SP 128: Learning Disability

• LD: Definition

  1. Educational/Legal
  2. Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004)
  3. Medical
  4. DSM 5
  5. Learning Disability to Specific Learning Disorder
• Based from IDEA, a learning disability is a disorder in psychosocial processes that affects the use and understanding or written and spoken language.
• Education/Legal Perspective should not primarily results from

  1. visual, hearing, motor disabilities
  2. mental retardation (ID)
  3. Emotional disturbance
  4. Environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantages
• Educational/Legal

  causing impairment ability to

  • Listen
  • Think
  • Speak
  • Read
  • Write
  • Spell
  • Math Calculation
• Medical Perspective states that learning disability is not exactly synonymous with specific learning disorder
• a child with diagnosis of specific learning disorder would be expected to meet the criteria for learning disability
• Criteria for LD

  • difficulties in at least one of the following areas for at least 6 months despite targeted help
  • reading
  • understanding
  • spelling
  • writing
  • numerical concepts
  • mathematical reasoning
  • below expected skills for age
  • interfere with daily living
  • begin in school-age years
• LD should not be accounted by

  • Intellectual Disabilities
  • visual/auditory acuity
  • mental/neurological disorders
  • psychosocial adversity
  • language proficiency in school
  • inadequate educational instruction
• LD Etiology

  • Neurobiological
  • Hereditary
  • Pre/Perinatal Factors
  • Postnatal
  • Environmental
  • Toxins (Lead, Mercury)
  • malnutrition
• LD Prevalence

  US Stat

  • 5-9% of the general population
  • 32% of students receiving SPED services for SY: 21-22
• Diagnosis

  • usually in educational setting
  • individual's history
  • school reports
  • Psychoeducational assessment
  • cognitive ability (IQ): Wechsler Intelligence Scales
  • academic achievement
• Types of LD

  • Dyslexia
  • Dysgraphia
  • Dyscalculia
• • Not all people with Dyslexia reverses letters
  • dyslexia is not a sign of low intelligence
  • dyslexia is caused by deficits in phonological processing
  • dyslexia is a lifelong condition
• dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with word recognition, poor spelling, and decoding abilities despite effective instruction
• dyslexia secondary consequences: reading comprehension problems
• Dysgraphia

  • affects handwriting ability and fine motor skills
  • difficulty with executive function (planning, organizing)
  • orthographic memory in working memory
  • difficulty in spatial planning
• Dyscalculia

  • ability to understand numbers and learn math fact
  • associated with weakness in fundamental representations and processing
• LD Associated conditions

  • language delay or language development
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Educational Management

  • Accommodations
  • equal access (e.g. extends time)
  • no change in academic contents
  • Modifications
  • still can go to class but modify activities (e.g. easier exams)
  • Remediations
  • specific intervention
• Support Systems

  • Specific Learning Difficulties Association the Philippines
  • Philippines Dyslexia Foundation