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3. 3 Characteristics of Learning disability Difficulty in: –Focusing attention –Remembering information –Regulating one’s own behavior –Mastering academic tasks –Making friends Difficulty in: –Performing life skills Appears unmotivated Below average intelligence

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5. 5 Characteristics of Specific Learning Disabilities Difficulty in:  Using language and symbols  Perceiving  Managing emotions and behavior  Talking: limited vocabulary; difficulty in formulating coherent, grammatical sentences  Math: computation and reasoning/ problem solving  Reading: basic skills & comprehension  Writing: penmanship and expressing ideas clearly  Listening: hearing, but not understanding  Difficulty in using language and symbols

6. 6 Characteristics of Specific Learning Disabilities (continued ) Difficulty in perceiving:  Differences in voice tones  Differences in facial expressions  Body language  Passage of time  Verbal humor  Personal space

7. 7 Characteristics of Specific Learning Disabilities (continued) Difficulty in managing emotions and behavior:  Controlling anger  Making hasty decisions  Interrupting (impulsive)  Responding to rapid transitions (rigid)  Organizing tasks  Managing time and resources

8. 8 Characteristics of Specific Learning Disabilities (continued ) Students often may: –Appear frustrated, shy, or act out in reading activities (because of reading problems) –Panic, resist, or act out in writing activities (because of writing problems) –Resist, refuse, act out at math time (because of math problems)

9. 9 Characteristics of Specific Learning Disabilities Summary All students have some academic problems The most common academic problem is reading No oneall typesNo one with SLD will evidence all types of problems.

10. 10 Characteristics of Specific Learning Disabilities Summary (continued) AllsomeAll students will evidence some types of problems Persons with SLD exhibit these problems: –To a greater extent than do “normal” individuals –With greater adverse educational effects

11. 11 Learning problems may include: –Poor academic survival skills –Academic achievement below grade placement –School demands attribute to at-risk behaviors Characteristics of Emotional Disturbance

12. 12 Aggressive/non-compliant behavior: –Openly defies authority –Verbally attacks or engages in inappropriate verbal exchange –Physically threatens peers and authority figures –Easily loses temper –May have excessive absences or repeated suspensions Characteristics of Emotional Disturbance (continued)

13. 13 Withdrawn: –Lacks social skills to make friends –Uses retreat behavior –Exhibits thought disorders –Exhibits pervasive mood of unhappiness and/or depression Characteristics of Emotional Disturbance (continued)

14. 14 Characteristics of Emotional Disturbance (continued) Hyperactive: –Feet/hands often moving –Out of seat often without permission –Runs or climbs when walking or reaching would be better –Trouble maintaining self in quiet activities –Appears tense, anxious, and nervous

15. 15 Immature: –Preoccupation with things not presently required –Short attention span for chronological age –Difficulty starting and completing tasks –Prefers to socialize with younger-age peers –Difficulty following multi-step directions –Engages in behavior of younger children Characteristics of Emotional Disturbance (continued)

16. 16 Learning Problems Aggressive/non-compliant behavior Withdrawn Hyperactive Immature Characteristics of Emotional Disturbance Summary

17. 17 What Is The Connection Between Disability Characteristics And Student Characteristics?

18. 18 IRRESPONSIBLE Disability Characteristics SLOWLEARNER AGGRESSIVE HYPERACTIVE UNMOTIVATED IMPULSIVE DEFIANT WITHDRAWN

19. 19 Student Characteristics IRRESPONSIBLE SLOWLEARNER AGGRESSIVE HYPERACTIVE UNMOTIVATED IMPULSIVE DEFIANT WITHDRAWN So What Does All This Mean?

20. 20 What Can Be Done To Reduce Overrepresentation/ Underrepresentation General education classroom Family involvement Referrals Evaluations Services Monitor

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