Learning disabilities refer to conditions that affect how a person takes in, stores, and expresses information. They can impact areas like reading, writing, math, coordination, behavior, and social skills. While intelligence is average or above average, a learning disability makes it difficult for a person to learn in a typical classroom setting without accommodations. Teachers can help by providing lessons in multiple formats, focusing on strengths, allowing extra processing time, and making lessons interactive with movement. The goal is to help each person feel accepted while building a testimony through adapted methods.

1. Learning Disabilities in
Primary
https://www.lds.org/topics/disability/list/learning-
disability?lang=eng

2. The Animal School

3. The Learning Process
A person with a learning disability has difficulty taking
in, remembering, or expressing information.
INFORMATION
Taking in information
MEMORY
Understanding,
Processing and
Filing it to
Memory
EXPRESSION
Withdrawing
information and
using it in the
outside worldFrom “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” Learning
Disabilities Association of Ottawa - Carleton

4. BC Ministry Definition
• http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/docs/learni
ng_disabilities_guide.pdf

5. • Learning Disabilities refer to a number
of conditions that might affect the
acquisition, organization, retention,
understanding or use of verbal or
nonverbal information. These
disorders affect learning in individuals
who otherwise demonstrate at least
average abilities essential for thinking
and/or reasoning. As such, learning
disabilities are distinct from global
intellectual disabilities.

6. • Learning disabilities result from
impairments in one or more processes
related to perceiving, thinking,
remembering or learning. These
include, but are not limited to
language processing, phonological
processing, visual spatial processing,
processing speed, memory, attention
and executive functions (e.g.
planning and decision making).
• .

7. • Learning disabilities vary in severity and may
interfere with the acquisition and use of one
or more of the following:
• oral language (e.g., listening, speaking,
understanding)
• reading (e.g., decoding, phonetic
knowledge, word recognition,
comprehension)
• written language (e.g., spelling and written
expression)
• mathematics (e.g., computation, problem
solving)

8. • Learning disabilities may also involve
difficulties with organizational skills, social
perception, social interaction and
perspective taking.

9. • Learning disabilities are life-long. The way in
which they are expressed may vary over an
individual’s lifetime, depending on the
interaction between the demands of the
environment and the individual’s strengths
and needs. Learning disabilities are
suggested by unexpected academic
under-achievement or achievement that is
maintained only by unusually high levels of
effort and support.

10. Understanding Learning Disabilities
From LDS.org
• Individuals who have learning disabilities may
exhibit a variety of difficulties, including problems
with reading, spoken language, writing, or
reasoning ability. Hyperactivity and inattention may
also be associated with learning disabilities.
Coordination, behavior, and interactions with others
may also be affected.
• An individual with learning disabilities may have
average or above average intelligence. However,
he or she may have difficulties in a classroom
setting without appropriate support and
accommodation.

11. FAT City
Learning Disability
Simulation

12. Your Job
• Help them feel accepted and
loved.
• Help them build a testimony.
• Adapt, adapt, adapt.
• You do not have to teach them to
read, leave it to home and school.

13. Ways to Help
• Focus on correct answers and behaviors.
Acknowledge and commend the person’s efforts.
• Encourage each person to be involved, and focus
on his or her abilities.
• Build confidence by providing support and
appropriate opportunities to serve.

14. Teaching Tips
• Prayerfully present well-prepared
lessons in a variety of formats,
including print, audio, and visual
resources.

15. Teaching Tips
• Provide an environment where
class members are comfortable
asking questions about things they
don’t understand.

16. Teaching Tips
• Outline the class schedule and
order of events for the class time.

17. Resources
• Church Media Library
• https://www.lds.org/media-
library/images?lang=eng

18. Teaching Tips
• Allow the student time to process
the information, don’t put them
on the spot.

19. Teaching Tips
• A “read-along” technique using
recorded materials may help
individuals who have difficulty
reading.

20. Teaching Tips
• Introduce and explain vocabulary
before teaching a lesson. Review
new words and information
frequently.

21. Teaching Tips
• If writing is a challenge, don’t
make them write. Either skip it or
have a student or yourself scribe
for them.

22. Teaching Tips
• Include movement. A child can
stay focused for approx. 1 minute
per year of their age (ie. 8 min. for
8 year olds). Often this is less.
Movement is very important.
• Make it part of the lesson if
possible.

23. Teaching Tips
• Prayerfully strive to understand the
person’s learning style and how
the person best expresses what he
or she knows. Play to the
person’s strengths.
• (Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences)

24. Teaching Tips
• Treat the person as intelligent. He
or she is intelligent.
• Make accommodations as natural
as possible so as to not single an
individual out in front of his or her
peers.

25. Teaching Tips
• Rather than just rehearsing facts,
teach by sharing experiences and
feelings about the gospel.
Learning is easier when people
become spiritually and
emotionally involved.

26. Teaching Tips
• Minimize distractions

27. Helpful Resources
• Learning Disabilities Association of British Columbia
http://www.ldabc.ca
• LD Online http://www.ldonline.org
• National Center for Learning Disabilities.org
http://ncld.org
• LDS.org http://www.lds.org
o Media library => serve & teach => primary => primary symbols for
teaching

28. Questions?