Learning Disability Causes of Learning Disability Symptoms Types of Learning disability Myths related to LD Tips for the teacher

1. LEARNING DISABILITY
Presented By : Sapandeep
Sharma
Psychologist

2. EVOLUTION OF CONCEPT
1877
1887
• Kussmaaul proposed a term “word blindness” for an acquired
loss of words and introduced visual analogy.
 Berlin first used the term “dyslexia” in his monograph
referring to acquired loss of reading ability.
1892
• Dejerine deduced lesion in medial and inferior portion of left
occipital lobe could lead to dyslexia- “brain letter box”
1896
• Pringle Morgan was first to note a case of dyslexia
1917
• Hinshelwood defined word blindness as pathological
condition caused by disorder of visual centers of brain and
caused difficulty in interpreting written language

3. 1937
• Orton (regarded as father of Dyslexia society) observed
children with reading problems had near average or above
average IQ
1962
• The term “learning disability” appeared in print (Kirk)
1977
• US passed a law stating all school must provide special
education to the child with LD. IQ discrepancy formula given.
1985
• Between 1985 to 2000 several authority gave different
definitions for LD
1990
• Advances in the research – neurobiology and genetic.

4. Learning Disability
 Learning disability (LD) is a general term that describes specific
kinds of learning problems. A learning disability can cause a person
to have trouble learning and using certain skills. The skills most
often affected are reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning,
and doing math.
 A disability in which there is a discrepancy between a person’s
ability and academic achievement; individual possesses average
intelligence.

5. Learning Disability disorders not included
Learning problems that are primarily result of
1. Visual, hearing, or motor disabilities
2. Mental retardation
3. Emotional disturbance
4. Environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage

6. Causes a Learning Disability
 Learning Disorders often run in families.
 Neurological impairments are often caused by problems
during pregnancy and birth and can result from:
 – Anomalies in the developing brain
 – Illness or injury
 – Fetal exposure to drugs or alcohol
 – low birth weight
 – oxygen deprivation, or premature or prolonged labor

7. Symptoms
 May have trouble connecting letters to their
sounds.
 May make many mistakes when reading aloud and
repeat and pause often.
 May have real trouble with spelling.
 May learn language late and have a limited
vocabulary.
 May have trouble organizing what he or she wants to say
or not able to think of the word he or she needs for
writing or conversation.

8.  May not be able to retell a story in order.
 May not know where to begin a task or how to go on
from there.
 May lack control over body movements.
 May not follow the social rules of conversation such as
taking turns and may stand too close to the listener.
 May have very messy handwriting or hold a pencil
awkwardly.
 May struggle to express ideas in writing.

9.  May confuse math symbols and misread numbers.
 May have trouble following directions.

10. COMMON TYPES

12. Dyslexia
Dyslexia, or developmental reading disorder, is
characterized by difficulty with learning to read fluently
and with accurate comprehension despite normal or
above average intelligence. Dyslexia is the most common
learning difficulty and most recognized reading disorder.

13. Types of Dyslexia
1. Visual Dyslexia: It is marked by:
Reversal of whole word / syllable / letters (e.g.now / won, was /
saw, b / d).
Substitution (e.g. house / home)
Addition of sounds (e.g. ischool / school)
Omission of letters, syllables, words or word endings (e.g. sed /
said). It arises due to a child’s short memory span and difficulty in
interpreting and recalling visual images.

14. 2. Auditory Dyslexia: It is characterized by
 Child having difficulty in processing and understanding what has
been said to him.
 • Not being able to distinguish subtle differences in sound (e.g.
bit/bet, pig/peg).
 • having difficulty in filtering out the extraneous sound. It is quite
likely that a child with auditory dyslexia becomes very tense or
hyper-active in a noisy room.

15. DYSCALCULIA
Dyscalculia is difficulty in learning or comprehending arithmetic,
such as difficulty in understanding numbers learning how to
manipulate numbers and learning facts in Mathematics.
 Difficulty with multiplication- tables, and subtraction-tables, addition
tables, division tables, mental arithmetic, etc.
 Wrong operation: adding instead of subtracting
 Difficulty with place value 1008 as one zero, zero, eight
 Subtracting lower number from the higher number (irrespective of
the place)
 Difficulty with fractions

16. DYSGRAPHIA
This is a disorder which expresses itself primarily through
writing or typing, although in some cases it may also affect
hand–eye coordination, direction or sequence-oriented
processes such as tying knots or carrying out a repetitive
task.

17. Developmental Dyspraxia
 This is a neurological condition characterized by a
marked difficulty in carrying out routine tasks involving
balance, fine-motor control and kinesthetic coordination.
 Difficulty in the use of speech sounds, problems with
short-term memory and organization are of persons with
dyspraxia.

18. Myth vs. Reality about Learning
Disabilities

19. Myth 1. People with LD are not very smart.
 Reality. Kids with learning disabilities are just as smart as
other kids. Intelligence has nothing to do with LD. In fact,
people with LD have average to above average intelligence. Many
have intellectual, artistic, or other abilities that permit them to be
defined as gifted. Studies indicate that as many as 33% of students
with LD are gifted.

20. Myth 2. LD is just an excuse for irresponsible,
unmotivated, or lazy people.
 Reality. LD is caused by neurological impairments, not
character flaws. For some people with LD, the effort required to get
through a day can be exhausting in and of itself. The motivation
required to do what others take for granted is enormous. Learning
disabilities are problems in processing words or information,
causing otherwise bright and capable children to have difficulty
learning. The disabilities involve language—reading, writing,
speaking, and/or listening.

21. Myth 3. LD only affects children. Adults grow out of the
disorders.
 Reality. It is now known that the effects of LD continue
throughout the individual’s lifespan and “may even
intensify in adulthood as tasks and environmental demands
change” (Michaels,1994). Sadly, many adults, especially
older adults, have never been formally diagnosed with LD.
Learning disabilities cannot be outgrown, but they can be
identified reliably in kindergarten or first-grade children, or
even earlier. Research clearly demonstrates that the earlier a
child is given appropriate help for a learning disability, the
more successful the outcome.

22. Myth 4. The terms dyslexia and learning
disability are the same thing.
 Reality. Dyslexia is a type of learning disability. It is not another
term for learning disability. It is a specific language-based
disorder affecting a person’s ability to read, write, and verbally
express him or herself. Unfortunately, careless use of the term
dyslexia has expanded so that it has become, for some people, an
equivalent for LD. Four out of five children identified with a learning
disability are diagnosed with a reading disability (or dyslexia). They
have trouble learning how spoken language translates into written
text. Since every subject—including math—requires reading and
writing, a reading disability affects all of a person’s school-based
learning.

23. Myth 5. Learning disabilities are only academic
in nature. They do not affect other areas of a
person’s life.
 Reality. Some people with learning disabilities have isolated
difficulties in reading, writing, or mathematics. However, most
people with learning disabilities have more than one area of
difficulty. Dr. Larry Silver asserts that “learning disabilities are life
disabilities.” He writes, “the same disabilities that interfere with
reading, writing, and arithmetic also will interfere with sports and
other activities, family life, and getting along with friends.” (Silver,
1998) Some children have good verbal (language) skills but
weaknesses in visual and spatial perception, motor skills and, most
significantly, social skills—affecting their ability to grasp the main
idea, “see the whole picture,” or understand cause-and-effect
relationships.

24. Myth 6. Adults with LD cannot succeed in
higher education.
 Reality. More and more adults with LD are going to college or
university and succeeding. With the proper accommodations and
support, adults with learning disabilities can be successful at higher
education.

25. Myth 7. Children with LD are identified in
kindergarten and first grade.
 Reality. Learning disabilities often go unrecognized for years;
most are not identified until third grade. Bright children can “mask”
their difficulties, and some kinds of learning problems may not surface
until middle school, high school, or even college.

26. TIPS FOR
TEACHER

27. Provide high structure and clear expectations
 Children who are LD tend to have difficulty focusing,
getting started and setting priorities. Creating a clear
structured program allows the student to be exposed
to fewer distractions and possible avoidance and
allow for greater focus on work related tasks.

28. Allow flexibility in classroom procedures
 For e.g., allowing the use of tape recorders for note
taking and test-taking when students have trouble with
written language). Keep in mind that the greater the
number of options in responding to a task, the greater
chance that a particular student’s learning style will be
useful and successful.

29. Learning materials should easily accessible, well
organized and stored in the same place each day
 The less the LD student has to worry about,
comprehend or remember, the greater chance for
success. Too many details can easily overwhelm this
type of student.

30. All assignments should be presented on the
blackboard as well as orally presented.
 This multilevel sensory approach will only enhance
the chances of the child being able to bring home the
correct assignment. This will also cut down on parent
child frustration which often occurs when the child with
learning disabilities brings home part of the
assignment or and assumption of what needs to be
done due to a lack of ability in copying quickly.

31. Make sure that the child's desk is free from all
unnecessary materials.
 Children with learning disabilities tend to have
organizational problems as well. The less chaos, the
better the focus. Use small binders that hold fewer
papers. Keep the desk free of most materials.
Otherwise he may be embarrassed to get up to go to
the pail and stuff it in his desk.

32. Correct the student's work as soon as possible to
allow for immediate gratification and feedback
 Students with learning disabilities do not often have
foundations of success when it comes to schoolwork.
Therefore, when they hand in work they begin to worry
about how they did. If they do not receive it back
quickly, some children may use a great deal of energy
worrying about the reactions of others if they did not
do well.

33. Try to separate him from students who may be
distracting.
 Some children with learning disabilities are very
distractible, while others may use any external
situation to avoid a potential failure situation. Sitting a
child with learning disabilities next to students who are
self-motivated and internally controlled will provide
extra structure and controls.

34. Use multi-sensory teaching methods whenever
possible.
 This is a common sense issue since all the research
indicates that the greater number of sense utilized to
learn something, the greater chance for the
information to be understood and retained. Using
visual, auditory, kinesthetic or tactile input together is
highly recommended for children with learning
disabilities.

35. Respond to the child’s comments praising
whenever possible.
 Many children with learning disabilities tend to have
secondary emotional issues as a result of frustration
and lower sense of self worth due to academic failure
and stress. Consequently, when he responds or
initiates conversation, praise for the initiation of
communication should be praised.

36. Give constant feedback.
 Many children with learning disabilities tend to write
negative scripts about their ability and their
performance. Feedback in any form reduces this
negative energy pattern and offers reality, the only
thing that breaks down fear.