Italy: Specific learning disorders

1. WHAT ARE
SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDERS
Based on the skill affected by the disorder, the Specific
Learning Disorders take a specific name:
 dyslexia (reading),
 dysgraphia and dysorthography (writing),
 dyscalculia (calculation).
Its specific
because it
concerns
specific skills
and not the
intelligence
of a person.
Involves
school
learning
skills such
as reading
writing and
calculation.
The
disturbance
is not an
illness, but
an alteration
of a
particular
function.

2. SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDERS
Dyslexia affects about 4% of the school population in Italy.
Very often, however, it is not recognized or the diagnosis occurs only late.
Dyslexic children, therefore, are long considered by their parents and
sometimes even by teachers as lazy or not very smart.
In recent years, however, attention to the problem has grown considerably and
forms of collaboration between schools, professionals and parents are
increasingly affirming.
With the Law 170/10 these learning disorders have been acknowledged and
measures have been taken to help children with these special needs.

3. Clinical report
and certification
Qualification/ rehabilitation
treatments
STEPS FORESEEN BY THE LAW 170/2010
FOR THE MANAGEMENT
OF THE SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDERS
SCHOOL FAMILY SERVICES
Early identification interventions
Targeted didactic recovery
activities must be proposed
Communication to the family
Personalized learning plan
At the discretion of the family
request for evaluation
At the discretion of the family
request for communication
to the school
Diagnostic iter

4. The adoption of dispensatory and compensatory measures:
 allow the student to perform services that, because of the disorder, are
particularly
difficult;
 it is aimed at avoiding situations of fatigue and discomfort in tasks directly
involved in the disorder, without reducing the level of learning objectives.
THIS IS THE WAY I STUDY

5. COMPENSATORY INSTRUMENTS
(law 170/10 and guidelines 12/07/11)
1. Use of computers and tablets (possibly with printer).
2.
Use of video-writing programs with spelling checker (possibly vocal) and
with speech synthesis technologies (also for foreign languages).
3. Use of audio resources (digital audio files, audiobooks ...).
4. Use of digital recorder or other recording tools for personal use.
5.
Use of calculation aids (multiplication table, number lines ...) and possibly
the calculator with spreadsheet (possibly voice calculator).
6.
Use of diagrams, tables, maps and flowcharts as support during written tasks
and checks .
7.
Use of forms and schemes and / or maps of the various scientific disciplines
as support during written tasks and verifications.
8.
Use of maps and charts during interrogations, possibly also on digitized
support (multimedia presentations), to facilitate the retrieval of information.
9 Use of digital dictionaries (cd rom, online resources).
10. Use of educational and compensatory software (free and / or commercial).

6. SCHOOL GOAL:
to guarantee
the right to study
ENHANCING STRENGTHS
CAMOUFLAGE WEAKNESSES
MEANINGFUL AND
EFFECTIVE TEACHING
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
PREPARE THE CONDITIONS
CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING

7. Good practice for a pupil with
Specific Learning Disorders
 Establish a relationship of dialogue and trust that allows the continuous monitoring
of the effectiveness of the identified compensatory and dispensatory measures;
 Encourage and praise it;
 Promote every effort to promote self-confidence and personal self-esteem;
 Enhance its potential;
 Assign less tasks: e.g. make him use reduced texts not for content but for quantity
of pages;
 Evaluate the content of the written work, not the spelling;
 Evaluate oral responses;
 Provide more time to copy from the blackboard (or simply allow him to do a
photocopy from a friend's notebook ...);
 Let the student work with the open text, with its own concept maps;
 To demonstrate that he is able to understand his difficulties without being pitied;
 If you do not have a diagnosis, but you have a suspicion of this disorder, do
observation
 Together with colleagues; if the difficulties continue to show up, ask for a meeting
with parents and possibly with the local sanitation department.

8. Having
“Specific Learning Disorders”
did not prevent him
from becoming a Genius