Quick Guide to Recognizing and Dealing with Learning Disabilities
Compiled By: Curtis Kelly
From the teacher’s perspective, learning disabilities range from those that are well-known, like dyslexia, autism, and ADHD, to those that are not, like dyscalculia (difficulty with numbers), dysgraphia (distorted handwriting), and auditory processing disorder (problems with language) (source).
Diagnosing a disability is beyond the scope of what most teachers can do, but we can look for certain signs that indicate the learner is having trouble. “Teaching Strategies for Learning Disabilities” provides an easy-to-understand list of the most common signs:
- Being slow in grasping what’s being taught
- Problem with understanding and following directions
- Trouble with focusing / holding attention
- Zoning out
- Delayed speech
- Clumsiness
- Problems reading / writing / pronouncing words
They also suggest some strategies for such learners (similar to Hannah’s and Heather’s above), keeping in mind that they see, hear, and learn things in a different way:
1. Break tasks into smaller steps
Don’t try to teach everything at once. That doesn’t work right for anyone at all. Especially those with learning disabilities have a lesser attention span, hence you have to make it both short and captivating. Thus, breaking the information into smaller bite-sized chunks is an effective teaching strategy.
2. Present information in ways they can best adapt
Each one has a different learning style. Especially those with learning difficulties have certain senses that are stronger than the others for them. And as a teacher, you should work on identifying those and tutor your students via the same.
These can be through 3 major learning styles that are, visual, auditory or kinesthetic. And based on their stronger traits, you can alter your teaching strategies, like helping them via graphics and videos, podcasts, or by giving them small tasks and helping them with hands-on experience.
3. Probe regularly to ensure understanding
Once you have covered a topic, do not leave it at that; go back to it and check whether or not they remember it correctly. Revisions and reminders are important for each person, and in this case, too, only practice will make perfect. Many make it a strategy to revise with an online class every other day after they take an offline session. This way they would be in touch with the topic and also get familiar with different learning platforms. (So make sure to invest in a good online teaching app).
4. Encourage independent practice
Allow them to experiment and learn on their own. Do not spoon-feed everything. Once you familiarize them with certain topics or techniques, give them some time and space to try them out for themselves. Experimentation will make things more interesting for them, and inculcate the trait of patience.
5. Model what you want students to do
Remember that influence outweighs everything else. What you do and show them will stay with them for longer than what you instruct them to do. As is rightly said, actions speak louder than words. Do things with them. Have them contribute while showing them that you are with them on this ride.
6. Incorporate mnemonics
Another effective teaching strategy is to use mnemonics. This learning method increases retention and improves retrieval with the help of varied cues. Though, as an educator, you have to make sure that the memory tricks that you choose are actually easy for your students to remember.
Back to me (the above is from the site) We should also keep in mind that most neurodivergent learners are aware of their disabilities, but not always in a reasonable way. They might see themselves as less than their peers or even as stupid, and the price they pay in self-esteem is huge. Helping them maintain their self-esteem and build a positive attitude might be the greatest contribution we can make, and because of the social status they attribute to us, we can. Make it a point to encourage and appreciate their every move towards success.
In fact, just last night, I met an amazing Special Ed. teacher at Lincoln High School, right here in Portland, Oregon, who had a good tip. Kayla Fantz-Sands turns the potentially negative to positive with these words: “Okay, you told me what you can’t do as well as others. Now tell me what you can do better!” And that is the start.
Curtis Kelly (EdD) is still trying to figure out what his own neurodivergence is.