At the end of this presentation you should be able to:

• Define and identify the characteristics of a learning disability.

• Identify the causes associated with learning disabilities.

• Describe how you evaluate students with learning disabilities.

• Understand how you assure progress in the general curriculum.

• Identify and describe successful practice for teaching students with learning disabilities.

Chapter 4 Objectives

Learning Disabilities

Chapter Objectives

Who Is Tony Lavender?

• Tony is an outgoing sixth-grade student.• However, he also tends to be shy and has been a struggling student.• He began receiving special education services 7 years ago.• He has a vision problem that contributed to his learning problems.• Collaborative efforts from Tony’s dad, stepmother, and teacher have helped

Tony gain ability and confidence.• Despite achieving some level of success, Tony is still afraid of failure.

Chapter 4

Learning Disabilities

How Do You Recognize Students with Learning Disabilities?

• IDEA definition– Specific learning disability– Basic psychological processes

• National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities– Learning disabilities are heterogeneous– IDEA requires significant academic difficulty– Learning disabilities are a lifelong condition– NJCLD assumes learning disabilities have intrinsic causes, along with

possible extrinsic causes for academic problems

Defining Learning Disabilities

How Do You Recognize Students with Learning Disabilities?

Describe characteristics of a learning disability.

• Three criteria for classification– Inclusionary– Exclusionary– Need criterion

• Intelligence tests– Bell curve shows below-average, average, and above-average ranges of

intelligence– The use of IQ tests is sometimes criticized

Classification Criteria for Learning Disabilities

How Do You Recognize Students with Learning Disabilities?

Describe characteristics of a learning disability.

Academic Characteristics• Reading• Written Language• Mathematics• Memory• Metacognition

Describing the Characteristics

How Do You Recognize Students with Learning Disabilities?

Behavioral Characteristics• Interpersonal Skills• Motivation• Self-Concept

Describe characteristics of a learning disability.

• Neurological Causes – Advances in technology

• MRIs• CAT Scans• PET Scans

• Hereditary/Genetic Causes – Human Genome Project

• Teratogenic/Pollutant Factors

Identifying the Causes

How Do You Recognize Students with Learning Disabilities?

Identify the causes associated with learning disabilities.

Evaluating Students

How Do You Evaluate Students With Learning Disabilities?

Describe how you evaluate students with learning disabilities.

Figure 4-3

Determining the Presence

How Do You Evaluate Students With Learning Disabilities?

Describe how you evaluate students with learning disabilities.

• Nondiscriminatory evaluation procedures– Adhere to IDEA inclusionary and exclusionary criteria– Establish a discrepancy between intellect and achievement

• Test to measure students’ cognitive abilities– WISC-III

• Test to measure students’ achievement– WIAT-II

Determining the Nature and Extent of Services

How Do You Evaluate Students With Learning Disabilities?

• Criterion-referenced tests– Help determine whether a child has a learning disability– Findings are useful in developing an IEP– Can determine instructional effectiveness

• Curriculum-based assessment– Chart a student’s progress– Should reflect objectives you are teaching– Test items should be clearly stated– Special Connections – An example

Recognize the importance of student progress within the general curriculum.

Ability-Achievement Discrepancy

• Requires that students show a severe discrepancy between their IQ and academic achievement through the use of standardized testing.

• This has resulted in intense interest in and urgency for finding alternative methods which could be both more timely and more reliable.

• Discrepancy dilemma– Increase in numbers– “Waiting to fail”– Cultural bias

http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=703

Responsiveness to Intervention (RTI)

• RTI is an individualized, comprehensive assessment and intervention process, utilizing a problem-solving framework to identify and address student academic difficulties using effective, efficient, research-based instruction.

• RTI process– students who show signs of learning difficulties are provided with a series of

increasingly intensive, individualized interventions– interventions are designed and delivered by general education staff in

collaboration with other experts such as special educators and school psychologists and are based on reliable research

– intervention process includes systematic monitoring of the student’s progress– students who do not show improvement, or “responsiveness,” to this series of

interventions are considered to be learning disabled and in need of special education services in order to receive educational benefit from instruction.

http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=840

Including Students

How Do You Assure Progress in the General Curriculum?

Recognize the importance of student progress within the general curriculum.

Figure 4-6

• Augmenting instruction– Learning strategies– Acquiring information– Storing and remembering

• Augmenting curriculum– Direct instruction

Planning Universally Designed Learning

How Do You Assure Progress in the General Curriculum?

Discuss and understand the basic components of the universally designed curriculum.

Figure 4-7

• Teachers need to be able to plan together– Share information about students’ difficulties– Examine causes of behavior– Brainstorm solutions and interventions– Select and implement interventions– Plan for evaluation and future implementation

• The Power of 2

Collaborating to Meet Students’ Needs

How Do You Assure Progress in the General Curriculum?

Understand the benefits of collaboration and communication across settings.

What Can You Learn From Others Who Teach Students With Learning Disabilities?

The Early Childhood Years

• Embedded Learning Opportunities (ELO) – 5 Key Steps– Target and enhance child’s classroom engagement– Set up the environment for engagement– Observe child independently engaged– Approach a child not engaged– Engage, elaborate, and provide reinforcement

Early Childhood

What Can You Learn From Others Who Teach Students With

Learning Disabilities?

Connect knowledge to specific case studies.

The Elementary Years

• Direct Instruction (DI)– Instructional techniques based on choral responses, homogeneous

grouping, signals, and other proven instructional techniques.– Carefully designed sequences, lesson scripting, as well as responses to

anticipated children’s questions.

Elementary

What Can You Learn From Others Who Teach Students With Learning

Disabilities?

Connect knowledge to specific case studies.

Middle and Secondary Years

• Learning Strategies– Teacher directed from beginning to end– Student learns through repetition and practice– Empower learner to generalize across settings

• Strategy Examples– Center for Research on Learning– The Learning ToolBox

Middle and Secondary

What Can You Learn From Others Who Teach Students With Learning

Disabilities?

Connect knowledge to specific case studies.

Transitional and Post-Secondary Years

• Mitchell College’s Learning Resource Center– Colleges and universities have increased services for students with

learning disabilities.– LRC staff are learning specialists– Three levels of support:

• Entitled support• Enhanced support• Comprehensive support

Transitional and Post Secondary

What Can You Learn From Others Who Teach Students With Learning

Disabilities?

Connect knowledge to specific case studies.

A Vision For Tony’s Future

• Planning Tony’s transition from high school to college

• Supporting Tony’s success in reading to content comprehension in content areas

• Ensuring success in the resource room is continued in the general education classroom

• Including Tony’s parents as part of the collaborative team

A Vision for Tony’s Future