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Learning
Disabilities
EMDT5010:
Special and Inclusive Education
Week 5
6th April 2017
Kellie, Nina, Ning & Rudi
DYSCALCULIA
DYSGRAPHIA
DYSPRAXIA
DYSLEXIA
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Characteristics
DYSGRAPHIA
Dysgraphia – difficulty with motor coordination, organization and presentation in written
material
• Trouble with letters and spelling
• Writing posture and slouching
• Directionally challenged
• Clumsy and uncoordinated
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DYSCALCULIA
Dyscalculia is:
“the inability to obtain a suitable and appropriate competence in mathematics” (Butterworth, 2003)
Characteristics of Dyscalculia:
• Difficulty recognising and remembering numbers and mathematics symbols
• Difficulty learning basic mathematics facts such as 3 + 5 = 8
• Struggles to connect numbers with real-life e.g. knowing that 3 can apply to 3 cookies, 3 cars or 3 people
• Struggles to understand mathematics vocabulary such as greater than or less than
• Difficulty measuring distances, quantities and units of time
DYSPRAXIA
Dyspraxia is a brain based condition which makes it hard to plan and coordinate physical move
ment, which has an affect on the development of both gross and fine motor skills.
• Can not be outgrown, yet can be improved on.
• 6-10% of children show early signs of Dyspraxia
• It is still unclear what causes Dyspraxia à extensive research linking problem with th
e link between nerve cells and signals from the brain.
• DYSPRAXIA DOES NOT IMPLY A LACK OF INTELLIGENCE
• However, it affects abilities like information processing, planning and organization
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DYSLEXIA
Dyslexia is a language-based learning difficulty that affects about 20% of children. Its literal meaning is ‘difficulty
with words’
Some of the characteristics of dyslexia are:
• Difficulty with sounding out words and separating words into their individual sounds
• Poor spelling and word recognition
• Difficulties with rhymes and recognising rhyming words
• Trouble with understanding the meaning of sentences and long passages
Educational
Implications
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DYSGRAPHIA
Imperative to create awareness as early as possible, young people with dysgraphia could
develop severe frustration, anxiety and depression as academic demand increases.
Identification
• Disability appears in a child’s early stage of development
• Illegible handwriting
• Avoidance to writing or drawing tasks
• Mild to moderate level of difficulty
• Take notes slowly
DYSCALCULIA
Creating awareness of dyscalculia
Cultural Attitudes (Whitney, 2015)
Is it ‘ok’ to be bad at mathematics?
How to identify dyscalculia?
Age-appropriate standardized assessment
Direct observation (Michaelson, 2007)
Dyscalculia screener (Butterworth,2003)
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DYSLEXIA
Creating awareness is especially important because if it’s not identified early it could lead to so
me serious difficulties with learning and engagement in class. Dyslexia can also have an effect
on social skills – people with dyslexia usually have trouble picking up on social cues – and also
mental health.
Identification – look for these warning signs:
• If there is a known family history of dyslexia
• Confusing words that sound alike
• Difficulty learning names and sounds of letters
• Difficulty separating and blending sounds
• Reading slowly and disliking reading
• Poor comprehension
• Choppiness when reading aloud
DYSPRAXIA
Dyspraxia can pose many implications within an Educational Context because of its direct affect
on motor skills.
Lindsay Peer (2002) identified some essential components when identifying Dyspraxia:
• Lack of organisational and sequential skills
• Weakness with speed of processing language
• Physical difficulties including control of body movements
• Difficulties producing neat handwriting and figures in mathematics on pages that are
well organised
• Difficulty with movements that demand fine motor control movements
• Difficulties tying shoe laces and buttoning up clothes
• Difficulty dealing with high levels of noise
• Difficulty in expressing ideas on paper even though they may be verbally quite articul
ate.
• Weakness with social relationships
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Strategy Plans
Strategy Plans: Dysgraphia
Recommendation for teachers and parents
Adjustments/Modification:
Speed of writing: Difficulty:
• Provide typed up copies of classroom notes • Give examples of finished assignments
• Allow extension to complete assignments, sta • Help the students break down assignm
rt writing projects early ent step by step
• Use technology e.g. apps • Use a rubric
• Provide extra time for students to take notes, • Proof-reader
copy material and take tests
Mechanics of writing:
Amount of writing: • Writing instrument, visual aids
• Grade based on student’s knowledge base not • Provide different paper option
handwriting/spelling
• Hand out worksheets
• Provide lesson outline for taking notes
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Strategy Plans: Dyscalculia
Teaching effective mathematics to those with dyscalculia:
• Establish clear learning outcomes
• Focus on specific skills
• Provide scaffolding
• Provide multiple means of representing concepts
• Teach subject-specific vocabulary
• Play games, use technology and concrete materials
• Strengths based approach to assessment
Strategy Plans: Dyspraxia
Four important strategy plans for working with Dyspraxia:
Adjustment: Professional Development & Awareness:
• The Dyspraxia Foundation UK provides a whole • Plenty of online resources and courses w
bunch of examples on how to implement adjust hich can help teachers in areas like identi
ments in the classroom, as well as many resource fication and adjustment.
s for teachers. • http://www.educatam.com/courses/dyspra
• http://dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/dyspraxia-chil xia-a-course-for-parents-teachers/
dren/classroom-guidelines-schools-teachers/
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Strategy Plans: Dyslexia
People with dyslexia can learn – they just have to learn differently.
Some adjustments you can make for teaching students with dyslexia include:
• Scaffolding of worksheets and large print text
• Give step-by-step instructions both written and oral
• Using visual aids (e.g. visual timetable)
• Provide hands-on learning experiences
• Practice word retrieval and naming through playing games (e.g. scattergories, scrabble, crossword puzzles)
• Encourage multiple readings of a text
• Provide access to audiobooks/text-to-speech function on computers
• Sing songs that promote rhyming and alliteration
Assessment adjustments:
• Scaffolding of questions in exams
• Allowing extra time
• Allowing students to respond in different ways – completing projects, oral presentations, circling the answer instead of filli
ng the blanks
• Increasing spacing between questions so they don’t get distracted
• Provide a glossary
Reference List:
admin@newvisioncoug. (2016, May 23). Teachers, try to understand and help students with non-communicable challenges. Retrieved from
New Vision: http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1425152/teachers-try-understand-help-students-communicable-challeng
es
Australian Dyslexia Association. (2014). Dyslexia in Australia. Retrieved from: http://dyslexiaassociation.org.au/what-is-dyslexia
Australian Network on Disability. (2017). Disability statistics. Retrieved from http://www.and.org.au/pages/disability-statistics.html
Bayetto, A. (n.d.). Teaching students with learning difficulties in mathematics. Retrieved from the Specific Learning Difficulties Associat
ion of South Australia website: http://www.speld-sa.org.au
Bennett, J. (2014). Dyslexia Pocketbook. Alresford: Management Pocketbooks.
Butterworth, B. (2003). Dyscalculia screener: highlighting pupils with specific learning difficulties in maths. London, UK: Nelson Publishin
g Company.
Chung, P., & Patel, D. R. (2015). Dysgraphia. International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health, 27-36.
Classroom guidelines for schools and teachers. (2017). Dyspraxia Foundation. Retrieved 28 March 2017, from http://dyspraxiafoundation.o
rg.uk/dyspraxia-children/classroom-guidelines-schools-teachers/
Dyscalculia Checklist. Retrieved March 29, 2017, from http://www.dyscalculia.org/diagnosis-legal-matters/math-ld-symptoms
Dysgraphia. (2005-2017). Retrieved from http://www.specialeducationalneeds.co.uk/dysgraphia.html
Dysgraphia. (2017). Retrieved from http://dysgraphia.org.uk/index.php/how-to-get-help
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Conclusion
• Utmost Importance:
vIdentifying Learning Disabilities
vAdjusting teaching and learning environ-
ment
• Raising Awareness
• Providing support
• Fostering a supportive school community
• Collaboration between teachers, the school a
nd parents/families
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DyslexiaHelp. (2017). Dyslexia at school. Retrieved from: http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/professionals/dyslexia-school
Dyspraxia: A Course for Parents & Teachers. (2017). Educatam. Retrieved 1 April 2017, from http://www.educatam.com/courses/dyspraxia-a-
course-for-parents-teachers/
Evans, D. (2014). Curriculum adaptations. In A. Ashman (Ed.), Education for inclusion and diversity (pp.102-130). Melbourne, Australia: Pea
rson.
Flora, C. (2013, December 11). How can a smart kid be so bad at math?. Discover. Retrieved from http://discovermagazine.com/2013/julyau
g/20-learning-disability-dyscalculia-explains-how-a-smart-kid-can-be-so-bad-at-math
G.Richards, R. (2017). Strategies for Dealing with Dysgraphia. Retrieved from LD online: http://www.ldonline.org/article/5890/
Handler, S. M. (2016). Dyslexia: what you need to know: by being vigilant to signs of dyslexia, dispelling the myths, and coordinating car
e, paediatricians can help children with dyslexia enjoy success in school and in daily life. Contemporary Paediatrics, 33(8).
International Dyslexia Association. (2013). Dyslexia in the classroom: what every teacher has to know. Retrieved from: https://dyslexiaida.or
g/dyslexia-in-the-classroom
Kinnealey, M., Pfeiffer, B., Miller, J., Shoener, R., & Ellner, M. (2012). Effect of classroom modification on attention and engagement of st
udents with Autism or Dyspraxia. AJOT: American Journal Of Occupational Therapy, 66(5), 511-519.
Lapkin, E. (2014). Dyslexia: what you’re seeing in your grade-schooler. Retrieved from: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-is
sues/child-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/dyslexia-what-youre-seeing-in-your-grade-schooler
Lapkin, E. (2014). Dyslexia: what you’re seeing in your high-schooler. Retrieved from: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-iss
ues/child-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/dyslexia-what-youre-seeing-in-your-high-schooler
Lapkin, E. (2014). Dyslexia: what you’re seeing in your middle-schooler. Retrieved from: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attenti
on-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/dyslexia-what-youre-seeing-in-your-middle-schooler
Michaelson, M. (2007). An overview of dyscalculia: methods for ascertaining and accommodating dyscalculic children in the classroo
m. The Australian Mathematics Teacher, 63(3),17-22. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy1.library.usyd.edu.au/docume
ntSummary;dn=136592033316895;res=IELHSS
Morin, A. (2014-2017). At a Glance: Classroom Accomodations for Dysgraphia. Retrieved from Understood for learning & attention issues:
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/partnering-with-childs-school/instructional-strategies/at-a-glance-classroom-accom
modations-for-dysgraphia
Morin, A. (2014). At a glance: classroom accommodations for dyslexia. Retrieved from: https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/par
tnering-with-childs-school/instructional-strategies/at-a-glance-classroom-accommodations-for-dyslexia
Morin, A. (n.d.). Understanding dyscalculia. Retrieved from the Understood website: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attenti
on-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyscalculia/understanding-dyscalculia
Patino, E. (2017). Understanding Dyspraxia. Understood.org. Retrieved 28 March 2017, from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-atte
ntion-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyspraxia/understanding-dyspraxia
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dyspraxia_identification_and_remediation
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-disorder-dyscalculia
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