ch7 Flashcards
Learning Disability
A condition in
which one or more of the basic
psychological processes involved in
understanding or using language are
deficient.
Learning Disabilities
Unrecognized prior to 1960’s
* Considered mild disability because
people with LD usually average or near
average intelligence
* Achieve at unexpectedly low levels
especially in reading and math
* Generic label
* Represents a group of conditions –
ranging from mild to severe with a
variety of needs
(Hardman, 2017, p. 150)
Learning Disability – textbook
-Previously would have been labeled
remedial learners, emotionally disturbed,
or even intellectually disabled
* Delayed academic performance is a
major element in most current
definitions of LD
* The largest single program in the U.S is
represented by 35% of all students with
LD
IDEA ’04 and Joint Committee Definitions
a disorder of one or more of the basic
psychological processes involved in
understanding or using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an
imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations
This term includes such conditions as
perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and
developmental aphasia.
DEFINITIONS – IDEA ’04
The term does not include children who
have learning problems which are
primarily the results of visual, hearing, or
motor disabilities, of [intellectual
disability], of emotional disturbance, or of
environmental, cultural, or economic
disadvantage
Criteria for identifying a SLD
Severe discrepancy between
intellectual disability and achievement:
◦ Oral expression
◦ Listening comprehension
◦ Written expression
◦ Basic reading skill
◦ Reading comprehension
◦ Math calculation
◦ Math reasoning
Criteria for identifying a SLD
The team may not identify a child as having a specific learning disability if the lack of achievement is primarily the result of:
◦ A visual, hearing, or motor impairment
◦ Intellectual disabilities
◦ Limited English proficiency
◦ Emotional disturbance
◦ Environmental, cultural, or economic
disadvantage, or
◦ Lack of instruction
UMBRELLA TERM
Includes both academic and behavioral
problems.
* No current definition includes measure
of severity
* Some subgroups by functional academic
difficulty
* Math, spelling, reading
(Hardman, 2017, p. 151)
Classification
The major elements of classification
◦ Discrepancy – identifiable gap between
intelligence and achievement
◦ Heterogeneity – differing array of academic domains where these children often demonstrate performance problems
◦ Exclusion – learning disability cannot be due to selected other conditions
Determination for Referral
Whether a child achieves commensurate
with his or her age and ability when
provided with appropriate educational
experiences.
● Whether the child has a severe
discrepancy between achievement and
intellectual ability in one or more of
seven areas related to communication
skills and mathematical abilities
Prevalence
▪ 3.4% of school age population
▪ 35% of all students identified IDEA
▪ May be over identification to avoid stigma
of other categories (Hardman 2017)
▪ 70% of below average readers in 1st grade
remain below grade level in 8th grade
▪ Children with reading difficulties in 3rd
grade are more likely to struggle their entire
educational career
Impact of Learning Disabilities
-increased risk for negative psychosocial
outcomes (low self-esteem, shame,
inadequacy, helplessness, greater risk
for suicide)
● Greater risk for internalizing symptoms
(anxiety, depression) and externalizing
behaviors
● Less likely to complete high school or
post –secondary school
● More likely to be incarcerated
1/3 adults cannot read drug labels
● Low literacy costs U.S. 230 billion
annually in health care costs
● LDs impact economic and vocational
potential
● Illiteracy costs American businesses
about $225 billion annually in lost
productivity
Characteristics –
Reading
67% of U.S. 4th graders are reading below
grade level and 80% of 4th graders from
low socioeconomic backgrounds are
reading below grade level (National Center for Education
Statistics 2022)
* Estimates 60-90% student with learning
disabilities have reading difficulties.
* word knowledge
* word recognition
* Finding significant idea of a paragraph
CHARACTERISTICS
Recent focus to identify subgroups,
subtypes, or severity levels
* Subtype and comorbidity research are
appearing in literature at increasing rates.
* Subtype research investigates the
characteristics of youngsters to identify
distinctive groups.
* Comorbidity research investigates the
degree of multiple disabilities or conditions
Dyslexia
● 40 states, including California are mandated
to screen for dyslexia
● Learning to read is not a natural process; it
requires mastering a series of developmental
stages in response to environmental input
starting with language processing in utero
● Developmental dyslexia- neurobiological
origin; difficulties with accurate word reading,
poor spelling and decoding difficulties
Characteristics –
Writing and Spelling
● Handwriting
◦ Slow writing
◦ Spacing
◦ Letter formation
● Spelling
◦ Omission or addition of letters
◦ Letter order
Characteristics –
Mathematics
● Counting
● Writing numbers
● Math concepts
ACHIEVEMENT DISCREPANCY
Students with learning disabilities tend to
be below their age mates in achievement,
but they also perform below what would
be expected based on their measured
potential.
INTELLIGENCE
- Above average or near average
intelligence - Secondary behavioral or emotional
concerns - Variability between measured
intelligence and performance - Intraindividual differences between skill
areas
Learning Characteristics
● Figure-ground discrimination –
distinguishing object from the
background
● Visual discrimination – unable to
distinguish one visual stimulus from
another (SAT, SIT, b and d)
● Auditory processing – distinguish
between sounds of a language
● Kinesthetic – touch, body movement,
and position sensation
Causes
● Neurological – birth weight, anoxia (lack
of O2), abnormal fetal positioning during
birth
● Maturational Delay
● Genetics – not proven but a possibility
● Environmental Factors
Assessment
- Norm-referenced – compares skills to
peers based on a national average
● Criterion-referenced – performance
level or specific goal
◦ curriculum based
RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION
Prior to 2004, definition included a
discrepancy between achievement and
intellectual ability.
Currently, can use response to intervention
(RTI)
Can use data collected that shows student
positive response to specific instruction
Elementary Years–intervention
● Academic Instruction/support
◦ developing cognition, attention, skill
● Math
● Reading
● Behavioral interventions
◦ behavior contracts
Adolescent years
● Academic support requires time
● Transition services
◦ employment prep
