A Learning Disability means that you are either of average or above average intelligence, yet are significantly behind your peers in learning.
Specifically, Learning Disabilities refer to a number of disorders that may affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use of verbal or nonverbal information. These disorders affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning. These are distinct from general intellectual deficiency.
Learning Disabilities result from impairment in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These include language processing, phonological processing, visual/spatial processing, processing speed, memory and attention, and functions such as planning and decision-making. They are caused by genetic and/or neurobiological factors or injury that alters brain functioning.
Learning Disabilities range in severity and may interfere with one or more of the following:
- listening, speaking, understanding
- reading
- writing
- mathematics
Learning Disabilities may also involve difficulties with organizational skills, social perception, social interaction and perspective taking.
The way in which they are expressed may vary over an individual's lifetime. A Learning Disability can surface as an unexpected academic under-achievement or achievement that is maintained only by unusually high levels of effort and support.
Hearing or vision problems, socio-economic factors, cultural or linguistic differences, lack of motivation or ineffective teaching can complicate the challenges faced by those with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities may co-exist with various conditions including attentional, behavioural and emotional disorders, sensory impairments or other medical conditions.
Learning Disabilities require early identification and timely specialized assessments and interventions involving home, school, community and workplace settings, and include:
- specific skill instruction
- accommodations; such as use of scribes for exams, extended times for exams, readers, technology interface, and support systems.
- compensatory strategies;
- self-advocacy skills.
Definition
- Seems bright
- Does some things well, others poorly
- Is failing in school in one or more subjects.
Auditory Disabilities
- Doesn't listen in class
- Doesn't remember what he/she is told or can’t follow instructions
- Has a limited speaking and/or listening vocabulary
- Has a poor sense of rhythm
- Can't discriminate between similar sounds
- Mispronounces words
- Has difficulty sounding out words
- Reading errors similar in meaning; e.g. puppy – dog
- Spelling errors resemble correct word in appearance
- Remembers better what he/she sees.
Visual Disabilities
- Reverses letters when reading or writing
- Is a slow reader
- Sounds out words that should be sight words
- Reading substitutions are visually similar but not meaning; e.g. horse – house;
- Loses his/her place or omits words when reading
- Has difficulty copying correctly from the board
- Spelling errors are phonetic
- Can't remember pictures, scenes
- Has a superior ability to remember what he/she has heard.
Speaking Disabilities
- Speaks in incomplete sentences
- Has an immature vocabulary
- Can't seem to find the words to express his/her thoughts
- Dislikes participating in class discussions
- Has poor reading comprehension
- Uses incorrect verb tenses
- Mispronounces words
- Sentences seem "mixed up"
- Uses gestures rather than words.
Written Disabilities
- Poor writing posture
- Written work is untidy
- Sequence of movements in forming letters is incorrect
- Beyond grade three, is still reversing letters
- Letters vary in size and wander off the lines
- Has difficulty copying from the board
- Is slow completing written work
- Can't seem to express ideas in writing in a logical or intelligible manner
- Is poor in sports
- Seems clumsy
- Drops things
- Has poor balance
- Has poor eye/hand coordination
- Art work is immature.
Orientation
- Can't tell time
- Lacks ability to judge time spans; e.g. bedtime, birth date
- Performs poorly on timed tests or assignments
- Can't plan ahead
- Gets lost
- Confuses directions; e.g. north, south, left, right
- Has difficulty in making comparisons of size and/or distance.
Hyperactivity
- Acts impulsively; e.g. acts first, thinks later
- Is moving constantly
- Behavior is inconsistent from day to day
- Is disruptive in class
- Has a short attention span.
Distractibility
- Attention seems to wander
- Daydreams
- Comments are off topic
- Starts assignments without having listened to directions