Transcript Learning disability - Claremont Graduate University

Claremont Graduate University
Teacher Education
Seminars on Special Education
18 February 2006
What about teachers matters
most? The quality and depth of their
knowledge base, their own values, their
attitude and their philosophy about teaching
their students …
Dr. Phyllis B. Harris, Executive Director
Oakland Unified School District
Programs for Exceptional Children
One out of ten special education students in
the United States lives in California.
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THIS MONTH'S BOOK CLUB SELECTION
IS CONTROVERSIAL AND QUITE
REVEALING. SOME OF YOU MIGHT EVEN
FIND IT SHOCKING.
CLUB MEMBERS PREPARE TO READ “EVERYTHING YOU
ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SPECIAL
EDUCATION BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK."
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How to Include,
Integrate and
Work with Learning
Disabled Students
in…
General Education
13 Eligibility Categories
LSD
Language/Speech Disordered
AU
Autism
OHI
Other Health Impaired
OI
ED
HOH
D
DB
VI
Also referred to as “CH” Communicatively Handicapped
Has varying levels including Asperger or PDD-NOS
Includes medical diagnosis such as Sickle Cell Anemia,
Cancer, and sometimes
ADHD
Orthopedically Impaired
Typically refers to Cerebral Palsy or other medical
condition which impacts
motor movements
Emotionally Disturbed
Hard of Hearing
Students may have only itinerant services to check on
hearing aid care, etc.
Deaf
Deaf Blind
Visually Impaired
Does not typically include students whose vision is
corrected with glasses.
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13 Eligibility Categories…
TBI
MR
MD
SLD
Traumatic Brain Injury
Mental Retardation
Multiple Disabilities
Specific Learning Disability
Includes a variety of processing disorders
Newest category under this condition is Non-Verbal
Learning Disabilities
The catch is that having one of the listed
disabling conditions does not automatically
qualify a student for special education.
The second element in determining eligibility
is that it must adversely impact educational
performance.
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What is Autism?
Spectrum Disorder: diagnosis of Asperger, PDD-NOS,
Autism or autistic-like, depends on the number of
features exhibited. The Diagnostic Manual lists 12
possible features.
Education Code uses the term ‘autistic-like’ and has 7 main
areas of symptoms:
 Inability to use oral language for appropriate
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communication
History of extreme withdrawal or impaired social
relationships
Obsession to maintain sameness (rule-bound)
Extreme preoccupation with objects or
inappropriate use of objects
Extreme resistance to external controls
Peculiar motor mannerisms or motility patterns
Self-stimulating, ritualistic behavior
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What features are there in
Emotional Disturbance?
IDEA definition includes one or more of the following:
Inability to learn that is not explained by intellectual, sensory, or
health factors
Inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships
with peers and teachers
Inappropriate types of behaviors and feelings under normal
circumstances exhibited in several situations
General pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression
Tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with
personal or school problems
These features must be exhibited over a long period of time
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What are Learning Disabilities?
 Learning disability is a general term that describes
specific kinds of learning problems.
 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, defines a
specific learning disability as . . .
 ". . . a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological
processes involved in understanding or in using language,
spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an
imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell,
or do mathematical calculations, including conditions such
as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain
dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.“
 Learning disabilities do not include, "…learning problems
that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor
disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional
disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic
disadvantage.“
 New regulations also include “not due to lack of or poor
educational opportunities”
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What is a Non-Verbal Learning
Disorder?
NVLD is an invisible disorder which
causes a disruption of
information processing in 3
areas, the first is
Organizational Skills and Executive Function
How the brain organizes and stores information;
primarily impacting the links between bits of
information;
Executive Function which is the ability to disengage from
current action, formulate plans, and take action on
those plans or changes because this function utilizes
the ability to integrate information.
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NVLD also affects…
2. Visual-Spatial and Sensory Motor
Integration Deficit…has an effect on
 Body Posture
 Processing Visual Information
 Tactile and Auditory Sensitivity
 Dysgraphia (writing problems)
 Directional Confusion
 Staying Calm and Staying Involved
(alert and engaged)
 Physical Exploration of the World
3. Social Skills and Perspective Taking
The inability to adopt the perspective
of another person
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NVLD details…
 Primary symptom is an inability to attend
to, assess, or appropriately respond to nonverbal aspects of communication (facial cues,
tone and volume of voice, interpersonal space, body
language, etc.)
 Often demonstrates trouble with visual-
spatial organization
(writing, difficulty keeping
math columns straight, walking into people, etc.)
 Sees the details, but not the big picture
(processes information linearly and sequentially, not
conceptually)
 Currently diagnosed as <1% of the Learning
Disabled population
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What is ADHD?
Careless mistakes in schoolwork, work or other
activities.
Has a hard time sustaining attention in tasks or
play
Often does not seem to listen to what others are
saying
Often does not follow through on instructions and
often fails to finish homework
Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
Often avoids or dislikes tasks that require
sustained mental effort
Often loses things
Is often distracted by other things that go on in a
room
Forgetfulness
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Hyperactive-Impulsive
Symptoms
Fidgets and squirms with hands or feet in seat
Inability to stay seated
Climbing on things when inappropriate
Often acts as if "motor driven"- difficulty with leisure
activities
 Often talks excessively
 Difficulty waiting in lines
 Often interrupts others
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Detail
 There must be a history of this disorder before age 7
Symptoms are present across settings.
 Symptoms must significantly reduce an individual's ability to
work or learn.
 Not diagnosed when a person is depressed, anxious or when the
person has another disorder that can explain the ADHD-like
behaviors.
 Symptoms must be present for at least 6 months before a
diagnosis can be made.
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CHRONIC
SHOPPING
SYNDROME
FOLLICALLY
IMPAIRED
VERTICALLY
CHALLENGED
COLOR
BLIND
CONGRESS AUTHORIZES ADDITION OF FOUR NEW DISABILITY
CATEGORIES TO THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
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FAT CITY
Frustration
Anxiety
Tension
OR
“How hard can this be?”
VIDEO CLIP
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Accommodations
Accommodations do not
alter the concept being
taught or measured
Accommodations must be
used in the general
education setting in order
to be used during any
district or state
assessments
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Assignment
Accommodation
 Change the size of the assignment—
if a student fatigues or quits after
completing a few math problems—
reduce the number required.
 It is better that the student do 10
problems correctly than to complete
50 problems incorrectly.
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Modifications
Modifications substantially
change the standard being
taught or measured
Modifications may result in
modified grades on report cards
and progress reports
Modifications must be clearly
spelled out in the IEP in order
to be used
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Assignment Modification
Change the writing assignment
from writing a paragraph to
writing a sentence.
Question: If a student dictates his
paragraph into a tape recorder, then
listens to it and writes it from the
tape….is that an accommodation or a
modification?
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Accommodation!
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Task Analysis
Where is the student having
difficulty?
Goal: Read a simple sentence.
Skills Needed:
*Performs left to right eye movement.
*Associates sounds with symbols.
*Blends sounds into words.
*Reads words in isolation.
*Reads words in context.
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Use your talents to provide solid
Instructional Intervention to
address the skill breakdown…
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Recommended…
 Break tasks into smaller steps, check progress at
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each step and then give the next direction
Provide directions both verbally and in writing; if
possible, provide a sample or model problem
Let student with reading struggles have text read
to him by a peer or other staff
Directly teach student how to take notes and
organize information
Directly teach students about use of bold or
italicized print in texts and the relationship to key
concepts
Directly teach students how to use chapter review
questions to identify key concepts for chapter tests
and how to scan for bold and italicized print to find
answers.
Establish a positive working relationship with the
student's parents, perhaps through email or
communication notebooks or weekly homework
schedules sent home in backpack.
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and…
 Allow student who cannot far point copy to copy from sheet
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at desk OR change assignment so it does not require
copying. Keep in mind, some students need to verbalize
when copying as a memory strategy.
Reduce the visual input by providing more space to work
problems, reducing the number of items per page. It is
often helpful to use graph paper for math problems as this
assists students in keeping the work in the correct columns
Reduce the number of paper and pencil tasks during the day
for students with motor and visual-spatial concerns. Provide
breaks and other types of instructional tasks between
laborious writing tasks.
Provide a student with copies of overheads or peer notes
instead of having to listen and take notes (you could also
provide a copy of the teacher’s overhead or notes with
______)
When appropriate, allow the student with writing
difficulties to use a computer for written work, including
spell checks and grammar checks.
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and…
 Provide and directly instruct students in the use of
graphic organizers as part of the writing process
 Partner with a skilled peer for any tasks requiring a
combination of following verbal/written directions
and fine motor coordination. Many LD students will
require extensive assistance with either retaining
the directions or completing the motoric tasks.
 Allow the student to have extra time to finish
schoolwork or take tests. Many LD students need
longer time to process and synthesize information,
and this need is increased under pressure (test, time
factors, etc.)
 When appropriate, utilize cooperative learning
situations with "good role models“ grouped with
struggling students. The child with the learning
disability should not be expected to be the "scribe"
or primary reader in a cooperative grouping;
however, they can contribute verbally and may be
able to “report” to the larger group.
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and…
 Check for understanding frequently before and
during an assignment. Present information and
directions in clear, simple terms (i.e., "spell out"
everything).
 All expectations need to be direct and explicit.
Don't require this child to "read between the lines"
to glean your intentions. Avoid sarcasm, figurative
speech, idioms, slang, etc., unless you plan to explain
your usage.
 Allow “thought time” between directions and
response or between questions and response. For
the LD child, even if you are repeating the same
information, they have to begin the processing step
all over again.
 Keep schedules and routines as predictable as
possible. Prepare students in advance for changes in
routine, such as assemblies, field trips, minimum
days, vacation days, finals, etc.
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and…
 Practice “being ready to learn” and what “listening
looks like” with your students. Use the same terms
and expectations throughout the day as you begin
tasks or when students are distracted.
 Prepare students for transitions between activities
with a warning that we will be moving to ______in 3
minutes, etc. Include in that transition warning, if
you are not finished with this, then you should
__________(do what) with that work.
 Use transitions consistently. Some teachers prefer
to use a transition routine that breaks from one
task to another such as moving from table to carpet,
or putting one set of books on the shelf and getting
another, etc. These and similar transitions also allow
students to add movement to their day, which helps
with focus and attention.
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And yet more…
 Explicitly teach strategies for what to do when
students are unsure of what to do. "I shouldn't have to
tell you" does not apply - assume you do have to tell this
student. Prompt them to look at peers, ask them “what
are your classmates doing?”, then “what should you be
doing?”; If the child is still unsure, teach them to ask
for help.
 Verbally teach (don't expect the child to observe)
cognitive strategies for the skills of conversational
pragmatics (the ‘give and take’ and comfortable
beginnings and endings of a conversation, how and when
to change the subject, formal versus informal
conversational idiosyncrasies, tone and expression of
voice, etc.) and nonverbal body language (facial
expressions, correct social distance, when the limit or
cut-off point has been reached, etc.).
 Many LD children will not perceive that they are trying
someone's patience until that person verbally explodes!
Give him some explicit verbal cues before the boiling
point because he does not sense tension or displeasure.
Label emotions.
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Social Skills and the
LD
Child
 Every environment, including classrooms, are
social environments.
 LD students can compensate for the lack of
reading or math skills (partner read, books on
tape, calculator) but cannot compensate for a
lack of social skills.
 Social Skills are very challenging for teachers
to teach because it is intrinsic to us—we
understand social cues and unspoken social
rules; LD kids make mistakes we would never
conceive of.
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LD students often lack Social Skills…
Ability to ask questions!
80% of your first encounter with a new person
consists of questions.
This is how you gather information about similar
interests, abilities, etc.
They are the basis for all social interaction, even
for children:
“Do you want to play basketball?”
“Did you watch X-Men?”
“Can I see your Yugio card?”
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How does an LD kid
ask a question?
If mom says, “ask your dad if he wants ice cream”, the
LD child will likely go to dad and say, “Mom wants to
know if you want ice cream”. Not a question form…
If the LD child wants to play basketball, he will just join
in without asking or grab the ball, etc. This interaction
style creates many social problems.
Eventually, when turned away often enough or when
student becomes an adolescent and “embarrassment =
death”, they stop trying to participate socially.
If the General Education child gets stuck on a math
problem , he asks for help “Can you help me?” LD kid
says “I can’t do this” or “I hate reading”. The students
have the same struggle but often get different
responses from the teacher because the LD child is
not asking for help in a question form.
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LD Students and Social Skills…
The ability to focus and attend to the
instructional material (ADHD).
There are 2 primary types of attention problems:
 the child with little or no attention span—
this child can’t attend to anything; typically
seen with lower cognitive functioning kids
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The child who attends to everything with
equal attention
Example: in trouble for pulling the fire alarm
story
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Inhibition…
The ability to suppress
inappropriate thoughts and
comments…
We all have thoughts that we do not say. For many
LD kids, this is reflected with the phrase
“On the mind and out the mouth.”
Imagine the social faux pas that occur with other kids!
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Impulse control…
 Many LD kids live by the motto, “If I can’t do it
right, I’ll do it fast!!” They need help to figure out
where it went wrong and to work through it step by
step (especially with class work).
For social skills, students need help to do a social
autopsy—what did I do wrong and what should I
have done? For example:
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Robert borrows John’s ball for recess and
does not bring it back; John is angry and
Robert doesn’t understand what the true
problem is. If you ask him what he did wrong,
he is likely to say “I shouldn’t have taken
John’s ball”, not that he loaned the ball to
someone else and did not keep an eye on it at
recess.
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More on Social Skills…
Inability to understand the ‘hidden curriculum’ of
the school: this is the unwritten, unspoken rules that vary
from school to school and situation to situation
At John Smith Elementary, students don’t enter the
cafeteria for breakfast through the side door because
the tough kids hang out at that door or the cafeteria
staff don’t like it.
OR
At John Smith Elementary School, students never go into
the office before 10 because the secretary is busy with
attendance, lunch count, etc.
OR
At John Smith Elementary School, the first grade teacher
bases grades primarily on homework but the second grade
teacher bases grades primarily on chapter tests. LD
students can’t figure that out just by observing what
teachers’ value. They must be told.
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Other Hidden Curriculums
 Does student understand the physical plan
of the school? Does he know the
shortcuts or can only find the office from
the classroom? Does he know how to use
the cafeteria, library, etc?
 Does the student understand the social
environment of the school? Who works for
who? Who does which jobs? (Custodian,
Office Manager, etc.) Who is the Office
Manager? Who is the Principal?
 Remember: the overriding factor is not
to be embarrassed—if the student missed
the day the cafeteria process was
explained, he will likely never eat a hot
meal, etc.
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S
E
V
E
N
Effective Habits
that Make Inclusion Successful:
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Listening
Following directions
Staying on task
Knowing how to get help
Ability to get started on a task
Ability to finish a task on time
Word attack/reading skills
The first 6 are the hidden curriculum
of general education.
We have to help our students
with these tasks…
so…
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Teach the Hidden Curriculum
Listening
Give directions in a variety of ways—speak it,
write it, do it
 Structure work to build in supports—
peer tutors, group work, send directions
home, check and help often
 Make sure the directions are given with
vocabulary the child understands
 Gain student attention first—call their
name, touch their shoulder, point to
first problem or direction on the page
and only then speak.
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Art of the Explicit con’t…
Following directions
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Have student practice on non-academic tasks
(games, clean up, readiness and transitions, etc.)
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Have student repeat directions
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Provide directions one step at a time
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Provide student with a model—part of the
work is already completed
Staying on Task
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Reinforce for attempting and completing work
based on what the child can complete; gradually
increase work expectations.
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Shorten the assignment – break 20 problems
into sets of 5 with a break between
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Reduce distractions—study carrels, seat near
the front/away from windows, etc.
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Knowing how to get help
Practice raising hands and remind students of this
expectation
Provide an alternate way to ask for help (card on
desk, etc.)
Acknowledge student request for help and let
them know when you will be there “Thank you for
waiting quietly. I’ll help you after I help Sarah”
When student says “I can’t do this” ask if they
need help and model how they can ask for your
help.
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Ability to stay on task…
Provide student with a signal for when
to begin a task
Start the task with student then fade
support
Give praise to students who start
without reminders
Monitor student to keep on task
Work a few problems with the
student
Remind them of what work should be
complete and by when
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Resources
 ldonline.com
 Complete Guide to ADHD: Help for Your
Family at Home, School and Work (2000)
Thom Hartmann
 Frustration, Anxiety and Tension (video),
Richard Lavoie
 Last Picked, First One Picked On, (video)
Richard Lavoie
 The Pre-Referral Intervention Manual,
Stephen McCarney, Hawthorne Educational
Services, Inc.
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