Edge Learning & Teaching Group

Barriers To Learning

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Dyslexia

Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Dyspraxia

Aspergers’ Syndrome

ADHD / ADD

Some pupils display more than 1 specific learning disorder – everyone wants Einstein!

Dyslexia

Tourette Syndrome

ADHD /ADDAspergers’ Syndrome

Dyspraxia

Barriers to LearningThe barriers to learning faced by pupils differ from individual to individual and often from day to day. Knowledge of their difficulties will help us to appreciate their learning needs.

Typical barriers that are recognised are :• visual impairment • deafness • specific learning difficulties • health difficulties • mobility, dexterity and chronic pain.

What is Dyspraxia?• Praxis comes from the Greek word meaning to

do. • 3 abilities are required for effective praxis:

these are the abilities to conceptualise, organise and execute sequences of unfamiliar actions. If one or more of these is impaired then dyspraxia may result.

• Children dyspraxics are often referred to as having “clumsy child syndrome” because of their tendency to bump into things and they often have trouble with sport.

• 5 - 10% of the population are affected meaning that there may well be at least 1 dyspraxic pupil in a mainstream class of 30.

Typical Dyspraxic FeaturesPoor dressing skills / scruffy / grubby but

can’t see it

Writing is laborious

Messy eater

Can’t remember instructions

Badly organised

No books / homework

Poorly presented work

Slow to get changed for / after

PE

Bag full of rubbish

What is Dyslexia?• Lexis refers to language. • This can refer to reading, writing, spelling and

phonological problems which result in difficulties acquiring new language.

• Another typical is a discrepancy between intelligence and specific skills such as organisation, short term memory and certain information-processing abilities. Often verbal expression is favoured over written.

• Possibly 10% of people are dyslexic, of these 6% are mildly or moderately affected, 4% severely so. This may affect 2 or 3 pupils in a class of 30.

What difficulties might a Dyslexic Pupil have?

I may give great verbal answers that

show good understanding

Writing is laborious /

slow to complete work

I may try to hide my

embarrassment with bad

behaviour

Can’t remember words from the

board / poor copying skills

Badly organised

No books / homework

Poorly presented work

Poor spellings

Autistic Spectrum Disorder• 3 broad areas of ASD:

Communication disorders, social difficulties and obsessions.

• Students may be very literal (e.g. confused by ‘pull your socks up’); may assume speaker knows because listener knows; may need pictorial clues to manage day/lesson; may speak in monotonous voice and sound rude.

• Students may struggle to understand social rules and body language and may need plenty of personal space. Pupil may find eye contact very stressful .

When Bill Gates first got to try out a computer he immediately became inseparable from it and would stay in the computer room all day and night and he used up the school’s whole year of computer time allocation in just 3 weeks!

Aspergers’ SyndromeI may be very

successful academically but

lost socially

I have difficulty grasping

meaning of conversations

So I may need to go out with a TA on occasions to

work quietly.

I don’t like noisy, cluttered or brightly lit

environmentsSo I need to

be taught how to take turns and helped into groups

So please use direct language – I don’t understand hidden meanings

Perhaps allow me to express my feelings simply e.g. by using

a number scale

ADD/ADHD• Key feature of ADD is distractibility for ADHD add

hyperactivity.• Current understanding is that key chemical pathways are

not working – these neurological disorders are linked in current research to smoking, drugs and alcohol use in families as well as excessive TV watching.

• Disorders treated with Ritalin and nowadays more slow-release drugs.

• Recommended strategies include: alwaysget the first touch right (smile, positive greeting, warm welcome).

• Praise for doing the right thing.• Give pupils a job (clean board, collect books, take

message, etc.)

Thomas Edisoninventor

"My teachers say I'm addled... my father thought I was stupid, and I almost decided I was a dunce."

"I haven't failed.  I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

Edge Barriers to Learning

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Thanks to:

•Baskerville School,

•Victoria School,

•Hunters Hill Technology College.