Week Two Agenda:Review Portfolio ProjectWriting Prompt (attendance)Special Ed Categories—PowerPointFAT City videoLD SimulationsQuestions/Comments? Discussion

What is a Learning Disability?A neurological disorder

A person’s brain is wired differently

Kids w/ LDs are as smart or smarter than peers

A LD can’t be cured or fixed; it’s a lifelong issue

With the right support and intervention, these kids with LDs can succeed in school!

Facts about Learning Disabilities15% of the population, or 1 in 7 Americans,

have an LDDifficulty w/ basic reading and language

skills are most common LDsAs many as 80% of students w/LDs have

reading problemsLearning Disabilities often run in familiesLDs should not be confused with other

disabilities such as mental retardation, autism, ADHD, etc.

Students with LDsMust be a severe discrepancy between the

student’s ability and achievement.This discrepancy can not be due to emotional

impairments, cognitive impairment, cultural disadvantage, etc…

Learning DisabilitiesOral expressionListening comprehensionWritten expressionBasic reading skillReading comprehensionMathematics calculationMathematics reasoning

Common Characteristics of LD Students

Short term memoryEasily distractedMay have difficulty copying information from

the board/lecturesLack of planning and organizational skillsMay have difficulty expressing themselves

verbally or in writingMay be able to do something one day, but not

the nextLow self-esteem

Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) DisorderCondition that becomes apparent in some

children in preschool and early school yearsHard for these kids to control their behavior

and/or pay attention3-5% of kids have ADHD, so in class of 25-30

it’s likely you’ll have at least one

Emotional ImpairmentManifest problems in the affective domainBehavior problems associated with an EI are:

Demonstrated over a period of timeInterfere with educational performanceTo the extent that Spec. Ed. services are

needed

Emotional ImpairmentBehavior problems manifested through one or

more of the following characteristics:

An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships within the school environment

Inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances

General mood of unhappiness or depressionA tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears

in association with personal or school problems

Autism Spectrum DisorderWide variation in symptomsSeems to be on the rise, but could be result

of improved detectionEarly diagnosis is important

Asperger’s syndromeType of pervasive development disorderInvolves delays in development of basic skills,

namely, ability to socialize, to communicate, & to use imagination

Typically these students will function better than those with Autism

Children w/Asperger’s generally have normal intelligence and near-normal language development, although they may develop problems communicating as they get older

More on Asperger’s…Problems with social skillsEccentric or repetitive behaviorsUnusual preoccupations or ritualsCommunication difficultiesLimited range of interestsCoordination problemsSkilled or talented

A few more to mention…Visual ImpairmentHearing ImpairmentCognitive Impairment

The “Hidden” ImpairmentSpecific learning disabilities are often called

“hidden impairments” because from looking at the person and talking to the person, they appear “normal” (whatever normal is….)

The fact that their disability is hidden can actually be a HUGE disadvantage to the child, since others may erroneously think that the child is lazy, not trying, etc…..

Fair does not equal SameBeing fair means providing what each

student NEEDS.Being fair does not mean treating everyone

the same, since not everyone needs the same things.

Giving equal treatment means leveling the playing field so all students have an equal opportunity to grow, learn and be successful.

LD Instructional Strategies Allow more time for student to complete work Break assignments up into manageable chunks Allow student to utilize technology (audio books/speech recording

software/computer access etc…) Teach using multiple formats that allow each student to learn through

their particular learning style Use mnemonics and other memory tricks Model steps as you teach Allow guided practice before asking student to show mastery

independently Give SPECIFIC Praise OFTEN! Have consistent routines and procedures Allow students to correct errors on assignments and tests to ensure

mastery and to earn some points back Accept late work – even if only for ½ credit – zeroes KILL

Learning DisabilitiesBottom line = Instructional strategies that

are good for special ed students are good for ALL students.

Special ed/At-risk/ELL students MAY need more intensive versions of the strategies.

The BIG IdeaYou will have special ed students in your classesIt is your job to teach them and help them become

successful individualsDiversity is good = all will benefitDon't assume you know everything about the student

- especially if you weren't that kind of learnerBE FLEXIBLEBE FAIR Fair = give what is NEEDEDWhat is good for special ed students is what is good

for ALL students

F.A.T. City VideoA brief introduction to what LD students

experience daily to help develop some empathy and understanding

Understand the reasons for some accommodations

LD Simulation ActivitiesIf you don’t really feel up to it today, or find

as you are going that you don’t want to do these activities – TOO BAD!

LD students are expected to perform tasks daily that cause them to experience frustrations, anxiety and tension.

ACTIVITY 1Reading and Decoding– how hard can it be?

p d q b

This activity shows what it is like to read as a LD child

Even if you can decode something, it doesn’t mean comprehension is there.

ACTIVITY 2Perceiving vs. Seeing

You can see the picture but you can’t perceive it. You need direct instruction from the teacher.

There’s a difference b/w vision and perception. You can see it but you can’t bring meaning to it until I tell you what it is.

ACTIVITY 3ORAL EXPRESSION

GROUP STORY – Generating Ideas, Thinking of the right words, Organizing and Expressing thoughts

Experience shows how speaking can be a cognitive task for a LD child

ACTIVITY 4Auditory and Visual CapabilitiesWhat it’s like to be unable to understand

something visually but it makes sense when you hear it aloud