Specific Learning Disability

Children whose poor achievement in school cannot be explained in terms of impaired intelligence, emotional disturbance, or lack of motivation are considered having a learning disability. In general, a learning disability is a problem in acquiring and using skills required for listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, and mathematical ability. Some children have a ld in only one area. The more areas affected, the more serious the disability. The U.S. Dept. Of Education reports approximately 5% of a school’s population may be learning disabled.

Primary characteristics for early detection
1. Poor ability to associate sound with corresponding symbols.
2. Ignores details of words and has difficulty retaining the words in his mind.
3. Frequent word guessing-the child won’t look at the word but will seek pictorial clues.
4. Has confused spatial orientation. He reverses words, letters, and numbers. Mirror reading and writing is frequently encountered.
5. Has poor auditory discrimination.
6. Exhibits confusion of left and right.
7. Frequently loses his place on a page, and frequently skips lines.
8. Has difficulty working with jigsaw puzzles, holding a pencil, and walking straight on a chalk line.
9. Newly learned words are forgotten from day to day. Reading rhythm is usually poor and labored.

* It is important to note that not all learning disabled children are dyslexic, but all dyslexic children are learning disabled.
*Hypoactivity - many ld children are underactive. Everything they do takes much longer than feels appropriate to others. They are particularly prone to disconnecting from reality when they get near water (hand washing, doing dishes, etc.).

Learning disabilities, as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) cannot be reliably diagnosed until students have been formally taught in basic subject areas. Many psychologists recommend waiting until children are at least six years old before evaluating intelligence for more valid and reliable test scores. In my preschool classroom, learning disorders may be informally flagged by observing significant delays in the child's skill development.

With the preschoolers in my classroom I don’t label them, but I certainly have strong intuitions about potential problems based on observations and the IPP tool which I implement. Parent involvement through conferences, home visits, and notes home also give me a better understanding of what is happening in the home as well. Understanding the skills that need building in ld kids helps to better understand how to help them. At the early childhood level I teach the child in ways which might strengthen the suspected difficulty.

Activities to help an ld child :
*Sequencing - I make sequence cards which pertain to an interest the child has, such as dinosaurs. The pictorial cards would consist of an egg, a crack in the egg, a head emerging from the egg, a small dinosaur shaking off the eggshell, and a large dinosaur.
*flannel board/story telling
*water play while reciting familiar nursery rhymes
*encouraged gross motor-balance beam, stepping stones
*encouraged proper pencil grip - a fun variety of pens and pencils boosts interest in writing activities
*jigsaw puzzles large and small - it is possible to purchase blank jigsaw puzzles which the child can illustrate himself, thus stimulating ownership in this activity.
*Treasure hunt game - take something the child really loves and entice him to do a little planning to get it. Hide the toy and have the child use a simple map of the classroom to discover the treasure.

Modifications in the classroom setting:
*room organization
*few distractions
*peaceful areas to be alone
* child’s personal cubby for his belongings.

Technology:
*tape recording of his story telling and singing.
*calming/meditative music to listen to.

Annotations
1.Dee Wait Central Kansas co-op education therapist - personal discussion with Dee Wait. She is very informative and knowledgeable on the development of preschoolers.
2. Kirk, Mike. (2004). Misunderstood minds [Video]WGBH Boston Video. This video had different case scenarios which I found very interesting.
3. Pierangelo,R., & Jacoby, R.(1996).Parents’ Complete Special Education Guide.Simon and Schuster. This book contains many, many ideas and suggestions to try with children, both in school and at home.
4. Stevens, Suzanne. (1996). The LD Child and the ADHD Child: Ways Parents and Professional Can Help.http://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/learning.htmlNC.John Blair pub. Great reference book and guide.
5. Greenspan, Stanley (2007, April). The Child Who Has Difficulty Organizing Ideas. Early Childhood Today, 22-23. As always I found this magazine a great resource - easy to read and full of ready to use advice.