so, then great brains in history wouldhave used all of this - but did they?"


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What side would Einstein have used? Left?

Great musicians and painters? Right?

Einstein's hobbies - daydreaming, playing the violin, driftingaround in a sailboat.

Who was one of the greatest brain s, in the last 1000 years -bestat everything.

Leonardo da Vinci best painter, sculptor, mathematician,astronomer, geographer, inventor, best architect, strongest used both sidesof his brain. Academic word draw pictures. Painting worked out using thegeometry.

Everyone of our brains is like da Vinci's or Einstein's - just have to workout how to use the brain.

Solving a problem - where are you usually when your brainsuddenly solves a problem - going to sleep - drifting off in the bath - in a car - in school, when slightly bored - daydreaming.

Brain starts to organize and imagine.

At school - what do we learn first - reading, riting, rithmetic. Left bra in.But if you're good at tapping out r hythms on the desk and daydreaming?Described as dumb. Everyone is smarter than they thought - just that we haveimbalances in different skills.

HEMISPHERE PREFERENCES TEST(TENDENCIES ONLY)

Please mark the following pairs of statements out of 10 and then transfer to the score sheet overleaf.

1. (a) I am able to follow directions easily(b) I have difficulty in following verbal directions

2. (a) My office, filing and diary organization isunstructured (b) My office and filing is structured

3. (a) When at school I was prone to day dreams(b) When at school I was interested in the school environment

4. (a) I deal easily with abstract definitions(b) The more exaggerated the explanation the easier I understand

5. (a) I prefer to learn about a subject by doing (touching) the objects itrelates to

(b) I am very fluent verbally

6. (a) 1 usually have a preferred sequence for a task(b) 1 prefer to work in a spontaneous way without any particular order


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7. (a) I can only work to deadline(b) I need enough time to plan my work and fix my deadlines

8. Which means more to you:

(a) 1,000,000(a) "I promise to pay you Elm"

9. (a) In exams, I prefer multiple choice questions(b) In exams, I prefer essay or open ended questions

10. (a) Answers to questions 'just pop up'(b) I arrive at answers intellectually

11. (a) I am usually late or early(b~ I am usually on time

12 (a) When meeting people I remember their name firstb When meeting people 1 remember their faces first

13. (a)I show my feelings(b) I prefer to deal with people in a detached way

14. (a)I prefer to learn by moving(b) I prefer to learn by listening and watching

15. (a)I prefer work to be organised hierarchically

c) I prefer short lines of communication and a democratic workenvironment

S C O R I N G

I ( a )

(b)2 (b)

(a).3 (b)(b)

4 (a)(b)

5 (b)(a)

6 (a).(b)

7 (b)(a)

8 (a)(b)

9 (a) (b)10 (b)

(a)


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11 (b)(a)

12 (a)(b)

13 (b) (a)14 (b) (a)15 ( a ) (b)

Total

READING TRAINING USING A TAPE RECORDER PURPOSE To

improve the reading style, speed of the child. STEPS:

1. Ask the child to prepare 1-4 pages of Reading, (depending on his ability)1. The passage may need to be read at least four timers2. Ask the child to read his prepared passage as you start the tape recorder and record his efforts.3. Stop the recorder; discuss the reading for meaning, checking any problems that accrued. Be patientin checking the problems.4. Rewind the tape to the starting point. (If time - the child can either read along with himself or he canlisten to himself, putting a pencil mark where he detect,. 3ny mistakes5. Ask the chil d to re-read the passage again as quickly as possible and as he begins, turnthe volume almost down to O.6. As he reaches the end of the passage turn the volume up, to check how many words, sentence, or paragraphs he is able to race through in the second reading than in the first and how many wordsare still being read from the recorder.

7. Accuracy is very essential. Later, punctuation should also be noted. Expression should be put intothe reading. Each is a stage of improvement.Hints on Pronunciation

I take it you already knowof tough and bough and cough and dough?

Others may stumble, but not youOn hiccough, thorough, laugh and through?

Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,To learn of less familiar traps?

Beware of heard, a dreadful wordThat looks like beard and sounds like bird,

And dead: it's said like bed not bead -For goodness sake don' t cal l i t 'deed l !

Watch out for meat and great and threat(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt).

A moth is not a moth in motherNor both in bother, broth in brother, And here is not a match for there

nor dear and fear for bear and pear, And then there's dose and rose and lose -

Just look them up - and goose and choose,


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And cork and work and card and ward, And font and front and word and sword,

And do and go and t hwar t and car t -Come, come, I've hardly made a start!

A dreadful language? Man alive,I'd mastered it when I was five!

Mind Maps for Study and Revision

A Mind Map is a method of organizing your thoughtsand recording information using key words and images.

Key words are essential for recall. The more we canlimit note-taking to key words the more likely we are toremember the information. 80-90% of what is written downis unnecessary to recall as it consists of words such as "and.

though, but", used to create grammatical sentences. A Mind Map is a memory tool as it has a graphic shape

and uses colour and images. As most of us have visualmemories the more visual we can make information themore likely we are to remember it.

A Mind Map uses the natural methods of thebr ain - connecti on , association and imagination.

A Mind Map can condense pages of information toone page. This is easily referred to for revision and can beeasily remembered.

A Mind Mop can help to generate ideas quickly. A Mind Map can be used to:

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Structure on essay Take notes in classMake notes on a subject Organise thoughtsImprove revision practice Improve memory

A Mind Map will improve confidence andefficiency in study. A Mind Map is FUN andimproves motivation.

RULES OF MIND-MAPPING Colourful picture in middle (pictures wherever possible). Key, important words printed on lines in centre.

Draw single lines, on which you put either words or pictures.

Use keywords.

Foll^ vv brain's ideas. Connect main Ideas to lines, because the brain

winks works by association.

Lines connecting to other lines, with single words printed. Entire brain - words, list logic, and pictures, colour imagination.

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Stupid ideas stay in.


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( C e

Let brain go wherever it wants.

If you get stuck - do a mind map on any part of the mind map.

Get stuck - put in some lines - have a go at labeling tin new lines:

Bigger the map gets, the easier it h to keep adding.

When finished - edit out stupid ideas - but - they're probably unusual HOW TO ORGANISE YOUR MIND MAP

1. Take different colours and follow the shape of each brunch. Usedifferent colours -maybe even, different styles. Advantage? (Solicit) Make itstand out, see it more clearly.

1. 1 could also put some numbers on it - order in which I want to deal with it,or talk about it.

2. Once you have done an initial, "brain-storm" version - you may want lo re-draw it, with a different organization.

Beware premature convergence - logic kills creativity. Create first, organize later.

LEARNING PROBLEMS

Learning problems due to biological factors manifest themselves right from early

development of the child. Such children can be broadly grouped into 4 categories:

Group 1: Problem with general abilities. Such children have low intellectual abilitiescompared to average children and are known as slow learners.

Group 2: Problem with attention. These children are restless and some arehyperkinetic. They have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) or AttentionDeficit Disorder (ADD).

Group 3: Problems with visual and auditory perceptions. Some of these children mayread or write 'b' as 'd'. They also manifest soft neurological signs such as difficulty inmotor coordination or clumsy behaviour.

Group 4: These children are quite intelligent but have specific problems in spelling or writing or mathematics.

Children of groups 3 & 4 are called dyslexics.

Like the adults, children too have some basic needs which are necessary for

their sound, overall development. It is therefore important to understand children andto provide them with a favourable environment at school and home as well as givethem relevant, need-based education in order to make them grow into productive


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adults. Before you read further take a piece of paper and write down the needs of children that you are aware of. Once you have done that, read on and see for yourself what you have missed out:

Physical needs : food, clothing, shelter, protection from pain and sickness, time toplay.

Psychological needs: acceptance as an individual, emotional satisfaction,reassurance, warmth, love and affection.

Educational needs: warm and understanding atmosphere at school,encouragement for new learning and achievement, education to meet life'schallenges.

Deprivation can seriously affect the students physical, emotional, social and mentaldevelopment. This leads to certain socio-emotional problems, which can beclassified into two broad categories: emotional problems and conduct problems.

Vikram keeps failing in his school exams. His class work is of poor quality and hecannot understand anything explained to him unless simple, concrete examples aregiven to him from everyday life situations. He also finds it difficult to understandthings, which are outside his range of immediate experience. This means that he willnot be ready for formal learning (reading, writing and arithmetic) at the same age as

the other children of his class. He is probably at a lower intellectual level than hisclassmates. However, he is able to take care of his personal and social needs under guidance and is also capable of learning at the concrete level. So, he probably fallsin the category of the mentally retarded, although his retardation does not seem tobe very severe. He belongs


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Documents

Course Materials on Learning Disability by Dr. P.N.Narayana Raja