·
Mean of Learning
Disabilities
Learning
Disabilities is a situation that results in failure to the related areas like
reading writing or math. The federal definition of LD that is given by the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is:
The term
“specific learning disability” means a disorder in one or more of the basic
psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken
or written, which disorder may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to
listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical calculations.
DISORDERS
INCLUDED-Such term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain
injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
DISORDERS NOT
INCLUDED- Such term does not include a learning problem that is primarily the
result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of
emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
(IDEA, 1997)
·
Types of Learning
Disabilities:
Learning
disability (LD) is not a single type of a disability; it includes many areas
are related to reading, writing, mathematics, language, fine motor skills,
audition and vision that are called Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Dysphasia/Aphasia,
Dyspraxia (Sensory Integration Disorder), Auditory Processing Disorder and
Visual Processing Disorder respectively. The most common type of LD is
Dyslexia. These different types of LD can be observed as comorbidity that occur
more than one condition in the same person. For example, one person has
Dyscalculia, Dyslexia and ADHD.
- Dyslexia is an
inability to understand the relationship between words, letters and sounds or
to comprehend the mean of words and paragraphs.
- Dysgraphia
occurs when a child has physical difficulties about forming or organizing
words.
- Dyscalculia is
an inability to memorize and organize of mathematical contents.
- Dysphasia/Aphasia
is a disability to organize thoughts and to paraphrase a paragraph or speech.
- Dyspraxia
(Sensory Integration Disorder) is a situation when a child is unable to use
fine motor skills like holding, cutting and gross motor skills like running.
- Auditory
Processing Disorder is an inability to recognize the main differences in
sounds.
- Visual
Processing Disorder causes difficulties about the perception of visualization.
(Kemp, Smith, & Segal, 2014)
·
Causes of Learning
Disabilities
Although
researchers have some basic ideas about the causes of LD, there is not an exact
cause of LD. However, the studies about the neurobiological factors indicate
that learning disabilities are related to a neurological dysfunction in the
left temporal brain of the person. There are some reasons, which can be
categorized like genetic factors, medical factors and toxins, to have this
neurological dysfunction. The some researchers suggest that LD has heredity
based. Some medical factors like premature birth, pediatric AIDS can cause LD.
Moreover, some toxins affect a fetus in the uterus and they can reason for the
LD because of the malformations and defects.
·
Characteristics of
Learning Disabilities
Typical characteristics of students with LD are listed below.
Reading
- Confusion of similar words, difficulty using phonics, problems reading
multi-syllable words.
- Slow reading rate and/or difficulty adjusting speed to the nature of
the reading task.
- Difficulty with comprehension and retention of material that is read,
but not with material presented orally.
Writing
- Difficulty with sentence structure, poor grammar, omitted words.
- Frequent spelling errors, inconsistent spelling, letter reversals.
- Difficulty copying from board or overhead.
- Poorly formed letters, difficulty with spacing, capitals, and
punctuation.
Oral Language
- Difficulty memorizing basic facts.
- Difficulty expressing ideas orally which the student seems to
understand.
- Problems describing events or stories in proper sequence.
- Residual problems with grammar, difficulty with inflectional or
derivational endings.
Math
- Difficulty memorizing basic facts.
- Confusion or reversal of numbers, number sequence, or operational
symbols.
- Difficulty reading or comprehending word problems.
- Problems with reasoning and abstract concepts.
Study Skills
- Poor organization and time management.
- Difficulty following directions.
- Poor organization of notes and other written materials.
- Need more time to complete assignments.
Social Skills
- Difficulty "reading" facial expressions, body language.
- Problems interpreting subtle messages such as sarcasm.
- Confusion in spatial orientation, getting lost easily, difficulty
following directions.
- Disorientation in time, difficulty telling time.
(http://www.pepperdine.edu/disabilityservices/students/ldcharacter.htm)
·
What should teachers
do?
Approach to the
student:
Ø
The teacher should tell that this problem is not
related to the intelligence, it is just different and requires more times.
Ø
Rules and expectations should be indicated
transparently. The teacher should use positive statements when s/he tells the
rules and expectations. Also s/he should remind them frequently.
Ø
When disabled student behave appropriately, the
teacher should reward him/her.
In order to
prevent distraction:
Ø
The disabled student should sit closer to the teacher
and the blackboard to prevent distraction.
Ø
The information on the blackboard should be divided
into the sections, written with the colorful chalks, and underlined important
parts.
Ø
The instructions should be understandable. The teacher
should avoid giving a lot of instructions at one times, s/he should separate
them into the pieces.
Ø
When disabled student becomes distracted, the teacher
should communicate with her/him individually.
Ø
If the student is energetic, the teacher should give a
chance to move around the classroom in order to discharge the student’s energy.
Attendance to the lesson:
Ø
The teacher should prepare the activities according to
the development of the student from easy to hard, from picture to the writing.
Ø
The teacher should provide opportunities to ask
questions because some disabled students may be shy about asking questions.
Ø
The teacher should introduce the lesson information
about how the lesson will go, and end the lesson by repeating the information.
Thus the students can have a chance to transfer information from short term
memory to the long term memory.
Ø
The teacher should separate the topic different
categories in order to have disabled student’s attraction.
Ø
The teacher should encourage the disabled student in
specific areas that are not related to the student’s difficulty.
Ø
The teacher should give a paper, which includes
information at the lesson, to the student
Ø
The teacher should form the lessons more attractive
rather than boring.
Ø
The teacher should control the disabled student’s
works, homework, notes.
Exams:
Ø
The teacher should prepare the exams multiple choice
or oral because many disabled students are more successful at these types of
exams.
Ø
The teacher should provide more time to the disabled
student.
Ø
The teacher should highlight important instructions at
the exam paper in order to have disabled student’s attraction.
REFERENCES
http://www.pepperdine.edu/disabilityservices/students/ldcharacter.htm. (tarih yok).
http://www.pepperdine.edu/:
http://www.pepperdine.edu/disabilityservices/students/ldcharacter.htm IDEA. (1997). Amendments of 1997 (Cilt 602).
Kemp, G., Smith, M., & Segal, J. (2014, December). http://www.helpguide.org/articles/learning-disabilities/learning-disabilities-and-disorders.htm.
December 22, 2014 tarihinde http://www.helpguide.org:
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/learning-disabilities/learning-disabilities-and-disorders.htm