The ACG T&C LIteracy Numeracy Team Presents:
Facts & Advice for Teaching Students with Learning Difficulties P3NOP3
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The ACG T&C LIteracy Numeracy Team Presents:
Facts & Advice for Teaching Students with Learning Difficulties Dyslexia 4 Dyscalculia 6 Dysgraphia 8 Autism 10 Aspergers 12 Dyspraxia 14
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Teaching students with learning Difficulties at ACG WHY WAS THIS RESOURCE DEVELOPED? This resource was created by Annette Tofaeono in conjunction with the NZMA tutorial team as a result of a series of Literacy and Numeracy workshops focused on Learning Difficulties. We encounter many students with some form of learning difficulty and the aim of the workshops was to raise awareness throughout the organisation and be aware of strategies that could make for a learning difficulty friendly environment. A big thank you to Eddie Trubshoe for the initial concept.
ABOUT THIS RESOURCE This resource is a very simple guide to the learning difficulties some of our students are faced with. A Learning Difficulty is certainly not an indicator of intelligence or ability — being aware and using simple strategies can be the difference between success and failure for these students. Everything in this resource relates directly to us as tutors of vocational training and education, and to our students. You do not have to an expert to make a difference!
Dyslexia
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WHAT IS IT? • Dyslexia is an unexpected difficulty with reading • Dyslexia is a complex condition and can vary widely from one learner to another • Dyslexia includes learning difficulties with one or more of reading, writing, spelling, or numeracy in spite of normal development of intelligence, cognitive and sensory abilities
INTERESTING FACTS: • The term dyslexia was devised in 1887 • Its diagnostic status remains highly debated in both medicine and social sciences • Generating a definition that is universally accepted has proven to be problematic • Dyslexia is considered to be present from birth • Dyslexia is hereditary
CASE STUDY:
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Dyslexia
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HOW CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA?
SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF DYSLEXIA: Problems with
Good
Oral Language
Reading and Writing xx xx x xx xx xx x xx xx xx x xx xx xx x xx xx xx x xx
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Difficulty
Translating Oral to Written Words Average IQ Or above
Yet may have poor academic achievement
Bright, Intelligent & Articulate
NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES
Assign a
Buddy
Supply Notes Build on Strengths
Technology
Access to other learning tools such as
tools can be helpful
Computers
Discuss with your learner
What Works for them?
Hard to link
Visual Symbols With Verbal Sounds ...KAT ? Evaluate
Content
(where possible), not on spelling and handwriting 5
Dyscalculia
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WHAT IS IT? • Learning difficulty in numbers due to damage to specific regions of the brain • Affects ability to understand and remember, and/or manipulate numbers, and/or number facts • It can be difficult to differentiate between numbers and letters, for example, there would be confusion reading ‘5’ and ‘S’
INTERESTING FACTS: • Dyscalculia is the lesser known of learning difficulties • 5% population are thought to have dyscalculia • Detected in the teens unlike many of the other difficulties that are identified at a young age • Numbers and letters can be mixed up in algebra • Scientists have yet to understand the causes of dyscalculia
CASE STUDY:
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Baking is one of my favourite hobbies, but whenever I do the recipe I have to write out ‘teaspoon’ or ‘tablespoon’ beforehand, because I can never get the abbreviations straight. Or I’m afraid I’ll look quickly at the recipe and get them confused and boof up the recipe
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Dyscalculia
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SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF DYSCALCULIA:
IQ
IQ range can vary
HOW CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE STUDENTS WITH DYSCALCULIA? Allow
Reliance on counting
Extra time
Fingers
Access
Prior Knowledge
May have difficulties in
time and Measurement Let the student solve problems
Verbally
Inability to comprehend
Financial Planning or Budgeting Get the student to Poor sense of
Direction
May have
SOme Ability in Maths
Highlight or Circle key words and numbers
HOW FAST CAN YOU COUNT THESE DOTS? Children with dyscalculia take longer than other children to count dot patterns, most instantly recognize patterns of up to four dots, whereas dyscalculics tend to count the dots one by one.
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Dysgraphia WHAT IS IT? • Difficulty with writing coherently, if at all, regardless of ability to read • Lacks coordination and may find other fine motor tasks difficult • Barrier between brain instruction and motor skills • Disorder of written expression
INTERESTING FACTS: • It can be physically painful when writing: • A higher than average IQ • Many people do not know about dysgraphia so those that have it won’t talk about it and may keep in a secret • There are three different types of dysgraphia: dyslexic dysgraphia,motor dysgraphia, and spatial dysgraphia
CASE STUDY:
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Dysgraphia SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF DYSGRAPHIA:
Spelling
Wrong or Misspelled
...KAT ?
ron or mispaled
May lack basic
HOW CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE STUDENTS WITH DYSGRAPHIA?
Kinaesthetic
words
activities
Frustration, Irritation & Confusion
Show
Verbal Submissions
Show signs of
Innapropriate
Size & Spaced letters
Understanding
Lack of
Coordination
Offer the use of a
Computer
r
L e tt e s
instead of writing
? Ask
the learner first, they may already have
Strategies
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Autism WHAT IS IT? • Usually identified or noticeable in early years (usually first 3 years) • Delays in social development, language, and communication • A person’s outward appearance may not indicate a disorder • Autistic people are somewhat different from one another
INTERESTING FACTS: • Experience social alienation • No cure • Tend to have imaginary friends, worlds or scenarios • Causes of autism is an area of debate and controversy, there are a wide range of possible causes
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Autism SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM: Socially
Not so keen on
Awkward
Change
HOW CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE STUDENTS WITH AUTISM? Be
Patient Be
Consistent Difficulty with
Takes things
Social Interaction
Literally
Repeat
instructions
1,2,3 1,2,3
Awareness & Understanding
May have
Difficulty Regulating their behaviour
Lack of
Emotional control
Lack of
Eye contact and slow to respond
Explain
changes prior to happening
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Aspergers WHAT IS IT? • Deficiencies in social and communication skills • Part of the autism spectrum • A developmental disorder related to autism
INTERESTING FACTS: • Hereditary • Lack the ability to communicate their own emotional state or understand others • Usually not identified until puberty • Asperger’s syndrome was named after Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger, who first described the disorder in 1944. • It is possible for people with Aspergers syndrome to have learning difficulties concurrently with Aspergers syndrome
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Aspergers SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF ASPERGERS: Trouble showing
Empathy ?
Repetitive behaviour
?
HOW CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE STUDENTS WITH ASPERGERS?
Chunk
activities Provide
Very
Routine
Clumsy
based
Structure Have a
Routine in class
Give
Clear Instructions
Seen as
Egotistical, Selfish or Uncaring Awkward
in social situations
1,2,3
Let the student know
Before
if there are going to be changes or a field trip
NExt WEek
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Dyspraxia WHAT IS IT? • Term used to cover a range of disorders affecting initiation, organisation and performance of action (trouble getting the body to do what we want when we want) • Can be present from birth (developmental dyspraxia) or as a result of brain damage suffered from a stroke or other trauma (acquired dyspraxia)
INTERESTING FACTS: • Often people with dyspraxia will have poor muscle tone (low muscle strength & endurance) • The simplest physical activity may cause soreness and fatigue • May have difficulty sleeping
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Dyspraxia SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF DYSPRAXIA:
Speech & Language
Have a
Poor
Balance
Hyper-sensitivity
to light, touch, noise and temperature
Routine in class
Give
Short, Clear
“
Difficulties with
HOW CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE STUDENTS WITH DYSPRAXIA?
instructions
“
Use of
Tablets or Touch screens
Difficulties with
fine motor Control & Whole body movement
Engagement
is key, can get off track easily (keep them busy)
Trouble picking up and holding objects, knocking things over By NOT drawing attention to it while still being Trouble determining
Left & Right
Sensitive
to their needs
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