Definition: 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, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
Disorders not included. Specific learning disability does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of intellectual disability, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
In determining the existence of a specific learning disability, the following must be present:
Does not achieve at the proper age and ability levels in one or more of several specific areas when provided with appropriate learning experiences and age-appropriate instruction in one or more of the following areas: oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skill, reading fluency skills, reading comprehension, mathematics calculations, mathematics reasoning
Does not make adequate progress to meet age or grade-level standards in one or more of the prior areas identified when utilizing the process of the child's response to empirically based interventions; or a pattern of weaknesses and strengths have been determined to exist in performance, achievement or both, relative to age, state-approved grade-level standards, or intellectual development, as determined by certified assessment professionals
If a student is deemed to have an SLD, his/her learning may be impacted in any combination of the following areas:
Psychological processes. This is a broad term that incorporates the wide range of thinking skills we use to process and learn information. The five psychological, or cognitive, processes that are affected by a learning disability are perception, attention, memory, metacognition (the ability to monitor and evaluate performance), and organization
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Academic achievement. The 3 main affected areas are: Reading, Writing, Maths
Reading
Accommodations
• Remove the reading component of tasks of tests that are not literacy focused by providing a reading buddy
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• Allow extra time to complete reading, particularly during tests.
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Interventions
• Focus on developing phonological awareness and phonemic awareness skills to strengthen the understanding of the sound structure of words and the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in words.
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• Use repeated oral readings of simple, decodable text with an initial focus on accuracy and gradually increasing in speed.
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• Develop oral comprehension skills, including receptive vocabulary.
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• Teach the use of comprehension aids, such as highlighting key information
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Writing
Accommodations
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• Issue writing guidelines, templates, and paragraph headings to support the structure of extended writing
• Provide alternative modes of assessment such as oral work, illustration, or multiple choice formats, as a substitute for a long written assignment.
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Assistive Technologies
• Provide access to a computer for written work and make sure that editing features and the spellchecker are used (If the purpose isn't spelling)
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Use a program that introduces the process of writing based on planning and outlining, drafting, revising and editing, and writing a final copy in a clearly structured, logical sequence.
Interventions
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• Explicitly teach grammar and punctuation skills using resources such as ‘How to’ book series or ‘Grammar Magic’ program, ‘Jumpstart! Grammar’
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• Adjust group teaching strategies such as Jigsaws and reciprocal teaching to promote s>s activities on how to properly structure pieces of writing, provided the emotional behaviors of the student(s) in question allow.
Maths
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Assistive Technologies
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Utilize a comprehensive mental mathematics program such as Junior Elementary Maths Mastery or Elementary Maths Mastery Program.
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Interventions
Explicitly teach counting on/back, step counting and number recognition utilizing visual aids and a concrete apparatus such as number squares and bead strings.
Utilize maths games and activities that develop numerosity and number sense, and maths facts, such as the Paul Swan series of books.
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Teach foundational knowledge and proceed in small progressive steps with frequent repetition of material and practice of skills until they appear to be mastered.
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Vary instructional strategies, using different manipulatives, examples and visual aids as necessary to assist student’s understanding.
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Social/emotional development. It is important to realize that most social behaviors also involve learning. The characteristics that interfere with a student's acquisition of reading or writing skills can also interfere with his or her ability to acquire or interpret social behaviors. For example, individuals may have difficulties correctly interpreting social situations and reading social cues, and they may act impulsively without identifying the consequences of their behavior or recognizing the feelings and concerns of others
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Interventions
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Specialist interventions through other professionals (i.e. Psychologist, Behavioral Specialists, OT, PT, ST).
Lunch/Breaks - Be mindful of the student at lunch/break time, can be emotionally disturbing if they're eating alone etc
Sand timers - if the child is struggling or refusing to do the work, put a 5 or 10 minute timer in the desk and we tell them that we just want them to work until this timer is finished.
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