Transcript Literacy Nova Scotia CLI Workshop May 13th 2008 Digby, NS

Literacy Nova Scotia
CLI Workshop
May 13th 2008- Digby, NS
Learning DisabilitiesInformation and Strategies
Workshop Topics
Learning Disabilities- what does it feel like?
Warning signs- or what we call Red Flags for
Math and Language Based LDs
How are learning disabilities
diagnosed/assessed?
How can we meet the needs of a learner who
might have a LD?
What might it feel like to have an LD?
Who do you know that has a Learning
Disability?
Have you ever ask them to talk about their
Learning Disability?
What is a learning disability?
A learning disability is a disorder that affects a
person's ability to either interpret what they see
and hear or to link information from different
parts of the brain. Although the individual with a
learning disability has an average or aboveaverage IQ, the disability becomes evident in
both academic and social situations. The
individual can have marked difficulties on certain
types of tasks while excelling at others.
http://www.ldac-taac.ca/Defined/defined_new-e.asp
The Inconsistency
10
8
6
Strength
Challenge
4
2
0
No two students who have learning
disabilities are the same- their LD
impacts them in different ways
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they have developed different coping
strategies
they have used and been exposed to
different resources
their life experiences are very different
For Example….
Case Studies
Warning Signs or Red Flags
Remember
Two students who may have similar
difficulties may not both have learning
disabilities
Two learners who have diagnosed LDs
may not have the same challenges
No two learners are alike- regardless of
disability
General warning signs
Some common signs of learning disabilities include:
Continues to spell incorrectly, frequently spells the same
word differently in a single piece of writing
Avoids reading and writing tasks
Trouble summarizing
Trouble with open-ended questions on tests
Weak memory skills
Difficulty adjusting to new settings
Works slowly
Poor grasp of abstract concepts
Either pays too little attention to details or focuses on
them too much
Misreads information
Language Based Learning
Disabilities
These students may have:
slow reading rates
difficulty modifying reading rate for different tasks
misreading what is written
confusion of similar words, difficulty integrating new
vocabulary
poor and/or uneven comprehension
lower retention of information from print
difficulty identifying main points from printed material
requires more time to identify information from charts,
tables, and forms
Math Learning Disabilities
These students may have:
Normal or accelerated language acquisition: verbal,
reading, writing
Poetic and creative talents
Weak mental math ability
Poor long term memory
Inability to grasp and remember math concepts, rules,
formulas, sequence, and basic algebra facts;
inconsistent results in these areas.
Confuse similar numbers (e.g., 7 and 9; 3 and 8);
difficulty using a calculator
Lack ability to visualize and see the “big picture”
Easily disorientated or lost; difficulty keeping track of
time
How and why to have a student
assessedPre Screens
and
Psycho Educational Assessments
What is a Screening for Success Pre
Screen?
It is a tool that is used to determine if a student
is at risk for having a learning disability
It can be summarized to provide information to
an assessor
It was developed with the Learning Disability
Association of Canada in conjunction with many
other organizations who deal with adults who
have learning disabilities
What types of questions does the Screening
for Success Pre-Screen ask?
Questions related to the following:
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The individual and their family
Health (past and present)
Language
Education (past and present)
Employment
Things that the student may have trouble with or no
difficulty with
Activities they are good at (past and present)
Goals
Why ask those questions?
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Personal and family- other people in family who may
struggle
Health (as a child until now)- possible vision, hearing
or processing difficulties as a child
Language- languages learned at home vs. in schoolESL issues
Education (as a child until now)- Key grades that if
repeated- may be indicators
Employment- switching jobs- why
Things that the student may have trouble with or no
difficulty with- we are looking for the peaks and
valleys
Activities they are good at- assessment of self
Goals- are they able to phrase them? Are they
realistic?
What happens after the prescreen?
Information obtained is summarized
Information is shared with faculty and
sponsors
Next steps are developed and talked
about with learner
Possible assessment and
accommodations
Why should a learner be assessed
if you believe there may be a
Learning Disability?
Assessing Learning Needs
A psycho educational assessment is a
reliable and common way to have a
learning disability assessed
In order for students to access funding
after your program, the Department of
Education requires that a Registered
Psychologist complete the assessment
and that a clear diagnosis is stated as well
as recommendations to assist the learner
Assessing Learning Needs
So everyone has an understanding of how
the student learns- their strengths and
challenges
So supports can be talked about and
possibly put in place
So advocacy skills can be developed
So future plans can be made
Remember
Two students who may have similar
difficulties may not both have learning
disabilities
Two learners who have diagnosed LDs
may not express the disabilities in the
same way
No two learners are alike- regardless of
disability
A good assessment may include
Medical and learning background informationdone through an interview
Observations during the assessment
IQ testing- Wechsler Adult Intelligence ScaleThird Edition for example
Testing of memory- Working Memory Index,
Wechsler Memory Scale III for example
Processing speed assessment- Processing
Speed Index for example
Academic Abilities- Wechsler Individual
Achievement Test, Second Edition
A good assessment may include
Testing on retrieval of information- immediate
and delayed memory capabilities
Comparing ability to retrieve visual vs. auditory
information
Strengths of the learners as well as challenges
Recommendations that go into detail on how the
learner can be supported
Assessment- From my perspective….
Follow up
Report should be explained to the learner by the
psychologist
Supports need to be talked about with staff and
student
Funding for supports have to be obtained
Follow up must be provided and
accommodations must be re-evaluated for
effectiveness
Documenting accommodations must be done as
well
Strategies for Success
Let’s look back to our little case
studies
Trial
Accommodating a learning with a disability
may require try a variety of strategies until
you determine what works best for the
individual student
General strategies can be useful but may
not work for everyone
Assisting the learner who may have
language based LD
Practice
Find work that is interesting to them and at their
reading level- perhaps in magazines
Encourage reading groups or reading one-onone
Chunking reading into smaller pieces
Allow learners to see and feel the written wordmaybe drawing pictures of what they have read
or taking about it with other people
If books on tape are available USE THEM
A little more personalized
Use technology
Try developing misspelled word lists
Develop personal word dictionaries
Summarize what they are reading while
they are reading it
Use a highlighter
And…….
Let’s look back to our little case
studies
Some strategies to accommodate
students who may have a Math LD
Use graph paper or Inspiration for students who have
difficulty organizing ideas.
Work on finding different ways to approach math facts;
i.e., instead of just memorizing the multiplication tables,
explain that 8 x 2 = 16, so if 16 is doubled, 8 x 4 must =
32.
Introduce new skills beginning with concrete examples
and later moving to more abstract applications.
For language difficulties, explain ideas and problems
clearly and encourage students to ask questions as they
work.
Provide a place to work with few distractions and have
pencils, erasers and other tools on hand as needed.
Strategies continued….
Use manipulatives such as play money, tape measures,
photocopy paper, measuring cups etc
Have the student explain how to complete a problem in
their own words before/while they work on it
Have the student create a math dictionary to define
important words (sum, combine) in their own way
Try to relate topics to the life of the student, cooking,
carpentry work, etc.
Explain how work can be done in different ways- not just
the way you are comfortable with- so try to use videos,
web sites, guest speakers
Chunking material into smaller parts and allowing
learners to see connections
And…
BE CREATIVE
Resources:
http://www.ldonline.org
http://www.disabilityservices.nscc.ca
http://ldans.nsnet.org
http://microscience.on.ca
http://www.aroga.com
http://www.frontiercomputing.on.ca
http://www.readingmadeeasy.ca
http://www.headstrongnation.org
Thank You