This document discusses different learning and thinking styles, including visual, auditory, tactile/kinesthetic, analytic, and global styles. It also describes left and right brain hemispheric styles. Additionally, it outlines various categories of exceptionalities including specific cognitive or academic difficulties like learning disabilities, ADHD, speech/communication disorders, emotional/conduct disorders, autism, and mental retardation. Physical disabilities and health impairments are also discussed along with severe/multiple disabilities, visual impairments, hearing impairments, and giftedness.

1. Learning/Thinking Styles
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• Visual learners – These learners must
see their teacher’s actions and facial
expression to fully understand the content
of a lesson.
• Visual-iconic – Those who prefer this
form of input are more interested in visual
imagery such as film, graphic displays, or
picture in order to solidify learning.

2. Learning/Thinking Styles
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• Visual-symbolic – Those who prefer this
form of input feel comfortable with abstract
symbolism such as mathematical formulae
or the written word.
• Auditory Learners – They learn best
through verbal lectures, discussions,
talking things through and listening to what
others have to say.

3. Learning/Thinking Styles
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• Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners –
Tactile/Kinesthetic persons benefit much from a
hands-on approach, actively exploring the
physical world around them.
• Global – Analytic Continuum
Analytic – Analytic thinkers tend toward the
linear, step-by-step processes of learning.
Global – Global thinkers lean towards non-
linear thought and tend to see the whole pattern
rather than particle elements.

4. LEFT BRAIN (Analytic) RIGHT BRAIN (Global)
Successive Hemispheric Style Simultaneous Hemispheric Style
1. Verbal 1. Visual
2. Responds to word meaning 2. Responds to tone of voice
3. Sequential 3. Random
4. Processes information linearly 4. Processes information in varied order
5. Responds to logic 5. Responds to emotion
6. Plans ahead 6. impulsive
7. Recalls people’s names 7. Recalls people’s faces
8. Speaks with few gestures 8. Gestures when speaking
9. Punctual 9. Less punctual
10. Prefers formal study design 10. Prefers sound/music background
while studying
11. Prefers bright lights while
Studying
11. Prefers frequent mobility while
studying
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5. Categories of Exceptionalities
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Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties
• Learning Disabilities – Learning
disabilities involve difficulties in specific
cognitive processes like perception,
language, memory, or metacognition that
are not due or other disabilities like mental
retardation, emotional or behavioral
disorders, or sensory impairments.

6. Categories of Exceptionalities
significantly hamper classroom performance.
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Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties
• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – ADHD is
manifested in either or both of those: (1) difficulty in
focusing and maintaining attention and (2) recurrent
hyperactive and impulsive behavior.
• Speech and Communication Disorders – There is
difficulty in spoken language including voice disorders,
inability to produce the sounds correctly, stuttering,
difficulty in spoken language comprehension that

7. Categories of Exceptionalities
predictable environment.
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Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties
• Emotional/Conduct Disorders – This involves the
presence of emotional states like depression and
aggression over a considerable amount of time that they
notably disturb learning and performance in school.
• Autism – Autism is a condition manifested by different
levels of impaired social interaction and communication,
repetitive behaviors and limited interests. Individuals with
autism usually have an intense need for routine and a

8. Categories of Exceptionalities
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Specific cognitive or academic
difficulties
• Mental Retardation – Mental retardation
refers to significant sub-average
intelligence and deficits in adaptive
behavior. There is difficulty in managing
activities of daily living and conducting
themselves appropriately in social
situations.

9. Physical Disabilities and Health
Impairments
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• Physical and health impairments – This
involves physical or medical conditions (usually
long-term) including one or more of these: (1)
limited energy and strength, (2) reduced mental
alertness, and/or (3) Little muscle control.
• Severe and Multiple Disabilities – This refers
to the presence of two or more different types of
disability, at times at a profound level. The
combination of disabilities makes it necessary to
make specific adaptations and have more
specialized education programs.

10. • Visual Impairments – These are
conditions when there is malfunction of the
eyes or optic nerves that prevent normal
vision even with corrective lenses.
• Hearing Impairments – These involves
malfunction of the ear or auditory nerves
that hinder perception of sounds within the
frequency range of normal speech.
• Giftedness – This involves a significantly
high level of cognitive development.
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