Issues in the Future of Learning Disabilities Chapter 14

Co-occurring Disorders ADHD: often difficult to determine differences between the two groups Issues relate to funding sources

Preschool Identification Issues Federal initiatives  Commission on Excellence in Special Ed. (2001)  No Child Left Behind: every child completes first several years with required reading skills  Preschool Learning Disabilities Services Issues in identification and intervention  Able to measure intelligence  Difficult to measure academic achievement  Effectiveness of interventions is questionable according to some research, other research support early intervention

Transition and Adult Services Lifelong focus on individuals with LD in preparation as productive citizens Questioning the “product” of the school years Emphasis on the use of technology to focus on adaptive needs of adults with LD in the workplace

Implication of Brain-Compatible Research for Learning Explosive growth in understanding of the functions of the brain and central nervous system Functional magnetic resonance imaging: view the learning process in the human brain while performing various cognitive tasks Identified issues in working memory rather than deficits in short term to promote more rigorous memory strategies

Teacher Preparation Shortage of trained and fully certified teachers in special education and will only get worse without increased funding Curricular approaches emphasized in classroom affect the types of training for preservice teachers Type of special education classroom affect the types of training

Teacher Competence Scholars recommended 57 competencies for LD teachers Only 16 competencies were included in the final list and were generic in nature CEC developed a list of competencies – see webpage

Professional Improvement Professional Improvement Plan (PIP): agreement between teacher and school district Reading research: updated journals Applying research Conducting research Participation in classes and in-services Serving on State, Local, and Professional Committees