Understanding Dyslexia and Other Learning Disabilities

1. Understanding Dyslexia and Other Learning Disabilities Linda Siegel University of British Columbia Vancouver, CANADA linda.siegel@ubc.ca

2. Specific Learning Disabilities Defined • Problem in an academic area – reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, mathematical problem solving • Normal intelligence

3. Learning Disabilities and Mental Health • Children with learning disabilities are at risk for mental health problems • Anxiety, depression, oppositional/defiant and conduct disorder may be a result of learning disabilities • It is important to identify and treat learning disabilities

4. Identifying Learning Disabilities Is Important • 82 % of the street youth in Toronto had undetected and unremediated learning disabilities • All the adolescent suicides in a 3 year period in Ontario had undetected and unremediated learning disabilities • 75-95% of the people in prisons have unidentified and unremediated learning disabilities

5. Prison Costs - Canada • $75,000 per year to keep one person in prison • $75,000 per year – the cost of a special education teacher • Where should we spend the money? • Prisons • Special Education teachers

6. What To Look For In The Classroom • Decoding, Word Recognition Difficulties • Poor Spelling - dictation • Poor Handwriting • Difficulty with Number Facts • Difficulty with Multiplication Tables • Behaviour problems

7. Types of Specific Learning Disabilities • Dyslexia (Reading Disability) • Mathematics Disability (Dyscalculia) • Writing Disability (Dysgraphia, Developmental Output Disorder • Non-verbal Learning Disability

8. Dyslexia • Dyslexia = Reading disability • Difficulty in the speed and accuracy of word reading and spelling • Unlike popular belief, dyslexia does not mean that a child reverses letters

9. Reading Test

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12. Interpretation of the Reading Test

13. Characteristics Of Dyslexia Difficulty with: • Recognizing the sounds in speech • Knowing the sounds of the letters • Finding the right word • Grammar • Memory

14. Characteristics Of Dyslexia Strengths • Music • Sports • Art • Visual-Spatial Skills • Mechanical Skills

17. Block Rotation • The student is required to identify which of 2 patterns represent the target that has been rotated in 3D space

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20. Mathematics Disability(Dyscalculia) Challenges • Computational Arithmetic • Working Memory • Handwriting • Spelling • Fine-Motor Coordination • Learning a foreign language

21. Mathematics Disability • Problems with Computational Arithmetic • Short-term Memory • Handwriting • Spelling • Fine-Motor Coordination

22. Characteristics Of A Mathematics Disability Strengths • Verbal Skills • Ability to make Inferences • Problem solving • Logical Reasoning • Drama • Humor

23. Non-Verbal Learning Disability

24. Non-Verbal Learning Disability • Like mathematics disability but with a component of problems with social skills.

25. Non-Verbal Learning Disability • Like mathematics disability but with a component of problems with social skills.

26. Non Verbal Learning Disability • You and Tom are friends. You have been assigned to work together on a science project in school and only have two days to finish the project. You meet after school and you say you want to start the project right away, but Tom wants to play football first.

27. Non-Verbal Learning Disability • less likely to recognize emotions in themselves and others, • had trouble understanding the viewpoint of the other people in the story, • more likely to see others as hostile and mean.

28. Writing Disability • Sloppy handwriting • Can tell good stories but has trouble writing them down • Poor fine motor coordination • Poor working memory for words and numbers • Problems with spelling • Poor organization when writing

29. Group activity • Think of a student with whom you have had contact and describe his/her specific learning disability. • Is the student receiving help? • Is the student officially diagnosed with a SPLD? • If so, how long did the diagnosis take? • If not, why not? What are the barriers?

30. How should people be assessed for a learning disability?

31. Assessment Of Ld READING Word Reading-Accuracy & Speed Pseudoword Reading-Accuracy & Speed Reading Comprehension SPELLING Dictation MATHEMATICS/ARITHMETIC Computation/Problem Solving WRITING INTERVIEW

32. Assessment of Reading • Word Recognition (Identification) • Pseudoword Reading • Phonological Processing • Reading Fluency • Reading Comprehension – timed and untimed

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35. Age 9

38. Age 15

41. Age 15

42. Age 15

43. Beery Test of Visual Motor Integration • Copying shapes • Not timed • Erasures not allowed

44. Age 9

45. Age 9

46. What happens when difficulties are found

47. What support should be provided? • Remediation • Accommodations • Building self esteem • Identify and treat other conditions, such as emotional difficulties or ADHD

48. What is Remediation/Intervention? • Remediation and intervention are direct teaching addressed specifically to a problem. The terms have very similar meanings.

49. Intervention/Remediation • Phonological Awareness programs – Firm Foundations • Multisensory programs, e.g. Wilson system, Orton Gillingham, Lindamood-Bell • Build self esteem and advocacy skills

50. ABRACADABRAand ePEARL • Computer software designed to help develop reading and writing skills • Available for free to download on a school server • Demonstration available on the web • http://grover.concordia.ca/abra/current/