Information and Resources for students with learning disabilities (LD)
How are learning disabilities defined?
The U.S. Department of Education IDEA 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act defines learning disabilities as:
What are the characteristics of students with learning disabilities?
Characteristics of students with learning disabilities vary from student to student, but all students have a discrepancy in the development of academic skills. Students with learning disabilities are low achieving in one or more academic subject areas and not in others:
Academics:
How many students are identified with learning disabilities, and what are the major causes?
Presently, 4.9% of school age children in the United States have been diagnosed as having a learning disability. Students with learning disabilities make up 43% of school-age children with disabilities. Approximately 75% of students diagnosed with a learning disability are male. Researchers have identified three factors that may account for a learning disability:
How are students with learning disabilities identified?
Two different approached are used in the school systems in order to identify a student with a learning disability: Severe Discrepancy and Response to Intervention (RtI). There are four criteria used when identifying a severe discrepancy:
1) Severe discrepancy between the student’s achievement and ability (IQ)
2) Exclusion clause – making sure the child does not have another disability. Also making sure low achievement is not due to poor teaching, cultural background differences, economic disadvantages, etc.
3) The student is being meet with appropriate learning experiences
4) The child cannot make progress in the general education classroom without special education services (Rosenberg, Westling, & McLeskey, 2011)
Since 2004, RtI has replaced Severe Discrepancy in some schools. In RtI, scientific, research-based interventions must be used for identifying students. Limited English proficiency cannot be used as possible cause for identifying LD. For more information about RtI, click here or select the RtI tab at the top of the page.
What principles guide effective instruction for students with learning disabilities?
The U.S. Department of Education IDEA 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act defines learning disabilities as:
- 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 the 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 (Rosenberg, Westling, & McLeskey, 2011 p. 141)
- Learning disability is defined as low academic achievements in one or more academic areas
- Low academic achievement exists because of a psychological processing disorder
- The term learning disability is used synonymously with other terms such as dyslexia and developmental aphasia, as well as labels used formerly, such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, and minimal brain dysfunction
- Students with low academic achievement caused by environmental circumstances (living in poverty, poor teaching) are excluded from being identified with a learning disability (Rosenberg, Westling, & McLeskey, 2011)
What are the characteristics of students with learning disabilities?
Characteristics of students with learning disabilities vary from student to student, but all students have a discrepancy in the development of academic skills. Students with learning disabilities are low achieving in one or more academic subject areas and not in others:
Academics:
- Reading - 80% of students with learning disabilities have difficulties in reading. Many lack the language skills needed to make the connections needed to easily decode, read fluently, and use background knowledge to comprehend a text.
- Math - Over 25% of students with learning disabilities have difficulties in mathematics.
- Writing - Some students with learning disabilities have difficulty with written language, especially in planning out the content of their writing
- Working memory
- Attention problems (as many as 25% of students who have LD, have also been identified with ADD or ADHD)
- Metacognitive deficits (monitoring their own learning)
- Some, but not all, students with learning disabilities may have difficulties reading social cues, which may lead to social difficulties and a negative self-esteem (Rosenberg, Westling, & McLeskey, 2011)
How many students are identified with learning disabilities, and what are the major causes?
Presently, 4.9% of school age children in the United States have been diagnosed as having a learning disability. Students with learning disabilities make up 43% of school-age children with disabilities. Approximately 75% of students diagnosed with a learning disability are male. Researchers have identified three factors that may account for a learning disability:
- Abnormal brain function (more research needs to be done here)
- Genetic factors (it is unclear whether this is truly genetic or if it is environmental)
- Lack of effective instruction in the early elementary grades (Rosenberg, Westling, & McLeskey, 2011)
How are students with learning disabilities identified?
Two different approached are used in the school systems in order to identify a student with a learning disability: Severe Discrepancy and Response to Intervention (RtI). There are four criteria used when identifying a severe discrepancy:
1) Severe discrepancy between the student’s achievement and ability (IQ)
2) Exclusion clause – making sure the child does not have another disability. Also making sure low achievement is not due to poor teaching, cultural background differences, economic disadvantages, etc.
3) The student is being meet with appropriate learning experiences
4) The child cannot make progress in the general education classroom without special education services (Rosenberg, Westling, & McLeskey, 2011)
Since 2004, RtI has replaced Severe Discrepancy in some schools. In RtI, scientific, research-based interventions must be used for identifying students. Limited English proficiency cannot be used as possible cause for identifying LD. For more information about RtI, click here or select the RtI tab at the top of the page.
What principles guide effective instruction for students with learning disabilities?
- Students learn most effectively when serviced in the general education classroom by their general education teacher as well as their special education teacher. By keeping a special education student in the general education classroom, the special education student learns from and socializes with peers who do not have disabilities (Rosenberg, Westling, & McLeskey, 2011). This type of structure is called an inclusion or push-in model. For more information about this model, click here.
- Early intervention is sometimes difficult because it is difficult to diagnose a learning disability when a child is young and has not yet learned to read. However, language problems can be diagnosed in preschool children. These children benefit from early intervention programs which can assist with development and prevent failure later in the child's life (Rosenberg, Westling, & McLeskey, 2011).
- Classroom interventions proven to be successful with students with learning disabilities include:
- Big Ideas - key concepts or principals that facilitate the most efficient and broadest acquisition of information
- Mediated scaffolding - temporary instructional support provided until the student can solve a problem or understand a concept independently
- Judicious review - opportunities to practice or apply information that was perviously taught
- Conspicuous strategies - steps used to accomplish a task or solve a problem (Rosenberg, Westling, & McLeskey, 2011 p. 154)
For more information about successful strategies for teaching students with learning disabilities, visit the following website: http://ldaamerica.org/successful-strategies-for-teaching-students-with-learning-disabilities/ or browse the document below.
For extensive information about assistive technology that can benefit the learning of students with a learning disability, please visit the following website: http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/assistive-technology-education