Learning Disabilities.

Learning Disabilities.

Introduction

Learning disability refers to learning problems which manifest in an imperfect ability to listen , think speak , read write or do mathematical calculation which are not primarily due to visual impairment , hearing impairment , motor handicap ,mental retardation , environmental or economic disadvantages , but due to a disorder in the psychological process involved in understanding or in using language.

Definition

According o Kirk (1962) , Learning Disability refers retardation , disorder or delayed development in one or more process of speech , language ,reading spelling , writing or arithmetic resulting from a possible cerebral dysfunction and emotional or behavioral disturbance and not from mental retardation , sensory deprivation cultural factors.

     The National Joint Committee of Learning Disabilities:- Learning Disability is a genetic term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening , speaking reading , writing , reasoning , or mathematical abilities.

Thus the term Learning Disability refers to conditions which are previously called brain injuries , minimal brain dysfunction,  sensory aphasia, experience aphasia etc.

Nature & characteristic of LD childrens

The LD children constitute a heterogeneous group. Some children have reading problems and some other have writing problems . some LD Children have one or more such characteristics. Of LD children include the following.

·       Ability level:- the ability level of LD children varies from near average to above average.

·       Activity level :- the LD Children may be either hyperactive or hypoactive.

·       Attention Problem :-They are unable to concentrate on any task for a very long time. Their attention becomes fixed upon a single task which is repeated over the over.

·       Motor Problems :- The LD childen are generally clumsy or awkward with poor , fine and gross motor co-ordination .They demonstrate poor tactile discrimination , poor writing and drawing performance.

·       Visual perpetual problem:- The LD Children are unable to distinguish between visual stimuli. They are unable to perceive a figure from background. They are also unable to remember and re visualize images or sequences very well.

·       Auditory Perpectual Problems:- The LD Children are unable to distinguish between sounds . They are unable to  obtain meaning from spoken world environmental sounds.

·       Language Problems:- The LD Children demonstrate delayed or slow development of speech articulation and an inability to organize words to form phrase  , clauses or sentences .

·       Social emotional behavior problem:- The LD  children are impulsive in nature. They fail to think about consequences their behavioral at times they exhibit explosive behavior they task social  competence.

·       Orientation Problems ;- The LD  children possess poorly developed concept of pace and a distorted body image. They are disoriented in time and experiences . they also have difficulty in relating to concepts like before and after now and then today and tomorrow.

·       Work habits:- The LD children organize work poorly .They work slowly and frequently , Confuse directions orrush through work carelessly.

·       Academic disabilities  :- The LD Children have problem in reading, writing, arithmetic, spelling , telling time, and place on the map.

Couses of Learning Disability

The cause of lernig problem in individuals may be many and varied . Generally the factors causing learning disabilities may be follows.

1)   Genetic or Hereditary Factors:-

          The genetic or hereditary factors is found to be one of the major causes for generating learning disabilities among children.

2)   Organic or Physiological Factors :-

·       Brain Damage coursed by accident or lack of oxygen supply before or during birth resulting in neurological difficulties that may affect the ability to learn.

·       Damage or Injury to special cord or nervous system leading to their malfunctions and subsequent learning difficulties.

·       Dysfunction of central nervous system , coursed by biochemical imbalances generated by vitamin deficiency ,metabolic disorder and food colouring and flavouring agents.

3)   Psychological Factors :-

          Children with learning disabilities may exhibit disorder in basic psychological functions such as perception, recall and conceptualization. Many LD children demonstrate impulsive behavior including difficulties in motor impairment distractibility and inattention.

4)   Environmental  Factors :-

LD’s may be caused by the improper and uncongenial conditions and factors present in an individual’s physical, social, cultural and educational environment.

Physical Environment

·       Pre-natal and post-natal factors like complications during or after pregnancy like birth trauma, oxygen deprivation, infectious diseases, malnutrition, toxemia, bleeding and pre-mature birth, low birth weight.

·       Maturation lag may be the result of complication during pregnancy or poor nutrition.

·       Inadequate nutrition & poor attention causes impairment in their senses of hearing, sight, taste, touch, smell and other neurological functioning causing handicap learning.

·       Minimal brain dysfunction: Specific LD’s such as in reading, writing, spelling and arithemetic are most often associated with minimal brain dysfunction.

Educational Environment

·       Poor and unskilled instructions on the part of teachers.

·       Attitude : Biased attitude lack of motivational practices and very high or low expectation of teachers from student.

·       Inadequate and in-proper skill development : Due to insufficient early experiences and stimulation in terms of learning and acquisition of language and writing skills.

Socio-cultural Environment

·       Use of drugs and intoxicating substances: use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and other intoxicating substances.

·       Defective learning models: Limitation and the company of defective learning models present in ones socio-cultural and educational environments.

·        Deprivation: social and cultural deprivation.

Types of Learning Disability.

                   Learning disabilities can be broadly classified into three categories. They are the following.

1)   Reading Disability

2)   Writing Disability

3)   Arithmetic Disability

READING DISABILITY (DYSLEXIA) 

                   The term Dyslexia has been used to identify the children with learning disabilities in reading.

                   Causes of Dyslexia

·       Visual spatial deficit.

·       Delayed development in the capacity to employ and sustain selective attention.

·       Inadequate language development.

·       Maturation delay.

·       Visual auditory and visual memory deficits.

Types of Dyslexia

1)   Primary Dyslexia

2)   Secondary Dyslexia

3)   Trauma Dyslexia

Types of Reading problems

·       Visual Dyslexia

·       Auditory Dyslexia

·       Sound Blending

·       Memory skills

·       Letter and word reversals

·       Critical reading skills

PROBLEMS AND REMEDIES

Problems	Remedies
Omission	Scan complete word
Addition	Choral reading, read along recorded passages
Subtraction	Flash cards, rhyming
Repetition	Silent reading, phrase cards
Reversal	Establish concept of right left by using motor movement
Increase pace	Move piece of paper choral reading
Sound blending	Club,whole word methodology
Pre-reading skills	Visual tracking from left-right eye-hand motor co-ordination following instruction and direction, listening skils
Intial Reading	Letter sound association, sight-word vocabulary
Developing reading skills	Silent reading, fluency,wide reading, refinement

Writing disability (Dysgraphia)

An individual with dysgraphia would experience difficulty with the actual act of writing due to a processing conflict between the brain and the hand

Causes of Dysgraphia

·       Poor readiness skill

·       Inability to copy shape

·       Disorders of visual perception

·       Poor motor muscle control

·       Difficulty in perceiving the spatial requirements

Types of Dysgraphia

·       Dyslexic Dysgraphia

·       Motor Dysgraphia

·       Spalial Dysgraphia

Types of Writing Problems

1)   Handwriting Deficits :- Handwriting is the most concrete of all the basic academic skills. Some of them are following:-

·       Pre-writing skills

·       Letter formation

·       Manuscript writing

·       Cursive writing

2)   Spelling :- It is frequently a more sensitive indicator of Ld than other problems

·       Phonics Ability

·       Visual Memory

3)   Motor Memory :- Word may be recalled in a visual auditory or kinesthetic Manner

4)   Written Expression :- Most written expression problems are found among young children beyond the second grade They are unable to utilize the written form of language as an effective means of communication.

5)   Syntax & Grammar :- The children with written syntax problems are able to express their thoughts in writing

6)   Inadequate Vocabulary :- Vocabulary is most important for adequate written expression.

PROBLEMS AND REMEDIES

Problems	Remedies
Handwriting	·       Improving underlying visual- motor processes ·       Focus divectly on producing correctly formed leters & words through practice. This can be done by forming letters by copying traceliness this allows the hand to form the habit of making the letter. ·       Useq proper clues & multi-sensory stimulus ·       Verbal rehearsals of spellings and sentences ·       Repeated writing
Spellings, words & Sentences	·       Use of mnemonic devices ·       Digivue display- a device that uses a pen attached to a computer and light for correct response.

ARITHMETIC DISABILITY ( DYSCALCULIA)

Dyscalculia is a learning disability that results in problems with arithmetic applications. The learning disability is not confined to people with low intellectual abilities. Dyscalculia also involves both problems on abstract reasoning, calculation and memory with numbers.

Causes of Dyscalculia

1)   Problems on working memory

2)   Neurological problems

3)   Heredity

4)   Disturbance in  short term memory

5)   Other factors

Types of Dyscalculia

1)   Lexical Dyscalculia

2)   Verbal Dyscalculia

3)   Graphical Dyscalculia

4)   Practognostic Discalculia

5)   Ideognostic Dyscalculia

6)   Operational Dyscalculia

Types of Arithmetic problems

1)   Shape discrimination

2)   Size discrimination

3)   Sets and numbers

4)   Counting

5)   Time , distance and direction

6)   Auditory – visual association

7)   Place value

8)   Computational skills

9)   Measurement

Remedies
Educational Therapy	·       educational Therapy involves modification of Teaching approaches to children.
Soft ware	·       Calculators and other devices may be used to help people with Dyscalculia
Stimulation of Parietal lobe	·       Stimulating the parietal lobe has shown improvements in the numerical abilities of a person with Dyscalculia
	·       Parents have a vital role in emphasizing concepts that are learned at school.

                                                                                        

ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

          Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a common condition that effects children and adolescents and can continue in to adulthood in some . Childern with ADHD usually have funcational impairment across multiple settings including home, school and peer relationships. ADHD has also been shown to have long term adverse effects on academic performances ,vocational success and social – emotional development.  

Sandhya .S

Social science