Learning Disabled

Learning Disabled
Definition: A diverse group of individuals who, despite normal intelligence, fail to learn as easily and efficiently as their classmates and peers. There is a discrepancy between the student's academic performance and his estimated potential. A learning disability cannot be due primarily to sensory impairments, mental retardation, emotional problems or environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage.
Characteristics
Gross and Fine Motor skills issues such as poor eye-hand coordination, poor handwriting, difficulty in using precision tools such as scissors
Language issues such as delay, difficulty in retelling a story, vague language with fillers, rhyming
Limited interest in books or stories
Difficulty understanding instructions
Reading issues such as confusion of similar looking letters, poor memory of printed words, slow reading, poor retention of new vocabulary
Written language issues such as delays, reversed letters and numbers, poor spelling, expresses written ideas in disorganized ways
Math issues such as difficulty with one-to-one correspondence, learning and memorizing basic facts, difficulty in comparisons, time telling, calculations
Social/emotional issues such as poor response to teasing, peer interaction, expression of feelings
Attention issues, such as difficulty in maintaining attention, follow through, organization, daily routine
Has difficulty listening and taking notes at the same time
Inconsistent performance
Difficulty in generalizing skills from one situation to another
Accommodations
Have student repeat directions back to teacher to show comprehension
Maintain daily routines in classroom, provide secure structure, have visual chart for schedule
Provide student with visual cues for organization
Use multi-sensory activities
Use rhymes, poetry and repetition to help improve memory and vocabulary
Provide a private area for distraction-free play/work time
Role play appropriate peer interaction
Allow for frequent breaks or change of activities