The Learning Disabled Student
(Click on the link above to access information on this site developed and presented by adult educators in Colorado)

Definition
(Endorsed by "Bridges to Practice: A Research-based Guide for Literacy Practitioners Serving Adults with Learning Disabilities” - A project of the National Institute for Literacy http://slincs.coe.utk.edu/special_collections/learning_disabilities/bridges-to-practice.html

Learning disabilities is a generic term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities.  These disorders are intrinsic to the individual and presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction.  Even though a learning disability may occur concomitantly with other handicapping conditions (e.g., sensory impairment, mental retardation, social and emotional disturbance) or environmental influences (e.g., cultural differences, insufficient, inappropriate instruction, psychogenic factors), it is not the direct result of those conditions or influences.

The National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities (1981)  

·       Believed to be neurological (the central nervous system) in origin, does have an organic, not psychological, cause

·       Spans the person’s life, therefore never “cured”; can develop coping strategies to adapt through life

·      Therefore, learning strategies must be portable 

·       Includes social behavior irregularities

Behavioral Characteristics of LD Adults
(Taken from http://edu-ss10.educ.queensu.ca/~lda/ldachar.htm

In Adolescence

• Poor and laborious handwriting and/or bizarre spelling mistakes

• Disorganized; books in a mess, notes out of order, loses things

• Poor social skills, few friends, or socializes with a younger group

• Lacks insights into his own future, his strengths and weaknesses

• Tendency to be very literal, rigid, humorless, and/or gullible

• Vulnerable to peer pressure, often the "scapegoat" in situations

In Adulthood

• Excellent verbal ability, but cannot express thoughts on paper

• Mechanical aptitude, but difficulty with reading, writing or spelling

• Lacks social skills and has difficulty maintaining relationships or making friends

• Learns well when shown, but cannot follow written and/or verbal instructions

• Feels constantly anxious, tense, depressed and has a very poor self-concept

• Cannot organize belongings, time, activities or responsibilities

Principles of Instruction for LD Students
(http://www.swadutled.com/workshops/ld/esl-ld.htm)

by Ardith R. Loustalet Simons
Staff Development Specialist
Northern Colorado Literacy Resource Center
619 Bowen Street
Longmont, CO 80501

Following is a list of principles which apply as teachers work with adult students with disabilities. While this list is not all-inclusive, it has the added benefit of improving instruction for learners with other types of learning problems as well:

• Be highly structured and predictable.

Always: explain the purpose of the lesson; break down tasks into small, sequential parts; present directions one step at a time, using both oral and written directions;

• Include opportunities to use several senses and learning strategies.

Always: provide auditory, visual, and concrete cues; use physical demonstration of abstract concepts, such as left/right; use color for visual impact; encourage the student to repeat verbal information; act out action verbs.

• Provide constant structure and multi-sensory review.

Always: preview and review major points, both orally and visually; ask the student to state in his/her own words what has been presented; make frequent eye contact to maintain attention and encourage participation.

• Recognize and build on learners' strengths and prior knowledge.

Always: relate new materials to daily life; combine life skills such as reading medicine labels and filling out forms with phonics, word recognition, and reading comprehension; provide success-oriented activities.

• Simplify language but not content; emphasize content words and make concepts accessible through the use of pictures, charts, maps, time lines, and diagrams.

Always: use visual aids such as overhead projectors, films, videos, slides, chalkboards, flip charts, computer graphics, or illustrations; use games, songs, rhymes to help students listen to sounds.

• Reinforce main ideas and concepts through rephrasing rather than through verbatim repetition.

Always: provide intensive instruction until the materials is mastered; allow ample time for learning a task (a student with a learning disability will take longer to master new material; provide instruction to help transfer of learning from one task and setting to another; set up small discussion groups to allow time for each student to talk and use the language they have already developed.