What are Specific Learning Disabilities and How Can I Help?
Diana Williams
Experienced Education Leader & Special Education Consultant | Enhancing Learning for All Students | Empowering Through Consultation
Learning Disability is one of the thirteen disability classifications recognized under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1974. The U.S. Department of Education defines specific learning disabilities as, “a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations.” There are seven specific learning disabilities or disorders that are accepted by professionals within mental health and educational professions: dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory processing disorder, language processing disorder, nonverbal learning disabilities, and visual perceptual disabilities. Learning about and understanding different learning disabilities is important as educators, parents, and individuals in ensuring that students with disabilities are receiving the support and services that they need to be successful both in an educational setting and in the world. This month we will dive into each specific learning disability, and research-based strategies that can help students with these disabilities.
When a student is suspected to have a specific learning disability, they are referred for special education where they undergo educational testing to assess how their brain processes information. In layman’s terms, these tests assesses how a student learns. The types of tests include intelligence tests, achievement tests, visual-motor integration tests, and language tests. Examples include the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, the Woodcock-Johnson, the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test and the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals. These are just examples of tests that could be administered, but the specific test depends on the evaluator and the age of the student.
After parental consent is gained, the assessments are administered individually with a licensed evaluator and consists of a variety of different tasks to assess students ability in problem solving, fluid reasoning, and other components. Testing times vary depending on the child, but can typically be completed within a few hours. When completed, the evaluator grades the students performance and prepares a formal report that explains the results, compares students to peers their age across the country, and offers their recommendations. The report and recommendations are then shared with the parent and IEP team as one of several data points to consider a student’s eligibility for special education and if they may have a learning or other disability.
See below for a list of the 6 specific learning disabilities and some strategies that you can implement.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). Dyslexia affects how a person’s brain processes language. Strategies that could assist students with dyslexia include:
??Multi-sensory instruction in decoding skills
??Repetition and review of skills
??Drilling sight words increasing the times they see words
??Intensifying reading interventions
Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is when someone has difficulty turning their thoughts into written language. It can affect one’s handwriting and/or spelling. Strategies that you can implement include:
??Reciting spelling words out loud
??Brainstorming ideas before writing
??Learning to touch-type
??Drawing ideas before writing
Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia affects a person’s ability to understand number-based information and math. Strategies that could benefit students with dyscalculia are:
??Talking out, acting out, or writing out a math problem
??Drawing out the problem
??Breaking tasks down into subsets and bite-sizes
??Use “real-life” cues and manipulatives
Auditory Processing Disorder
Auditory processing disorder is when someone does not “hear” small sound differences. It isn’t due to hearing loss, but rather due to how the individual’s brain processes the sounds that it hears. You might think someone is mishearing due to the small replacements of sounds. For example, while someone might be saying “lake,” a person with this disorder may hear “late.” Strategies that you can implement:
??Providing bite-sized and short directions
??Slowing down rate of speech
??Allowing separate times to listen and write, rather than simultaneously
??Emphasizing keywords and points
Language Processing Disorder
Language Processing negatively affects communication through spoken language. It affects their ability to understand, express, and process language. A person can have difficulty with receptive or expressive language which may affect how they interpret and hear words spoken to them, and affect how they express themselves verbally. If a person has a language processing disorder, strategies that you can implement are:
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??Pairing speech and nonverbal signals and pictures
??Providing them with extra time to process or express themselves
??Providing lesson outlines that they can refer back to
??Utilizing role play to assist in understanding? concepts
??Speaking slower
Nonverbal Learning Disabilities
Non-verbal learning disorder causes difficulty with motor, visual-spatial, and social skills. People are often well-spoken and can write well, but struggle with subtle social cues and comprehension of abstract concepts. Strategies that you can implement:
??Provide explicit verbal directions
??Providing movement breaks
??Seating with limited distractions
??Provide visual examples of how spaces should look
Visual Perceptual Disabilities
Visual Processing is when someone struggles to understand visual information, whether letters, shapes or objects. Individuals may have difficultly interpreting graphs, written directions, and maps, for example. Strategies that could assist students with visual perceptual disabilities include:
??Posting visual schedules
??Describing visual presentations aloud & provide narration
??Providing uncluttered handouts with few images
??Using a reading guide strip to block out other lines
??Saying directions aloud
??Allowing for oral reporting instead of written responses
Understanding the type of learning disability your student has can help you begin to identify ways to differentiate content to assist with proficiency in instruction. Remember, differentiating is the process of adjusting how we deliver instruction, not changing or lessening the rigor of content for students. While this is not an exhaustive list of strategies, it is something that could assist with you getting started. Increasing your strategy tool kit as a SPEDucator can increase your ability to make your school and classroom more inclusive for all learners.
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If you are interested in discussing how I assist you and your school in special education development and coaching, let’s find some time to connect: https://calendly.com/dianarwilliams/meet-with-diana
Are you going to the TFA Leaders of Color Conference in Denver, be sure to check out our session “Bridging the Collaboration Gap Between Leadership and Special Education Team Members.”
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