Learning Disabilities
Defusing Phrases for IEP Meetings
"How does that look in the classroom?" - when making conversation about accommodations, behaviour plans & instructional strategies, you can redirect by asking how things will actually work.
"How can we work together to make this happen" - helps make conversation about collaborating to provide a certain service less frustrating when your school tells you it doesn't do so.
"I may be misunderstanding" - gives the school a chance to explain its position when there is disagreement about how to interpret laws or test results.
ACCOMMODATION
Vary pitch and tone of voice, alter pace of instruction and stress "key" words
Show rather than explain
Use books with large print and big spaces between lines
Use books on tape
Set a timer and allow ample time to complete task
Dividing assignments into smaller tasks
Checklist of assignments to complete
Executive Function Deficit
Relocate seating away from visual distractions
Use of a colour-coding scheme to prioritize tasks
Have a routine of putting & keeping things in place
Advocacy
Self-advocacy - help the student learn to speak up for themselves
Write effective letters and emails
Conduct meetings with those who can best support your needs and create policies, programs or services to do so.
Types of Learning Disabilities
Related Disorders
Executive Functioning
Inefficiency in brain processes such as planning, organization, strategizing, paying attention to and remembering details, and managing time and space.
Dyspraxia
Difficulty with muscle control which causes problems with movement and coordination, language and speech, and can affect learning.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behaviour and hyperactivity.
Non-verbal Learning Disabilities
Discrepancy between higher verbal skills and weaker motor, visual-spatial & social skills
Dysgraphia
Affects a person's handwriting ability and fine-motor skills.
Dyslexia
Affects reading and related language-based processing skills
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
Affects how sound is processed or interpreted by the brain
Dyscalculia
Affects a person's ability to understand numbers and learn math facts.
