• Manpreet (4 years old) has trouble settling in at nursery because he gets very upset and angry when the other children don’t understand him

• Tariq (8 years old) is having real difficulty with reading but he seems very bright. His teacher has just found out that he had difficulty learning to talk.

Scenarios

• Manisha (6 years old) got into trouble at school today with a new teacher because she didn’t do what the teacher wanted but Manisha didn’t understand what the teacher meant.

• Harish (12) doesn’t want to go to school, he doesn’t seem to have any friends and his parents think he is being bullied because of his speech

ADDRESSING NEEDS OF CHILDREN WITH LANGUAGE

DIFFICULTIES

PRESENTED BY:Ms. GURKIRAT KAUR

ASST. PROF. CHITKARA UNIVERSITY

 

Who is a Student with a Learning Disability?

A student with a Learning Disability is a student with learning abilities who:

• falls within the range of intellectual ability from average to superior intelligence;

• is able to learn; • has disabilities in one or more of

the academic skills of reading, writing, spelling or mathematics.

 

Definition of Learning Disability

LD Association of Ontario -

Learning disabilities refers to a variety of disorders that affect the acquisition, retention, understanding, organization or use of verbal and/or non-verbal information.

The impairments are generally life-long.  

Some impairments may be noted during the pre-school years by low academic achievement, while others may not become evident until much later.

 

 

Definition of Learning Disability cont.

Learning disabilities range in severity and invariably interfere with the acquisition and use of one or more of the following important skills:

• oral language (listening, speaking and understanding)

• reading (decoding and comprehension)• written language (spelling and written expression)• mathematics (computation and problem solving) 

Learning disabilities may also cause difficulties with organizational skills, and social interaction.

Types of Learning Disabilities

Dyslexia A language and reading disability

DyscalculiaProblems with arithmetic and math concepts

DysgraphiaA writing disorder resulting in illegibility

Dyspraxia (Sensory Integration Disorder)Problems with motor coordination

Central Auditory Processing DisorderDifficulty processing and remembering language-related tasks

Non-Verbal Learning DisordersTrouble with nonverbal cues, e.g., body language; poor coordination, clumsy

Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor DeficitReverses letters; cannot copy accurately;

Language Disorders (Aphasia/Dysphasia)Trouble understanding spoken language; poor reading comprehension

Celebrities with dyslexia • Tom Cruise

• Walt Disney

• Abhishek Bachchan

• Albert Einstein

• Dyslexia involves difficulty with LANGUAGE

• Intelligence is not the problem

• There is an expected GAP between their potential for learning and their

school achievement

• Individuals with dyslexia have a wide range of talents e.g. art, drama,

entrepreneurial work etc.

• They often have difficulty organizing themselves

• Each dyslexic individual has different strengths and weaknesses

• Often other members of the family have dyslexia or similar difficulties

Identifying symptomsdelay in talking

difficulty with rhymes and rhythm

difficulty with remembering rote information, e.g. telephone no., names

difficulty in remembering and following directions

Identifying symptoms difficulty in learning letter /character

symbols and their sounds unusual reading and writing errors

difficulty in remembering words over time

difficulty in comprehension from textdifficulty in organizing ideas in text writing

• Other common features accompanying dyslexia:– poor pencil grip and

handwriting– poor sense of time– poor organization and

ability to keep belongings

– poor study habits

What is Dyscalculia?• Developmental Dyscalculia was first

recognised by Dept for education and Skills 2001 and defined as

‘a condition that affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills. Dyscalculic learners may have difficulty understanding simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers and have problems learning number facts and procedures. Even if they produce a correct answer or use a correct method they may do so mechanically and without confidence.’

How do I recognise a child who has Dyscalculia?

• the child will be performing below teacher’s expectations with no obvious reason such as illness

• This underachievement may manifest itself in specifics such as knowing the value of numbers, realising 9 is 1 less that 10

• They may have no understanding of why or what the result means in a sum

• Do not be surprised that those who have difficulties in decoding and understanding written words and learning patterns involving symbols also experience in learning facts, symbols which are used in Mathematics

Dyscalculic pupils may:• Have sound technical reading skills but

fail to understand the mathematical language

• Difficulty linking mathematical words to numerals

• Fails to remember the sequence of calculations in multi-step word problem

• Forget the formula• Unable to read the time• Difficulty with mathematical language

of money

Dyscalculic pupils:• Are worried that they

work more slowly and incorrectly

• Lack confidence – even when they produce the correct answer

• Will adopt avoidance strategies

• Dislike whole group interactive sessions

Bill Gates

Benjamin Franklin

Thomas Edison

Albert Einstein

What is dyspraxia?An impairment or immaturity in the

organisation of movement

Associated difficulties include:

• Language delay

• Perceptual difficulties

• Difficulties in planning and organising thought

• Self-esteem and emotional Difficulties

Daniel Radcliffe

How do we diagnose it?• Usually presented by parents or

teacher

• Often a history of poor motor development e.g. late walking, falling over a lot, poor ball catching skills etc

• Immature or poor drawing skills

• Difficulty with personal skills especially dressing, eating, toileting, shoe laces etc

How do we diagnose it?• Disorganised –

constantly losing things, forgetting equipment, can’t follow timetables, forgets homework

• Late learning motor skills such as riding a bike

What is dysgraphia?What is dysgraphia? • A learning disability that affects writing A learning disability that affects writing

abilitiesabilities.. • Illegible handwritingIllegible handwriting• Irregular and inconsistent letter formationsIrregular and inconsistent letter formations

• Write legibly but very slowly and/or very small Write legibly but very slowly and/or very small • Ability to express ideas is interferedAbility to express ideas is interfered

Diagnosis of dysgraphiaDiagnosis of dysgraphia

• Dysgraphia cannot be diagnosed solely by Dysgraphia cannot be diagnosed solely by looking at handwriting samples.looking at handwriting samples.

• Not only the finished product is assessed, but Not only the finished product is assessed, but also the process (The International Dyslexia also the process (The International Dyslexia Association, 1996-2007).Association, 1996-2007).

Types of error

• letter substitution errors “apple” --> aBBel• letter omission errors “swing” --> swin• letter addition errors “across -> acccross• case substitution errors Queen --> quEEn• crab --> craB; ladder --> laDDer;

apple --> aBBel

What a TEACHER can do?

Accommodations for Dyslexia

• Timing/Scheduling

– more time in completing written work / exams

– avoid closely packed multiple exam sessions

• Presentation Format

–Larger print with less crowding

–Questions and answers on same page

–Directions in simple wording, child’s understanding checked

–Test items read to student

• Setting

–Testing in a small separate group

–Limit distractions

• Response Format

–answers on large-spaced paper

–students answers verbally

–spelling etc requirements waived

–aids allowed e.g. dictionaries

Accommodations for Dyscalculia • First step must be to identify a

student’s strengths and weaknesses, understand how a student learns best

• Use tutoring outside the classroom, with a one-on-one instructor

• Use graph paper to organize work and ideas• Use different approaches to memorizing

math facts, formulas, rules, etc.• Encourage students to work hard to

“visualize” math problems, draw pictures, look at diagrams, etc.

• Encourage verbalizing while problem solving, this uses auditory skills which may be a strength

• Try to relate problems to real life experiences• Use rhythm or music to help memorize math

facts, etc.

• Monitor student progress on a frequent basis

BE PATIENT

Accommodations for Dyspraxia

• Multi-disciplinary approach to tackle learning, motor skills and self esteem

Interventions to make life easier and learn skills which are difficult eg:

– List of equipment on inside of school bag or pencil case

– Practising ball skills, using cutlery, drawing, PC instead of handwriting

Accommodations for DYSGRAPHIA•Use paper with raised lines for a sensory guide to

staying within the lines.

•Try different pens and pencils to find one that's most comfortable.

•Practice writing letters and numbers in the air with big arm movements to improve motor memory of these important shapes. Also practice letters and

numbers with smaller hand or finger motions.

•Encourage proper grip, posture and paper positioning for writing. It's important to reinforce

this early as it's difficult for students to unlearn bad habits later on.

•Be patient and positive, encourage practice and praise effort - becoming a good writer takes time

and practice.

  

is a Student with SPEACIAL ABILITIES   

who can SUCCEED at ACADEMIC STUDY

 

 

A Student with a LANGUAGE DISABILITY