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“You might wonder how your future can be part of the mystery of your learning disability. But really, what is more, mysterious than the future? Of course, we can’t really see into your future, but when you have a learning disability it is extremely important to plan ahead.”
 
“As you have learned, a learning disability does not end when you go home from school each day. And it doesn’t end when you graduate from high school. It doesn’t even end when you finish college or technical school. In fact, it never ends!”
“That’s why you need to start thinking about how your learning disability can affect you, not only today, but tomorrow, next year, and forever…….”
“Planning for the future is about keeping doors open for you.
That means keeping lots of options available. Believe it or not, decisions you make today can really change the options you have available to you in the future.” “In this chapter, we are going to help you start planning for your future. And we will try to figure out how your learning disability may affect your future plans.””
Enough of this chit-chat! Let’s get started!!”

There are three main parts to your future that we will cover:
  High School After High School Career
Instead of having questions at the end of this chapter, we will have questions all through this chapter to help with your planning. Let’s get started.


Planning for High School:

What did you do in high school prepare you for the rest of your life? And in high school, what you do really depends upon how well you can advocate for yourself.
 
High school can be very big and overwhelming, especially when you have a learning disability. There is usually a lot of reading and writing, and teachers often have pretty high expectations.
 
  Even if you have a case manager to advocate for you, high school is really the place for you to become your own advocate.
 
  See if you can answer the following questions as you start to prepare for high school:
  1.
Think of three people who could help you start planning for high school. 2. Who can you turn to (besides your case manager) for support when things get tough? 3. How can you organize your time to cope with all of the homework? 4. How would you find out what classes you will need in order to graduate? 5. How would you find out what classes you will need in order to get into college or vocational/technical school? 6. What kinds of classes do you think will be especially hard for you because of your learning disability? 7. What kinds of accommodations might you need in difficult classes? 8. Who could help you learn what accommodations are available to you for college entrance exams (ACT, SAT, etc.)? 9. What accommodations might you need for career testing?

Remember, you need to keep doors open for your future. If you think that college is even a remote possibility, you have to make sure to keep that option available. You have to be willing to let teachers and counselors know when you need accommodations.
  Planning for after High School:
 
  What do you think you will be doing after high school? What do you think you might need to do in order to keep all of your career doors open?


1. Do you think you will want to (or need to) go to college? 2. Will you need some form of vocational/technical school? 3. How would you find out if your career choices would require college?

4. What accommodations might you need for higher education? 5.   How would you find out what support might be available to you in college or vocational/technical school?

After high school you may go right into a career. Or you may enter some form of higher education. In either case, your learning disability can be a very important issue for you. Will you be prepared?
Planning Career Choices:
 
If we can start thinking about your most likely career choices now, planning for high school and after high school will be much easier. So, let’s start with a few questions to get the ball rolling.
1.
What do you see yourself doing ten years from now?  

2.   List 3 jobs you might see for yourself? 3. Do you think you want to work indoors or outdoors? 4. Do you like working with your hands? 5. What special talents or abilities would you like to be able to use in your career? 6. Do you like working with people or alone? 7. Are there activities you really want to avoid (like writing, reading, etc.)? 8. Might you want to live in a foreign country?

You probably have several ideas for possible career options. That’s great! At this point, we need to keep as many doors open for you as possible. Right now there are many, many things you could do with your life. You just need to start thinking about the possibilities. And, while thinking about all these career possibilities, think about how your learning disability might affect your career.
“But this is just the start. You need to always be thinking about what you might need to do now so that you can do what you really want to do in the future. And with a learning disability, planning for the future is especially important.”
 
“Well, it looks like we have come to the end of this very interesting mystery…”  
“But wait!! We have covered a lot of information. And one important thing we have learned is that learning disabled students usually learn best when they are given a very clear summary of what was taught. I know that always helps me.”
“So let’s take just one more chapter to summarize all we have learned.”
Return to Table of Contents
Proceed to Chapter 12 – The Summary 
Published with Permission Of Writer: Scott L. Crouse, Ph.D.   
LDInfo.com: A website dedicated to the advancement of practical knowledge and understanding about the often mysterious world of Learning Disabilities. 
Copyright � 1996 Scott L. Crouse

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Words to know for chapter Ten:
Accommodation – something to make learning easier
 
Anticipate – thinking about what might happen
 
Right – what the law says you should get
 
Rehearse – doing it over and over
Responsibility – what you are supposed to do
 
Compromise – “giving in” a little to make a “deal”
 
 Support – someone to help you
 
“We are really moving right along with our case. We have already solved many of the mysteries of your learning disability including:”
What is a learning disability? What causes LD What is a “discrepancy”? What is your processing weakness? How can “accommodations” help you? What other difficulties are common with LD? What is intelligence? How can you strengthen your weakness? What are your legal rights But the final “mystery” is figuring out how all of that information can help to make your life a little easier both within and outside of school.
 
  That is what being an effective self-advocate is all about!


Ten steps to becoming an effective self-advocate:
Step 1:
Accept your disability:
 
  Before you can advocate for yourself, you have to admit to yourself that you really do have a learning disability. You aren’t dumb. You aren’t lazy. You have probably worked very hard to hide your learning problems (even from yourself). Now is the time to admit to yourself that you have some difficulties and may need some special help in order to be successful.
  Step 2:
Admit your disability to others:
 
You cannot be a successful self-advocate if you continue to hide your difficulties from others. Naturally, you can’t expect teachers to provide appropriate accommodations if they don’t know about your disability. But it is just as important to be able to admit your difficulties to your friends. When you can really be honest about your learning disability, you will find that you no longer feel so ashamed and embarrassed about your learning difficulties. You will be able to relax a bit more in school and spend more energy learning than hiding.
Step 3:
Understand your learning style:
 
  Hopefully, you now have a pretty good understanding of how your brain works and how your processing difficulty interferes with your education. School psychologists and teachers can offer you some ideas that they have about your learning disability, but only you can decide what makes the most sense to you. If the ideas offered in this course don’t make sense, ask for help in understanding better. Or ask for other ideas about information processing that might “fit” you better. If you don’t understand how you learn, you can’t ask for accommodations that you really need.
  Step 4:
Realize how “other issues” might interfere with your self-advocacy:
 
You have learned about the common effects of a learning disability including low self-esteem, communication difficulties, and attentional problems. Think about how these issues might interfere with your ability to advocate for yourself. Are you too shy and withdrawn to ask for help? Do you get angry and aggressive when embarrassed or frustrated? Are you able to communicate your needs or do you need to ask someone (teacher, parent, friend) to help you ask for accommodations? Are you impulsive and tend to say or do things that you latter regret? As with your learning disability, you need to be open and honest about any of these related problems before you can be an effective self-advocate.
  Step 5:
Know what you need:
 
  Do the accommodations listed in this course meet all of your possible needs? Which ones do you think will be the most useful for you? Can you think of other accommodations that may be better? It is not possible to anticipate all of the needs which your learning disability will cause for you. You will need to constantly rethink the accommodations and possibly come up with some ideas of your own.
  Step 6:
Anticipate your needs in each class:
 
  Don’t wait until the final exam to start thinking about accommodations. Right from the start of each class you should be thinking about how you might be able to learn the material better. Maybe the teacher has a style that confuses you. Maybe there are too many distractions in the room. Maybe assignments aren’t presented clearly. Begin talking with your teachers about accommodations as early as possible.
  Step 7:
Know your rights and responsibilities:
 
  You have learned about your legal rights to an appropriate education and appropriate accommodations to meet your needs. But are you really prepared to argue your rights with a teacher that may be “reluctant” to provide appropriate accommodations? Do you know where to turn for support when your needs are not being met? And remember, accommodations are intended to counteract the negative effects of your learning disability, not just make school easy for you. Don’t take advantage of your right to accommodations by requesting things you don’t really “need”.
  Step 8:
Be willing to compromise:
 
  Some teachers will bend over backwards to “accommodate” for your special learning needs. Others will be less “flexible”. Be ready to compromise in order to get at least some accommodation. You may also need to “prove” to some teachers that you really need help and are not just being “lazy”. Maybe make a “deal” or “contract” with a teacher. If you do this, be sure to follow-through with everything you have agreed to do. This helps to build trust.
  Step 9:
Know where to go for support:
 
  Sometimes even an effective self-advocate needs support. Maybe to help with a “difficult” teacher. Maybe to provide advice when you get “stuck”. Or maybe just so you don’t feel isolated and alone. Find someone who understands your learning disability and can provide support (or can even advocate for you) when needed.
  Step 10:
Plan for the future:
 
Many LD students just try to survive one day at a time and don’t think too much about long-term goals. But to really advocate for yourself you need to think about where you want to be in one, two, five, or ten years. What kind of work to you want to do after your education? Do you want to go to college? When you have a very clear plan for the future, you will be better able to see the reason for your education today.
“Ok, so now you are ready to advocate for yourself. Or are you? The hardest part may be yet to come . . . . . . meeting with a teacher to “negotiate” your accommodations.”  
Here are a few tips to make that meeting a little easier:

1. Have a very good idea of what you want and why you want it. 2. Rehears what you will say……maybe with a friend or parent. 3. Speak clearly. 4. Maintain eye contact (as much as possible). 5. Take your time when talking and ask for time to think if you need it. 6. Rephrase what you hear to be sure you really understand. 7. Be respectful. 8. Be careful of your body language (do you look or act angry, impatient, etc.?). 9. Be flexible and ready to compromise. 10. Make it very clear what you are willing to do in return for the accommodation (get assignments done faster, pay more attention in class, improve effort, etc.). 11. If there is resistance, ask to have a follow-up meeting with a support person (case manager, other teacher, parent, etc.). 12. Be very appreciative of any accommodation given ( Say, “thank you.”)
Review Questions:
1.
Why should you tell others about your disability? 2. How would you describe your learning disability to a new teacher? 3. What accommodations do you think you will probably need most? 4. What would you do if a teacher refuses to provide accommodations? 5. Who could you turn to for help and support? 6. What are your plans for after high school?
Return to Table of Contents
Proceed to Chapter 11 –  Planning for Your Future

Published with Permission Of Writer: Scott L. Crouse, Ph.D.   
LDInfo.com: A website dedicated to the advancement of practical knowledge and understanding about the often mysterious world of Learning Disabilities. 
Copyright � 1996 Scott L. Crouse

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Words to know for chapter nine:
ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act
 
Equal Opportunity – everyone can do it
 
Accommodation – something to make things easier
 
 Interfere – get in the way
 
 Section 504 – part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
 
 IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
 
Federal – involves the entire United States
 
Qualified – meets someone’s requirement
 
Assessment – measuring your skills and needs
Evaluation – measuring your skills and needs
 
 IEP – Individual Education Plan
 
 Entitled – something that is yours if you need it
 
Assessment Report – describes your skills and needs  Case Manager – your special education advocate
 
Goal – something you need to get done in the future
 
Objectives – small steps you take toward your goals
 
Measured – evaluated to see progress
 
Transition – moving from one thing to another
 
Participation – being involved
 
Leisure – fun, and relaxation
 
Career – adult job plan
 
Disrupting – bothering
 
Bill of Rights – the rights of every citizen in the USA
 
Rights – what you are legally entitled to
 
Responsibilities – what you are expected to do
Severe discrepancy – very big difference

“As a detective, the law is a very important part of my life. As an LD student, it is also a very important part of your life. Let’s explore this area to see how the law can affect you.”

With a learning disability, there are three very important federal laws that apply to you. Let’s start first with the very broadest:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
 
The ADA:

• guarantees equal opportunity and appropriate accommodations for all individuals with disabilities involving:
• employment
• public accommodations (stores, restaurants, etc.)
• transportation (busses, etc.)
• state and local government services telecommunications services (telephone)

The ADA really applies to just about everything in your life.
 
Basically, the Americans with Disabilities Act says that if your disability “interferes” with your ability to use any service that is available to everyone else, you have a right to appropriate accommodations……..just like in school.
 
The Americans with Disabilities Act may become more important to you after you complete your education. “Now let’s look at a law that really applies to your education…”

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 504: ” guarantees the right to an appropriate education (including necessary accommodations) for any student with a disability
Section 504 says that you have the right to any service, activity, or program in school that is available to anyone else. If your disability “interferes with any school service, activity, or program, you have the right to appropriate accommodations.
 
Section 504 is especially important for students who have a disability but do not “qualify” for Special Education services. For example, a student with an attention deficit disorder (ADD) may get support and accommodations from section 504 instead of Special Education.
 
  “And finally, probably the most important law for you……… (could I have a drum roll please?)….”
                          I D E A

You know what an idea is, but did you know that IDEA is a very important law for you? The letters I-D-E-A stand for:

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act  

IDEA is also known as public law 94-142. The main things for you to know are that IDEA: requires special education services to be provided for students with a “qualified” disability requires an assessment or evaluation (testing) of any student suspected of having a disability requires an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for every student who receives special education

OK, so what does all that really mean?
 
IDEA = Your Right to Special Education!
 
  IDEA just means that you are entitled to any Special Education services necessary so that your identified disability (in your case, LD) does not keep you from getting an appropriate education.
 
  There are two very important “documents” which are always part of your Special Education records:

Assessment Report
Individual Education Plan (IEP)
Your assessment report:
 
  IDEA requires that you be “evaluated” (tested) before any Special Education services can begin. The reasons for this evaluation are:
To find out if you “qualify” for services.
 
To find out what you might need from Special Education. Remember, to “qualify” for special education services because of a learning disability you need to have a processing weakness and severe discrepancy (underachievement).

Your assessment report should clearly show why you qualify for special education and what your special education “needs” are.
 
  Important clue! When you are in Special Education, you need a complete reevaluation and new assessment report at least every three years. A new evaluation can be requested sooner than three years if it is felt that important information might be discovered which could improve your special education services.
 
  “The assessment report is a very important document which can help you learn more about your learning disability.”
 
  Your IEP:
 
  The IEP is the document schools use to guarantee your right to appropriate special education services.
 
  If you are to become an effective self-advocate you need to know the following information about your IEP:
  EP stands for “Individual Education Plan.” That means it is a plan written especially for you. The right to an IEP is guaranteed to you by the Federal law called IDEA. When you have an IEP, you are assigned a case manager (sometimes called an “IEP manager”). Since you have a learning disability, your case manager is a teacher who is certified in the Special Education area referred to as “Specific Learning Disabilities” or “SLD.” Your case manager helps advocate for you at school and will also help you learn to advocate for yourself. Your case manager is a very important link between you, your parents, and your teachers.

“I know this is kind of long and boring, but all of this is very important for you to know. Stay with me and we’ll get through it.”

 
 

  Your IEP is developed by a team of people working together. This team should include:
Most importantly – YOU! Your parents or guardians Your teachers Your case manager Your IEP should show your current progress in school along with any important information from the latest assessment report. This information is used to help identify areas where you need special education support. Any important medical information may also be included in the IEP. For example, if you take medication for an attention deficit disorder (ADD), that could be important information in your IEP.

Long-term Goals and short-term Objectives are written on the IEP so that you and your case manager can know exactly what you need to work on. Because your learning disability never really goes away, you may work on the same or very similar goals and objectives for several years. Objectives should be written so that they can be measured to see your progress. When you accomplish your goals and objectives, other goals and objectives may be written. When your IEP team can no longer think of any goals or objectives for you, your IEP is considered “completed” and you will no longer receive special education support.

Your IEP is confidential. This means that only a few people have the right to see it. Your IEP must be rewritten annually (once a year). The IEP can also be reviewed when appropriate during that year. These reviews are important to be sure that your goals and objectives are appropriate and that you are making progress. The IEP must list academic accommodations or modifications that are needed in order for you to learn and perform successfully at school. You can always request other accommodations, but it is the ones listed on your IEP that are required for you by law. Students who are at least 14 years old or students who are in at least 9th grade must also have TRANSITION goals included in their IEP.

The five TRANSITION areas are:

Community Participation Jobs and Job Training Home Living Post-Secondary Education and Training Recreation and Leisure

These transition goals will become even more important to you as you continue on with your education at the high school level and as you begin to look more seriously at your career goals.  

Your IEP makes sure that any services you receive are provided in the least restrictive environment.
This just means that special education needs to treat you as much as possible like any other student who does not have a disability. You should only be given the support and services that you really “need” in order to be successful.
The real purpose of your IEP is to help you reach your full potential as a student without disrupting your life any more than is absolutely necessary.
 
You can think of your IEP as your own personal “Bill of Rights”.
 
  “Wow!!!! Your learning disability really gives you some pretty powerful legal rights!”
 
  IDEA makes sure you get the right special education services,
 
  Section 504 makes sure you can get appropriate accommodations for everything else in school, and
 
  ADA makes sure you can get appropriate accommodations outside of school, for the rest of your life.
“Those are three very important laws!!!”
 
  “But wait, this isn’t exactly a free ride…”
 
  “Along with your very special and important rights come some very important responsibilities!”
 
  If you are really going to be a successful self-advocate and get the most out of your education, there are some things that you will need to do.

You need to help with your own evaluation. You can do that by really trying to do your best when tested so that the examiner can really identify your strengths and weaknesses. If you have any idea that the test results may not be accurate (maybe you had a bad day), let your case manager or the examiner know that.   You need to attend IEP conferences. You need to be there to understand your IEP, make important suggestions, and speak up if you disagree with any part of your IEP. You need to participate willingly in goal-setting. The IEP team needs your help to figure out what goals you need to work on. Let the IEP team know if you are uncomfortable with any goal or objective.   You need to work hard to achieve your goals. You need to really understand and respect your rights. Don’t seek accommodations that your really don’t “need” just to make your life easier. But if you do need something, let someone know!

“We have really found out a lot of important information about your legal rights!”
 
  “We have discovered that the law protects your rights to appropriate accommodations everywhere, not just in school.”
 
  “We have also found out that the value of your legal right to accommodations really depends upon your willingness to participate and be involved.”
 
  “OK, so all this legal stuff can be rather boring. But it is sure nice to know that the laws are there for you if you ever need them.”

Review Questions:

1. What is the name of the most important law for your special education services?

2. Can you think of any way the Americans with Disabilities Act can help you after you complete your education?

3. How can Section 504 help you?

4.  What does a case manager do for you and your IEP?

5. Give two reasons an IEP is important for you.

6.  Who can be part of your IEP team?

7. If you have ADD or ADHD, can that information be included in your IEP?

8. Do any of the laws discussed in this chapter give you any rights in foreign countries?

9.  Which of the following laws give(s) you the right to accommodations for your disability (circle one answer)?

a) Americans with Disabilities Act
b) Section 504
c) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
d) All of these laws

10.  How often are you normally retested in special education?

11. What is one reason for the special education assessment?

12.  Why are goals and objectives important on your IEP?

“Still hungry for more clues about your legal rights? Here are some places you might look for more information:”
 
  School library
  Public library
  Internet search “learning disabilities law”
 
Return to Table of Contents
Proceed to Chapter 10 – Becoming an Effective Self Advocate 

Published with Permission Of Writer: Scott L. Crouse, Ph.D.   
LDInfo.com: A website dedicated to the advancement of practical knowledge and understanding about the often mysterious world of Learning Disabilities. 
Copyright � 1996 Scott L. Crouse

<

Chapter 8
Exercising Your Weakness

“Most of this case has involved helping you find a “detour” around your learning disability. In other words, we have been uncovering clues about how to “get around” or avoid your learning disability so that it does not interfere so much with your life.”

“Unfortunately, when we avoid using a weakness, it usually just keeps getting weaker and weaker. If that is true, then it may also be true that your processing weakness can be strengthened if you just force yourself to use it.
“This chapter is all about what you can do to try to strengthen your weak processing skills. This isn’t easy. You have spent your whole life figuring out how to avoid things that are difficult or make you feel dumb. But maybe, with a little hard work, these things will become less difficult, maybe even fun.  

It is pretty easy to figure out what kinds of activities you might need to do. For the most part, they will be activities that are difficult for you. It is kind of like physical exercise – if it isn’t at least a little difficult, it probably isn’t doing you much good.


But we are going to try to make it as fun as possible, so most of the activities are more like games than work. Find your area of processing disability below and see what kinds of activities you might try in order to strengthen that area.

Visual Processing Disability
Auditory Processing Disability
Sequential Processing Disability
Conceptual Processing Disability
Processing Speed Disability

Visual Processing Disability:
 
To strengthen a visual processing weakness, you need to force yourself to process more and more visual information. You might want to try some of the following activities, either by yourself, with your family, or with friends:

  1. Plug your ears while watching television. Can you figure out what is going on just by watching?

2. Do jigsaw puzzles.

3. Build with blocks or “Lego’s”.

4. Draw or paint pictures.

5. Close your eyes and visualize something, anything.

6. Picture letters, numbers, and words in your mind.

7. Look at a picture, take it way, and try to remember everything you saw.

8. Use playing cards to play a memory game. Place all the cards face down then try to find two with matching numbers.

  9. Find as many things as you can see of a certain shape (circle, square, rectangle, triangle).

10. Solve scrambled words or sentences.  

11. Find “hidden” words within words.

12. Imitate a series of movements made by someone else.

13. Figure out what dot-to-dot pictures are before you connect the dots.

14. Find the mistakes in “What’s wrong with this picture” pictures.

15. Sort playing cards in different ways (color, suit, number).

16. Look for patterns (like faces, animals, etc.) in clouds, rocks, plants, etc.

17. Make or solve mazes.

18. Cut apart comic strips, mix, and put them back in the correct order.

Auditory Processing Disability:

To strengthen an auditory processing weakness, you need to force yourself to process more and more auditory information. You might want to try some of the following activities either by yourself, with your family, or with friends:

1.Close your eyes and just listen to an entire television show. Can you figure out what is going on?

2. Spend more time listening to the radio instead of watching music videos.  

3. Be very quiet and see how many different sounds you can hear.

4. Listen to yourself read out loud.

5. With a friend, try to repeat a made-up series of numbers or letters.  

6. With a friend, try to repeat sentences word-for-word.

7. Close your eyes while listening to your friends or family. Can you tell who is talking?

8. Say days of the week in order, starting from different points.

9. Close your eyes and try to imagine the voices of friends or family.

10. Quickly name the months of the year backward.

11. Quickly say the days of the week backward.  

12. Try to sing or hum a new song.

13. Listen to songs and try to remember all of the words.

14. Say the letters of the alphabet in order, starting from different points.

15. Say the alphabet backward.

16. Follow several commands that a friend gives you.

17. Turn the volume very low on the radio. Listen very carefully and see if you can understand what you hear.

Sequential Processing Disability:

To strengthen a sequential processing weakness, you need to force yourself to process more and more sequential information. You might want to try some of the following activities either by yourself, with your family, or with friends:

1.Put first names of family, friends or classmates in alphabetical order.

2. Identify objects in a room that begin with each letter of the alphabet, from A to Z.

3. Say days of the week in order, starting from different points. Try it backward.

4. Say the months of the year in order starting from different points. Try it backward.

5. Listen to songs and try to remember all of the words.

6. Say the letters of the alphabet in order, starting from different points.

7.   Say the alphabet backward.

8. Follow several commands that a friend gives you.

9. Pick a letter in the alphabet and quickly tell which letter comes before and after it.

10. With a friend, try to repeat series of numbers, letters, or words.

11. Repeat sentences word-for-word.

12. Look at any person or object and describe all the details you see.

13. Solve all of the “clues” in a detective mystery.

14. Play the game “Clue”. Can you remember the clues without writing them down?

15.   Follow a set of directions for cooking, building a model, etc.

16. Try to remember as many names as possible from television shows, movies, or stories.

17. Try to remember the TV schedule for one channel on one day. Then try two channels or two days.

18. Memorize directions to the school, a friend’s house, to the Mall, etc.

19. Try to remember the birth dates of family or friends.

20. Imitate a series of movements made by a friend.

21. Use playing cards to play a memory game. Place all the cards face down then try to find two with matching numbers.  

Conceptual Processing Disability:

To strengthen a conceptual processing weakness, you need to force yourself to process more and more conceptual information. You might want to try some of the following activities either by yourself, with your family, or with friends:

1. Use the letters in your name to make as many words as possible. Try it with other names.
2. Write all the rhyming words that you can think of.  
3. Be very quiet and see how many different sounds you can hear.
4. Try to think of all the words that start with each letter in the alphabet from A to Z.
5. Figure out what a dot-to-dot picture is before you connect the dots.
6. Solve “Find the hidden objects” pictures without using any clues about what is hidden.
7. Solve word mazes or word-finds where you circle words that you find either up/down, across, or diagonally.
8. Find the mistakes in “What’s wrong with this picture” pictures.
9. Sort playing cards in different ways (by color, suit, number).
10. Look for patterns (like faces, animals, etc.) in clouds, rocks, plants, etc.
11. Make or solve mazes.  
12. While reading a story, stop and predict what might happen next. Think of as many possibilities as you can.
13. Look at an object and think of all the different ways it could be used.
14. Solve puzzles, any kind.
15. Before going anyplace (the Zoo, Mall, etc.) think of all the things you might see.
16. Read riddle or joke books. Figure out what is so funny.
17. Think about “what if” questions (like what if TV didn’t exist?).
18. Play games of strategy like chess, checkers, etc.  
19. Do “mind bender” or “brain teaser” puzzles
    
    Processing Speed Disability:
    
    
    In order to strengthen a processing speed weakness, you need to force yourself to process information more quickly. This can involve any type of game or activity in which you compete with someone (or even a computer, or yourself) to complete a task as quickly as possible. You might want to try some of the following activities either by yourself, with your family, or with friends. And remember to either time yourself and try to improve your time or compete with someone to see who can do the activity the fastest:
    
    1. Quickly solve scrambled words or sentences.
    2. Find all the mistakes in “What’s wrong with this picture” pictures, as fast as you can.
    3. Sort playing cards in different ways (color, suit, number). Time yourself.
    4.   Solve mazes. Time yourself.
    5. With a friend, try to repeat a made-up series of numbers or letters, as fast as you can.
    6. With a friend, try to repeat sentences word-for-word, as fast as you can. Try tongue twisters.  
    7. Quickly say days of the week in order, starting from different points.
    8. Quickly name the months of the year backward.
    9. Quickly say the days of the week backward.
    10. Quickly say the letters of the alphabet in order, starting from different points.
    11. Quickly say the alphabet backward.
    12. Pick a letter in the alphabet and quickly tell which letter comes before and after it.
    13. Solve word mazes or word-finds where you circle words that you find either up/down, across, or diagonally. Time yourself.  
    14. Solve puzzles of any kind.
    15. Play games of strategy like chess, checkers, etc. Have a time limit for each move.
    16. Play computer or video games.
    17. Play a tape recorder at fast speed. Can you understand the words?
    18. Time yourself doing any activity (making your bed, taking out the trash, etc.). Try to improve your speed each time.
    19. Time yourself while reading a short story or even a paragraph. Keep trying to read it faster and faster. Wow!!! I’m really tired now! Some of those “fun” activities are harder than they look. But if you keep practicing, they will probably get easier and easier.
    
    And it sounds like some of these activities might actually make learning a little easier for you too. It’s worth a try, isn’t it?
     
    “I think we’ve worked hard enough on this chapter. Let’s skip the review questions, shall we?”
    Return to Table of Contents
    Proceed to Chapter 9 – LD and the Law 
    
    Published with Permission Of Writer: Scott L. Crouse, Ph.D.   
    LDInfo.com: A website dedicated to the advancement of practical knowledge and understanding about the often mysterious world of Learning Disabilities. 
    Copyright � 1996 Scott L. Crouse
    

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Words to know for chapter Seven:

Discrepancy – a difference between two things

Ability – what you are able to do
Intelligence – how smart you are

Estimate – an educated guess IQ – Intelligence Quotient

Achievement – what you have already done

Process – how your brain uses information “We have learned a lot about your learning disability. One of the most important things that we have learned is that you sometimes have difficulty showing how smart, or “intelligent” you really are……especially in school.” “But what is intelligence anyway????”
 
When teachers and psychologists talk about the intelligence they use terms like:

• Ability
• Potential
• Capability
• Aptitude

All of these terms are supposed to indicate what you could do under the best circumstances…..with no interference. But you do have interference. You have a learning disability that certainly interferes in some situations.
So, can your intelligence really be measured?

The answer to that question is a very definite maybe!!

You have probably taken at least one or two intelligence tests or “IQ Tests” as part of the “diagnosis” of your learning disability.

There are two main reasons for taking IQ tests:

1.  To estimate your intelligence and “learning potential”. This is important in order to measure the “discrepancy” between what you should be able to learn and what you have already learned.

2. To start finding out about how you “process” different kinds of information.

For most people, IQ tests provide a pretty good estimate of intelligence. But, when you have a learning disability, your processing weakness will naturally interfere during the IQ test just like it interferes in school.
 
School psychologists are trained to look beyond IQ scores when testing your intelligence. You may have done much better on some parts of the test than you did on other parts. These differences can provide valuable clues to the psychologist about your real “potential” and how you “process” information.
 
Intelligence tests often provide three types of IQ scores:

   

• Verbal IQ
• Performance (non-verbal) IQ
• Full Scale (overall) IQ

Although the Full-Scale score is usually used to indicate general intelligence, for some types of learning disability, either the Verbal or Performance IQ score is considered a better estimate of your real intelligence. But for other types of LD, any IQ score will “underestimate” your real abilities.
 
So, the IQ score that you got when tested may not actually be the best estimate of your true intelligence.
 
  It is very important for the psychologist who gave you the test to clearly explain how you did, what the different scores mean, and whether or not the IQ score is a good estimate of your intelligence.
 
  If you don’t remember or were never really told how you did on your last IQ test, you may need to ask the psychologist to explain it to you again.
Important! IQ scores are pretty good at predicting how well you will do in school, but may not really measure your intelligence. Don’t feel “dumb” if you got a “low” IQ score. It probably indicates how serious your learning disability is . . . . not your real intelligence.

What about other forms of intelligence?
 
  Many people believe that IQ tests give you very little information about your real intelligence.
 
  A psychologist by the name of Dr. Howard Gardner came up with a very popular idea that everyone may actually have seven different types of intelligence:

1. Linguistic – Able to use words well for writing or speaking (like writers, speakers, etc.).  

2. Logical-Mathematical – Able to use numbers well and solve problems (like scientists).  

3.  Spatial – Able to see the visual world accurately (like artists).  

4. Musical – Able to use and enjoy musical forms (composers, musicians, etc.).  

5. Bodily/Kinesthetic – Able to control your body to express feelings and ideas (dance, sculpture, sports).

6. Interpersonal – Being “tuned in” to other peoples’ moods and feelings (teachers, psychologists, etc.).

7. Intrapersonal – Ability to understand and “sense” yourself (psychologists, social workers, etc.).
Note: According to Dr. Gardner, the Linguistic and Logical-Mathematical areas are mostly used for learning in school.
 
  If this theory is true, you could be very “smart” in some areas even though you may have difficulty in school.
“Obviously, there is much more to intelligence than an IQ score or grades. I’m glad we’ve cleared that up.”

Review Questions:

1. Why are IQ tests used?

2. If you get a low IQ score, does that mean you aren’t very smart?

3. Can IQ tests help to measure your “processing” skills?

4. Name three of the seven different types of intelligence discussed at the end of the chapter.

5. Which type of intelligence is your strongest?

6. Which type of intelligence is your weakest?

  Return to Table of Contents
Proceed to Chapter 8 – Exercising Your Weakness 

Published with Permission Of Writer: Scott L. Crouse, Ph.D.   
LDInfo.com: A website dedicated to the advancement of practical knowledge and understanding about the often mysterious world of Learning Disabilities. 
Copyright � 1996 Scott L. Crouse

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Words to know for chapter Six:

Self-esteem – how you feel about or “value” yourself

Fear-of-failure– afraid to try because you might fail

Withdrawn– staying to yourself, avoiding others

Resistant – not wanting to do something
Obnoxious– being annoying or offensive

Communication – sharing information with others

Body language– using your body to show how you feel

Impulsive – jumping into things without thinking “We have learned a lot about your learning difficulties. But now it is time to investigate other issues that LD students face.”

When you have a learning disability you obviously have trouble learning. But along with the learning problems come other difficulties that can interfere with your life, both in and out of school.

We will focus on four very common problem areas related to learning disabilities:
Self-esteem
Social confusion
Communication
Attention


Low Self-esteem is probably the biggest and most common emotional problem that learning disabled people have. When you have trouble learning, you lose confidence in yourself and develop low self-esteem. This probably starts out in school, where you have the most difficulty, but often carries over into other situations.  

When you have low self-esteem you might be afraid to try new or difficult things including:

schoolwork
sports
relationships
games
conversation
This is called “fear-of-failure” because you are afraid to try things because of fear you might fail.
 
Or, you may intentionally do poorly (even on things you can do well) so that others (parents, teacher, friends) learn not to expect too much from you. This is called “fear-of-success”.

You may become shy and withdrawn to avoid threatening situations. You may become “obnoxious” attempting to show others how smart you really are. You may become angry and resistant when asked to do things that are difficult. You may become aggressive (fighting) when you feel embarrassed by your difficulties.

You may act lazy and unmotivated to make it appear that you could do well in school if you wanted to.
All of these behaviors are “normal” attempts to hide your difficulties and improve your low self-esteem. Unfortunately, these behaviors only make things worse.
 
The best things for you to do to improve your self-esteem are:
Learn to accept your learning disability. Push yourself to try new things. You might be surprised at how well you can do.

And most important: Don’t waste your energy hiding your learning disability from others!! Social confusion is an area of difficulty for many LD students because their processing disability can make it difficult to understand some social situations.

You may: have difficulty “reading” body language or facial expressions misunderstand “normal” teasing and joking overreact to situations exaggerate situations and events react with impulsive behavior instead of “processing” react too slowly to situations and “be left out.”

Social confusion can be extremely frustrating. You may feel “weird” because you act and react differently than other students. You may need to work extra hard to really understand situations and react more “normally”.
 
Communication is another very important issue for learning disabled people. Because you struggle to process information, you may have difficulty expressing your thoughts and understanding others.
 
Communication confusion can cause difficulty with all types of relationships including:

friends
family
teachers
coaches , etc.

When you have trouble communicating you may avoid social situations because of difficulty with “small talk”. You may react to difficult situations with aggression instead of “talking things through”. You might avoid making friends because of fear that you won’t be able to communicate. You may appear unfriendly to others.

Difficulty with communication can cause frustration for you and the people around you. If you have difficulty in this area, it is very important for you to be open and honest about your communication struggles so that others can be aware and supportive.
 
Attention is an area of difficulty for almost all LD students. You may have difficulty paying attention both in the classroom and when doing homework.

Sometimes attentional difficulties are caused by a medical condition called Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). If you are also very active and impulsive, you may have an attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD). Many LD students have ADD or ADHD and may take medication to help control behavior and pay attention.

Other learning disabled students have difficulty paying attention in school but do not have ADD or ADHD. Sometimes these students have simply learned to “tune out” when learning becomes very frustrating. Other times an LD student’s “processing style” causes difficulty with attention.
 
  For example, students with a “sequencing” disability have difficulty paying attention to details and organizing bits of information (during a lecture, demonstration, or while reading) but are very aware of (and distracted by) everything else going on around them. Such students can pay attention better when the teacher provides a general idea about what is being taught before breaking it down into details. Students with an “auditory” disability tend to “drift off” during lectures but “tune in” better to videos or demonstrations.  

If you have attentional difficulties, you need to work very hard to say “tuned in” to classroom instruction. You might have difficulty controlling impulsive behaviors and may say or do things before you have a chance to “think things through”. Friends may get frustrated by your lack of self-control. Parents and teachers may lose patience with your apparent lack of motivation or “disinterest”. Attentional problems make it very difficult to learn in school. Don’t be afraid to ask to have information repeated if you “missed it”.

“It seems that low self-esteem, social confusion, communication problems, and attentional difficulties are very common for LD students. Are these problem areas for you?”

The best thing for you to do to “counteract” these problems is to be as open and honest as you can be about your learning disability and any “related problems” you may have.
 
  When you can really admit your learning difficulties to others you will find that you no longer need to be embarrassed or ashamed.
 
  You will also find that friends, parents, and teachers are more accepting and supportive when they really understand your struggles.

“Now, on with the case.”

Review questions:

1. What are the four problem areas discussed in this chapter?

2. How can low self-esteem interfere with learning?

3. How can low self-esteem interfere with sports?

4. How can low self-esteem interfere with friendships?

5. What is “fear-of-failure”?

6. What is one thing you can do to improve your self-esteem?

7. Why do LD students often have trouble with communication?

8. Why is communication important for relationships?

9. Why do most LD students have trouble paying attention in school?

10. What are the two medical conditions discussed in this chapter that cause attentional difficulties?

11. How can your learning disability cause problems in social situations?

Return to Table of Contents
Proceed to Chapter 7 -Intelligence vs. IQ 

Published with Permission Of Writer: Scott L. Crouse, Ph.D.   
LDInfo.com: A website dedicated to the advancement of practical knowledge and understanding about the often mysterious world of Learning Disabilities. 
Copyright � 1996 Scott L. Crouse

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Words to know for chapter Five:

Accommodation – something to make learning easier

Compensate – using a strength to make up for a weakness

Benefit – take advantage of something

Overview – the “big picture”

Summary – the most important parts

Simplify – make it easier Clarify – make it clearer

Supplement – additional information

Repetition – repeating what has already been taught

Modify – change

Context – the circumstances surrounding a situation

 Concrete – simple, basic, easily understood

“By now you should have a pretty good idea about how your “processing disability” interferes with your ability to learn. But, just understanding the problem doesn’t really help much. There is still more to the mystery of your learning disability! What you really need to know is what you and your teachers can do to help yourself learn better.”
Important!!! When you have a learning disability you have a legal right to appropriate and necessary accommodations in order for you to learn.

This means that your teachers may need to modify tests/assignments or change the way that they present information to you. But, they are only required to provide accommodations that you really “need”.
Appropriate accommodations should either help you learn better or give you a better way of demonstrating your knowledge.

Accommodations should not simply give you an easier way to get better grades.

For example, you may feel that a math test would be easier if you could use a calculator (who wouldn’t?). And sometimes, the use of a calculator is a very appropriate accommodation. But other times, using a calculator may not allow the teacher to find out how well you really understand your math.

This is all about team work between you and your teachers.

It is up to your teacher and case-manager (along with help from you and your parents) to determine what accommodations you really need for each situation.

You can be very helpful in deciding what might be an appropriate accommodation. So don’t hesitate to tell your teacher or case-manager what you think you might need.

Most LD students can benefit from very similar accommodations such as:
extra time reduced distractions outlines overviews/summaries hands-on activities borrowed notes shortened assignments

But, each type of learning disability (area of processing difficulty) requires these (and other) accommodations for different reasons. It is important to understand the reason for each accommodation so that you can use it to your best advantage.

Know Your Learning Strengths!!

We have spent a lot of time finding out how your processing weakness interferes with learning. But now we need to explore your processing strengths to find out how you learn best. Don’t forget, although you have a processing weakness that interferes with your learning, you also have many areas of strength that can help you to “compensate” for your difficulties.

For example, a blind person learns to use their other senses (like hearing, touch, smell, taste) in order to compensate for not being able to see.

It is the same for a learning disabled person. Your natural learning strength or “preference” is just the opposite of your processing weakness. So someone with a visual processing disability has a natural “preference” for auditory learning. Someone with a sequential processing weakness will learn best through their conceptual processing channel.

Find your area of processing disability below to start learning how certain accommodations and “compensation methods” can help you learn.

Visual Processing Disability

Auditory Processing Disability

Sequential Processing Disability

Conceptual Processing Disability

Processing Speed Disability

Visual Processing Disability:

If you have trouble with visual processing you will naturally learn best with auditory information. But there is going to be a lot of important visual information that you can’t get through your ears.

So visual information will need to be simplified, clarified, and supplemented with information through your stronger senses (auditory, touch, smell, taste).

You may need to ask for some of the following “accommodations” from your teacher:
1. Extra time to look at visual information (pictures, videos, writing on the board, etc.). 2. Worksheets and tests with larger print and less “clutter”.
3. Verbal description to help understand visual information. 4. Borrowed notes so that you can spend more time “looking”.
5. Do math problems on graph paper to keep numbers in line. 6. Extra time for reading and writing tests and assignments. 7.  A clear and simple overview or summary of what will be learned before each lesson so that some of the confusing visual information can make more sense. 8. Textbooks and assignments with highlighting of the most important information. 9. Hands-on experiences to use your other senses and “haptic processing” skills to learn. 10. Reduced assignments to avoid feeling overwhelmed. 11. Books and assignments on tape. 12. Testing in a quiet area to avoid distractions. 13. Provide an alternative to computer-scored answer sheets (the small boxes or circles can be very visually confusing). 14. Grade written assignments/tests on content rather than spelling or punctuation.   15. Use of a calculator or “spell check” when appropriate.

And here are some things you can do for yourself:

1. Take more time “visualizing” letters, words and numbers for spelling and math. 2. Listen, listen, listen for any information you may need. 3.  Ask for explanation when you don’t understand visual information. 4. Make lists of assignments. 6. Read out loud to yourself so that you can hear what you are trying to learn. 7.  Take time to break large assignments into smaller (manageable) pieces. 8. Make a schedule of when different pieces of an assignment should be done. 9. Draw simple pictures to help solve math story problems.

Auditory Processing Disability:

If you have trouble with auditory processing you will naturally learn best with visual information. But there is going to be a lot of important auditory information that you can’t get through your eyes. So auditory information will need to be simplified, clarified, and supplemented with information through your stronger senses (visual, touch (haptic), smell, taste).

You may need to ask for some of the following “accommodations” from your teacher:
1. Repetition and clarification of verbal instruction (the more you hear it, the better you will learn it). 2. Important information to be drawn or at least written on the board. 3.  Extra time for reading and writing tests and assignments. 4. Seating near the front of the class to maintain auditory attention and minimize visual distraction. 5.  Visual information (pictures, videos, graphs, charts, etc.) to help understand verbal information. 6. A clear and simple overview or summary of what will be learned before each lesson so that some of the confusing auditory information can make more sense. 7.  Textbooks and assignments with highlighting of the most important information. 8. Hands-on experiences to use your other senses and “haptic processing” skills to learn. 9. Reduced assignments to avoid feeling overwhelmed. 10.  Testing in a separate room to avoid visual distractions. 11. Provide examples and demonstrations of what is expected from assignments and projects. 12. Don’t “put me on the spot” by asking questions in class unless I volunteer. 13.  Modified or reduced foreign language requirements.

And here are some things you can do for yourself:
1. Use your stronger visual skills to “visualize” information as you hear it. 2. Listen, listen, listen for any information you may need. You will need to pay more attention to verbal information than other students.   3. Ask for explanation when you don’t understand verbal information.   4.  Make lists of assignments – maybe with pictures.   5.  Take time to break large assignments into smaller (manageable) pieces. 6.  Make a schedule of when different pieces of an assignment should be done. 7. Draw pictures to help solve math story problems.

Sequential/organizational disability:

When you have a weakness in the sequential/organizational area, you have difficulty organizing and memorizing details in your head. You and your teachers will need to find other ways for you to remember and organize important information.

In addition, your natural strength (to use for compensation) is your conceptual/holistic processing skills. You probably will learn best when you can see the “big picture” and may have a rather deep understanding even if you can’t remember all the “details”.

You may need to ask for some of the following “accommodations” from your teacher: 1. Providing the “big picture” through summaries and overviews before breaking a lesson into smaller parts. 2. Important facts and details to be drawn or at least written on the board.   3. Extra time for reading and writing tests and assignments. 4.  Seating near the front of the class to maintain attention and minimize distraction. 5. Visual information (pictures, videos, graphs, charts, etc.). 6.  Use real-life examples to help with the “big picture” and show why this lesson is relevant. 7. Textbooks and assignments with highlighting of the most important information. 8. Hands-on experiences to use your other senses and “haptic processing” skills to learn. 9.  Reduced assignments to avoid feeling overwhelmed. 10.  Testing in a separate room to avoid distractions. 11. Provide examples and demonstrations of what is expected from assignments and projects. 12. Don’t expect quick answers. Allow extra time for organization of thoughts. 13. Grade writing assignments on content rather than “mechanics”. 14. Allow the use of “spell check” when appropriate. 15. Modified or reduced foreign language requirements.

And here are some things you can do for yourself:
1. When reading, read summary sections and review questions first to give you a better idea of what you will be learning. 2. When writing, just get your main, important ideas down before going back to fill in the details. Outlining can really help! 3. Ask for explanation when you don’t understand the details. 4.  Make lists of assignments – maybe with pictures. 5. Take time to break large assignments into smaller (manageable) pieces. 6.  Make a schedule of when different pieces of an assignment should be done. 7. When memorizing details, combine words with music or rhythm to provide a more “conceptual feel”.

Conceptual/Holistic Processing Disability:

When your weakness is in the conceptual/holistic area, you probably can memorize details and facts pretty well but really struggle to understand deeper meaning and general concepts. You may read rather quickly and easily but have difficulty understanding what you have read.

For this type of disability it is most important to take extra time to try to develop a deeper understanding of what you are learning. Although you may finish assignments quickly, you need to spend extra time to figure out why each assignment was important and what you really learned.

You may need to ask for some of the following “accommodations” from your teacher:
1. Extra instruction about underlying concepts and deeper meaning. Why is this information important? 2. Overviews and summaries to provide context before and after lessons. 3. Concrete visual aids (drawings, charts, video, etc.) to help understand the “big picture”. 4.  4. Extra time for thinking through tests and assignments. 5. Textbooks and assignments with highlighting of the most important information and concepts. 6. Hands-on experiences to use your other senses to learn. 7. Reduced assignments to avoid feeling overwhelmed. 8. Concrete examples and/or demonstrations. 9. Linking information to real-life situations. 10. Encouragement to go beyond superficial understanding. 11. Clarification and repetition of concepts. 12. Outlines listing key points and concepts.

And here are some things you can do for yourself:
1. Take more time searching for deeper meaning after completing assignments. 2. Pay attention, watching and listening for any important information you may need. 3. Ask for explanation when you don’t understand concepts or meaning. 4.  When reading, stop after each paragraph to see if you really understood what you read. 5. Take time to break large assignments into smaller (manageable) pieces

Processing Speed Disability:

When you have a general weakness in the area of processing speed, information tends to fly right by before you have a chance to learn it. You will have a high need for extra time in class, for assignments, and during tests.

You probably have pretty good reasoning skills so that you can “figure out” the information, but you will need extra time in order to do so.

You may need to ask for some of the following “accommodations” from your teacher:
1. Extra time during class to think about the lesson that has just been presented. 2. Repetition of lectures and lessons through the use of audio or video tape. 3. Slower instruction – don’t talk too fast. 4.  Don’t expect rapid answers or in-class discussion. Ask a question only if there has been plenty of time to think it through. 5. Provide the “big picture” through summaries and overviews before breaking a lesson into smaller parts. 6. Important facts and details to be drawn or at least written on the board. 7. Extra time for reading and writing tests and assignments. 8. Seating near the front of the class to maintain attention and minimize distraction. 9. Use real-life examples to help with the “big picture” and show why each lesson is relevant. 10. Textbooks and assignments with highlighting of the most important information – there may not be time to read everything. 11. Hands-on experiences to use your other senses and “haptic processing” skills to learn. 12. Reduced assignments to avoid feeling overwhelmed. 13. Testing in a separate room to avoid distractions.
14. Provide examples and demonstrations of what is expected from assignments and projects. 15. Grade writing assignments on content rather than “mechanics”. 14. Allow the use of “spell check” when appropriate.

And here are some things you can do for yourself:
1. When reading, read summary sections and review questions first to give you a better idea of what you will be learning. 2. When writing, just get your main, important ideas down before going back to fill in the details. Outlining can really help! 3. Ask for explanation when you don’t understand! 4.  Make lists of assignments – maybe with pictures. 5. Take time to break large assignments into smaller (manageable) pieces. 6. Make a schedule of when different pieces of an assignment should be done. 7. When memorizing details, combine words with music or rhythm to provide a more “conceptual feel”.

What about Learning Style?

You may hear teachers talking about “learning Style” and about how all students have their very own style of learning. A lot of the things you may hear about learning style will sound very much like what you are discovering about your learning disability. This is because many learning style theories involve the same (or at least very similar) areas of “processing” as we are exploring. But learning style is actually quite different from a learning disability.

As you have learned, a learning disability involves a weakness in the way you process information. So with LD you have very definite processing strengths and weaknesses which control how you learn.

Learning style really involves how your “personality” affects learning. In other words, learning style refers to what types of things you enjoy and how “comfortable” you are in different types of learning situations. For most people, “learning style” really has nothing to do with processing strength or weakness.

All students have their own learning style and may prefer to learn in certain ways. But a preferred learning style usually does not interfere too much with learning.

An example would probably help to show the difference between learning style and learning disability:

Whether you know it or not, you have a preferred foot that you almost always use for kicking (like a ball, your brother, etc.). But it isn’t that your “preferred” foot is stronger, it just happens to be the one you are most comfortable kicking with.
But what if one of your feet was much weaker than the other. You would certainly kick with your strong foot, not because of “style” or “preference”, but because that is really your best (maybe only) choice.

That is the difference between style and disability!

When you have a learning disability, your preferred “learning style” is very much controlled by your processing strengths and weaknesses. So you actually do have a very definite learning style. But for you it is much more than a “preferred” way of learning. It may be the only way for you to really learn well.

“But remember, accommodations are only helpful if you use them wisely.”

Review questions:
1. True or false: You have a legal right to any accommodation that will help you get better grades. 2. Who can help determine the right accommodations for you? 3. What does the word “compensate” mean? 4.  Who can help you get accommodations that you feel you need? 5. What does the word “simplify” mean? 6. What does the word “clarify” mean? 7. True or false: Use of a calculator is never an appropriate accommodation.
8. True or false: “Learning Style” is the same as “Learning Disability”.

Return to Table of Contents
Proceed to Chapter 6 -Other Issues Related to LD 

Published with Permission Of Writer: Scott L. Crouse, Ph.D.
LDInfo.com: A website dedicated to the advancement of practical knowledge and understanding about the often mysterious world of Learning Disabilities. 

Copyright � 1996 Scott L. Crouse
<

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Words to know for chapter Four:

Process – how your brain uses information

Compensate – using a strength to make up for a weakness
Storage – putting something away for safe keeping

Retrieval – getting something out of storage
Sensory – using your senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste)

Cognitive – using your brain

Sequencing – putting details in order Conceptual – understanding concepts and deep meaning

Holistic – looking at the “whole thing” instead of the parts

Inferential – using your mind to “fill in” missing information

Channel – a path used for information to travel

Modality – a method used for processing information

“For the next step in this mystery, we will need to explore the dark and dangerous caverns of your brain. We will follow the same pathways that information travels to find out how your brain operates. You might want to wear gloves….this could get messy.”

“Follow me………”

As we have learned, having a learning disability means that information gets “stuck” or confused while going through, or being “processed” by your brain.

But what is “processing”???

There are many, maybe hundreds of ways in which your brain processes different kinds of information. But we will just focus on two main types of processing that are believed to be most responsible for learning:

• Sensory processing – how your brain uses information from your senses   (vision, hearing, touch, smell, taste)
• Cognitive processing – what your brain does after the information comes in through the senses

Entering the brain – The sensory channels:

Information is provided in many different ways but first enters the brain through the 5 sensory processing channels or “modalities” which include:

Vision

Hearing

Touch

Taste

Smell

These channels are the first areas where information processing difficulty can occur.

But, how often do you really taste or smell things in school? And, even though you sometimes touch or feel things in school, you aren’t going to have trouble learning just because things don’t “feel” right. So really, the main sensory processing areas that can cause you trouble in school are:

• Visual: does your brain understand what you see?
• Auditory: does your brain understand what you hear

Important clue!!!!! Sensory processing is different from how well you see or hear. A person with a visual processing disability is actually able to see as well as anyone else, but his or her brain has difficulty making sense of visual information. For such a student, auditory information is usually processed much faster and better.

Other sensory processing channels including smell, taste, and touch can be important alternative processing channels but are seldom, if ever found to be primary areas of information processing disability. The sense of touch can be especially important and will be discussed further when we investigate “Haptic” processing.

Right now. let’s look closely at visual and auditory processing.

Visual Processing involves how well your brain can use visual information. When you see something, especially something complex, do you understand it quickly and easily. Can you “visualize” things (like pictures, shapes, words, etc.) in your head? Can you remember information that you see?

Visual Processing includes:
seeing differences between things remembering visual details filling in missing parts in pictures remembering general characteristics visual-motor coordination visualization and imagination organization of your room, desk, etc. art

People with a general visual processing disability often experience most learning difficulty in the areas of math and spelling because they have trouble “visualizing” words, letters, symbols, etc.

Specific difficulties may include:

– writing

poor handwriting poor spelling (cannot visualize the words)

– math

difficulty visualizing problems difficulty with cluttered worksheets

– reading

slow speed poor comprehension

– general

poor organization/planning/neatness difficulty rechecking work for accuracy difficulty learning by demonstration difficulty learning by video

Do you think Visual Processing is a strength or a weakness for you?

Auditory processing involves how well you can understand auditory information. Can you “keep up” when people talk very fast? Can you tell voices apart easily (even on the phone)? Can you imagine the voices of familiar people in your head? Can you remember information that your hear?

Auditory Processing includes:
hearing differences between sounds/voices remembering specific words or numbers remembering general sound patterns Understanding even when you miss some sounds blending parts of words together music

People with a general auditory processing disability usually have most difficulty with general reading, general writing, and language (understanding and expressing). Specific difficulties may include:

– reading

poor decoding of new words poor comprehension

– writing

poor spelling/mechanics poor sentence structure

– communication

difficulty with expression poor receptive language

– general

difficulty following oral directions difficulty learning in lectures

Do you think Auditory Processing is a strength or weakness for you?

Don’t forget!!! Auditory and visual processing involves much more than whether you can see and hear.

What is important is how well your brain is able to understand and use the information after you see and hear it.

Now lets go deeper into the brain.

The 2 main cognitive processing channels:

After information is processed through the sensory channels, it is passed along to the cognitive processing areas for further understanding, storage (memory), and later retrieval. Although there are thought to be many different specific types of cognitive processing, research about the brain suggests that two of the most important processing areas are found in the two sides or “hemispheres” of the brain. Let’s look closely at these:

Left-brain:

Sequential/organizational processing is the main filing system in your brain and is done in the left hemisphere. It involves organizing and memorizing specific bits of information including facts, figures and formulas.

This is very much like a computer organizes and stores information. How well do you remember details (like names, addresses, facts, etc.)? How organized are you?

Right-brain:

Conceptual/holistic processing involves looking for “the big picture”, overall patterns and underlying concepts for use in higher-order thinking, creating, and reasoning.

Conceptual/holistic filing is like throwing things into boxes with very general labels. Do you see “the big picture”? Do you understand general ideas? Are you creative and inventive?

In general, the right side of the brain does most of the thinking, reasoning, and creating. The left side organizes these thoughts and ideas for efficient storage and expression.

Left Brain Right Brain

For most people, both sides of the brain work together very well. But for many LD students, one half of their brain works much better than the other half. This causes problems learning certain kinds of information.

For example, if your right brain works much better (or faster) than your left brain, you have lots of wonderful ideas but can’t get them organized well (or fast enough) for expression (especially in writing).

On the other hand, if your left brain works better (or faster) than your right brain, you are very good at memorizing and organizing details but have trouble generating new ideas or understanding concepts.

Now let’s see how these two processing areas affect learning.

Sequential/Organizational (left-brain) processing includes:
Short-term memory for details long-term retrieval of details fine-motor coordination finding the words you want to say or write organization of your thoughts and materials writing mechanics (spelling, punctuation) reading speed/sounding out new words attention to details putting words and thoughts in order

People experiencing a general Sequential/Organizational disability often have most learning difficulties in the areas of basic reading, math computation, expressive language, and writing mechanics. Specific difficulties may include:

– handwriting

speed/clarity letter reversals spelling/mechanics letters in wrong sequence (order)

– reading

decoding (sounding our words) speed/fluency remembering details attention/concentration

– math

remembering formulas/steps

– communication

finding words for verbal or written expression

– general

planning lengthy assignments remembering details paying attention – easily distracted by surroundings remembering names of people or objects following specific directions

Is sequential/organizational processing a strength or weakness for you?

Conceptual/Holistic (right-brain) processing includes:

memory for general themes or ideas

reasoning

spatial awareness

general knowledge

inferential thinking

estimation/approximation

conceptual understanding

creativity/inventiveness

reading comprehension

use of context

rhythm

music

art

People experiencing a general conceptual/holistic processing disability often perform quite well during early school years but later experience much difficulty with reading comprehension, math reasoning, and creative writing. Specific difficulties may include:

– reading

understanding irony, inferences, sarcasm general comprehension

– math

generalizing to new situations story problems

– written language

creative writing

– communication

general language comprehension understanding humor

– general

global/general awareness attention – may focus too much on a specific area

Is conceptual/holistic processing a strength or weakness for you?

The final processing area for us to explore is Processing Speed. This refers to how fast information travels through your brain.

All LD students experience some processing speed difficulty when required to process information through their weakest “channel” or “modality”. But for other LD students, a general weakness in processing speed causes difficulty in all modalities.

It is like having your brain work at 40 miles per hour when the rest of the world (and all the information around you) is going 55 miles per hour. You just can’t keep up.

Processing Speed affects:

• short-term memory (with time pressure)
• long-term retrieval (with time pressure)
• talking speed, word-finding
• writing speed
• reading speed
• attention
• reasoning (with time pressure)
• general response speed

People experiencing a general Processing Speed disability often have learning difficulties in all academic areas due to their inability to process all types of information quickly. Specific difficulties may included

– reading

reading speed ability to stay focused while reading

– math

completing a series of problems

– written language

writing speed mechanics clarity (with time pressure)

– communication

delays in responding slow, deliberate speech word-finding difficulties

– general

coping with implied or expressed time pressures always “a step behind” difficulty maintaining attention to tasks exceeding time limits during tests  trouble with social pressures to perform “faster”

Is processing speed a strength or weakness for you?

Sensory + Cognitive = Perfect Partnership

Important!! Every task that you do requires a combination of sensory and cognitive processing. Remember, all information first enters the brain through at lease one of your senses, then goes on to the cognitive processing areas for understanding and storage. So both types of processing are used.

For example, if you look up a phone number in the telephone book you first use visual processing to get the information into your brain, then sequential processing to remember the order of the specific numbers.

So, if you have a problem with this task, it could be caused by either visual processing weakness or sequential processing weakness.

On the other hand, if you have trouble remembering numbers that someone says to you, that problem could be caused by either auditory or sequential weakness.

Here’s another example. Pretend you have just witnessed a bank robbery.

Let’s list the different things you might have “witnessed” along with the type of processing you would have used:

Looks like your “witnessing” helped to capture this dangerous

criminal.

You can see from this example that specific observations involve “sequential” processing but general observations are more “conceptual”.

As these examples demonstrate, you actually use several different processing areas for most tasks.

The overlap between processing areas may make it seem that you experience difficulty in several areas. That’s ok. What we are looking for is the one area that causes you the most difficulty most of the time.

The overlapping relationships between the sensory and cognitive processing modalities is shown below:

Important clue!! If you have a weakness in one channel or modality, the others modalities become “strengths” that you can use to “compensate”. For example, if Auditory processing is a weakness, Visual processing is probably a pretty good strength. And if Sequential processing is a weakness, Conceptual processing is probably a strength. This relationship will become very important when we explore ways of making learning easier for you.

“So, we have discovered that the main areas of information processing disability include”:

“And we have learned that every learning task requires a combination of at least one area of sensory processing and one area of cognitive processing. Some tasks actually required several different types of processing at the same time!”

“Have we uncovered your area of greatest processing difficulty?”

Most LD students will recognize one of the 5 processing areas discussed in this chapter as their biggest problem.

Once in a while an LD student will have a very specific processing weakness that does not fall into one of the areas covered in this chapter. If this is the case for you, please consult your case manager or school psychologist to find out more about your processing style.

What about Haptic Processing?

Many LD specialists refer to haptic processing as being very important for LD students. Haptic processing involves learning through touch, feel, and movement. And indeed, many LD students are able to learn very well through their “haptic” channel. But haptic processing is not really a separate processing area but is actually a combination of the sense of touch and the conceptual/holistic processing modality. In other words, a student with strong conceptual/holistic processing and a good sense of touch will learn very well “haptically”. But, since very little “haptic” information is available in school, haptic processing is not considered an area of disability. But you certainly may be a very good “haptic learner”.

“Well, detectives. Since processing is the “key” to this mystery, then it would seem that the mystery has been solved! Right?”

“Wrong! I have “peeked” ahead (as any good detective would) and found many more pages to explore. There must still be more to this exciting mystery!”

“Let’s continue, shall we?”

Review Questions:
1. What are the five areas of “sensory” processing discussed in this chapter?

2. Which two sensory processing areas are most important for learning?

3. How is “visual processing” different from how well you can “see”?

4.  How is “auditory processing” different from how well you can “hear”?

5. Can your other senses (touch, smell, taste) be used for learning?

6. What are the two “cognitive” areas of information processing discussed in this chapter?

7. Which cognitive processing modality is best used for memorizing specific facts?

8. Which cognitive processing modality is most “creative” at developing new ideas or inventions?

9. Why does “processing speed” affect all LD students?

10. What combination of processing areas is required to learn a list of spelling words?

Return to Table of Contents
Proceed to Chapter 5 -Using Accommodations

Published with Permission Of Writer: Scott L. Crouse, Ph.D.
LDInfo.com: A website dedicated to the advancement of practical knowledge and understanding about the often mysterious world of Learning Disabilities. 

Copyright � 1996 Scott L. Crouse
<

Words to know for chapter Three:

Discrepancy – a difference between two things

Ability – what you are able to do

Achievement – what you have already done

Underachievement – not working up to your ability

Basic Reading – sounding out words

Reading Comprehension – understanding what you have read Math Calculation – solving basic number problems

Math Reasoning – solving story problems or real-life math situations

Written Expression – giving information in writing

Oral Expression – giving information by talking

Listening Comprehension – understanding what you hear

“According to the definition, a learning disability causes a “discrepancy” between ability and achievement. In fact, this “discrepancy” is the first sign of your learning disability that parents or teachers will notice. But what is a discrepancy?”

When talking about learning disabilities, discrepancy means the same thing as underachievement. You simply are not able to “achieve” as well as you should in school. Maybe you are smart enough to get A”s but can only earn C”s or D”s, no matter how hard you work. You’re not dumb, you just have trouble learning. That is a discrepancy.

It is like a very fast sports car that gets bogged down in heavy traffic or road construction. Even though the car has the “ability” to go very fast, it can’t “achieve” a very high speed.

With a learning disability, it is information that gets bogged down while
traveling through your brain.

Most (in fact, almost all) students are able to achieve at or very close to their ability level as shown in the chart below:

But LD students aren’t able to show how smart they are:

The first sign of this discrepancy is underachievement in the classroom. Your parents or teachers might say that you aren’t doing as well as they think you should.

They may say things like:

“you’re lazy”

“you’re not motivated” or

“you’re not trying”
But what they are really saying is that they know you are smarter than you may appear in school.

After your “underachievement” has been noticed, testing is done by special education teachers and school psychologists to measure your “discrepancy” and see how serious your learning difficulties really are.

To have a learning disability you must have a “severe discrepancy ” in at least one of the following areas:

Basic Reading

Written Expression

Math Calculation

Math Reasoning

Oral Expression

Listening Comprehension

Reading Comprehension

“Now, on with the case……………..”

Underachievement Worksheet

Place an X along the arrow to indicate where you think your skills are in each area.

Proceed to Chapter 4 -Processing: The Key to the Mystery

Published with Permission Of Writer: Scott L. Crouse, Ph.D.
LDInfo.com: A website dedicated to the advancement of practical knowledge and understanding about the often mysterious world of Learning Disabilities. 

Copyright © 1996 Scott L. Crouse
<

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Words to know for chapter Two:

Trauma – something bad that lasts a long time

Deprived – not getting something that you need

Programming – getting your brain ready for “processing” Heredity – when relatives have some of the same characteristics

Genetic – characteristics you get in your “genes” from parents

“Now that we understand more about the mystery to be solved, we’d better find out how the mystery might have started in the first place.”

What causes a learning disability?

When you begin to realize that a learning disability is really the result of a
difference in your brain, it is natural to wonder how this could have happened. Actually, nobody really knows for sure how a learning disability develops, but the following are believed to be probable causes:

Birth trauma: Sometimes before or during the birth process babies lose blood, are deprived of oxygen, or get chemicals into their blood. When a baby’s brain is given certain kinds of chemicals or does not get enough blood or oxygen, permanent brain damage can occur. Many LD students have had some sort of “trauma” either before or during their birth. Heredity: LD tends to “run” in families. A parent who has difficulty processing information may simply pass this along genetically. This seems to be the most common cause of LD. Lead poisoning: When young children eat, drink, or breathe anything that contains lead (old paints, car exhaust, old plumbing, etc.), brain damage (and a learning disability) can develop. Accident: If a person experiences a head injury, brain damage can occur which leads to a learning disability. Incomplete programming: Research is beginning to suggest that the brain needs to be “programmed” in much the same way as a computer. It is suggested that this “programming” must take place very early in life and involve all of the various forms of information processing. If a child does not have enough opportunity to practice processing a certain type of information at an early age, the brain may always struggle with that type of processing. For example, if you had a lot of ear infections as a baby or young child and often couldn’t hear very well, your brain may always have difficulty processing information that you hear.

“But why would you really care about the cause of your learning disability? Well, maybe you are just curious (I know I am). But there is a more important reason. When you are older you may have children of your own. If you have a pretty good idea about how you became learning disabled, you may be able to predict whether or not your children may also have learning disabilities.”

“For example, if you are pretty sure that heredity is the cause of your learning disability, then there is a pretty good chance that you could pass your processing difficulty along to your children. On the other hand, if your learning disability is caused by an accident or birth trauma, then there is less of a chance that your children will also be learning disabled.”

Review Questions:

1.  What are some “traumas” that can cause learning disabilities?

2. True or false: A doctor can tell you why you have a learning disability.

3. How could eating paint chips cause a learning disability?

4. Are all LD students born with their learning disabilities?

5. Why do you think it might be good to know the cause of your learning
disability?

6.  If you have children, do you think that they will have a learning disability? Why or why not?

Return to Table of Contents
Proceed to Chapter 3 -Discrepancy = Underachievement

Published with Permission Of Writer: Scott L. Crouse, Ph.D.
LDInfo.com: A website dedicated to the advancement of practical knowledge and understanding about the often mysterious world of Learning Disabilities. 

Copyright � 1996 Scott L. Crouse
<