Characteristics of Disabilities

SPED 576

Jessica Hovland & Kary Zarate

Disabilities

• Learning Disabilities: Reading, Writing, Mathematics

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Emotional Disorders

• Gifted and Twice Exceptional

• Researching

Patterns are Important!

• Look for patterns in performance across assessments• Error analysis – are the same errors made on multiple tests?

• Strengths – what does the child consistently do well?

• Ease of task completion – did the child complete the task quickly and easily?

• Look for similarities in behavior and performance across settings• Home

• School and different classrooms within school

• Clinic

Learning Disabilities

• The new DSM-5 now suggests an overall diagnosis of specific learning disorder, rather than a more specific definition of, for example, dyslexia or dyscalculia.

Retrieved from: http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Specific%20Learning%20Disorder%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

Things to Rule Out for a Learning Disability

• Cultural-linguistic differences

• Noncognitive factors (e.g. motivational issues, emotional disorder, trauma)

• Intellectual disability

• Sensory/health impairment

• Lack of instruction

Reference: Christo, C., Davis, J.M., Brock, S.E. (2009). Identifying, assessing, and treating dyslexia at school. In Developmental Psychopathology at School.

Reading Disability: Word-level

• Often referred to as dyslexia

• Difficulties with: phonological processing, rapid naming, working memory, language

• Weaknesses in reading, but no overall language delay

• Link between cognitive ability area and academic achievement (e.g. phonological processing and difficulty sounding out words)

• Difficulties with accurate/fluent word recognition

• Poor spelling and decoding abilities

• Comprehension difficulties secondary to word-level difficulties

Reference: Christo, C., Davis, J.M., Brock, S.E. (2009). Identifying, assessing, and treating dyslexia at school. In Developmental Psychopathology at School.

Reading Disability: Word-level

Children being evaluated in late elementary school or middle school may:• Read slower than expected

• Have poor spelling

• Have poor handwriting

• Have difficulty with new, technical vocabulary

• Struggle to learn a foreign language

Reference: Christo, C., Davis, J.M., Brock, S.E. (2009). Identifying, assessing, and treating dyslexia at school. In Developmental Psychopathology at School.

Can You Read This?Anewun kan lurn if thay nothe rite stradijy.

Reading Disability: Comprehension

• Often referred to as hyperlexia

• Scores on standardized tests show deficits in comprehension despite average to above average scores in reading accuracy

• May have deficits in oral language skills

• Difficulty with working memory, accessing prior knowledge, and identifying relevant information in a text

• Difficulty with organization information, making inferences, and comprehension monitoring

Reference: Hulme, C. & Snowling, M.J. Developmental Disorders of Language, Learning and Cognition.

Writing Disability

• Can be due to a learning disability or ADHD

• Writing is a very complex cognitive process & can be affected by many things

Characteristics of dysgraphia, or challenges with the physical act of writing, include:• Inconsistencies in letter formation and spacing• Illegible writing despite adequate time• Talking to self while writing• Watching hand while writing• Slow copying• Omitted words• Cramped, unusual grip

Writing Disability

Writing Disability

Characteristics of difficulties with written expression:• Problems generating text• Produce shorter, less interesting writing• Poorly organized sentences and paragraphs• Less likely to proof-read for spelling, punctuation, and

grammar • Less likely to use strategies• Less likely to revise writing for clarity

Reference: Fletcher, J.M., Lyon, G. R., Fuchs, L.S., & Barnes, M.A. (2007). Learning disabilities: From identification to intervention. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Mathematics Disability

• Inconsistencies in answers for mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division)

– Ex. saying 5 + 4 = 20• Inability to remember formulas, rules, or

concepts• Difficulty with abstract concepts like time and

direction• Consistent errors when recalling numbers• Difficulty remembering how to keep score in

games• May show deficits in working memory, visual-

spatial skills, sequencing, and following procedures

Defining ADHD

• DSM-V is considered primary authority for diagnosis• Two categories: 1) inattention 2) hyperactivity and impulsivity• Symptoms must be present in multiple settings• Children must have 6 symptoms for either/both group of criteria• Adults (over age 17) must have 5 symptoms for either/both

group of criteria• Symptoms must be present before age 12• Typical behaviors: failure to pay attention to details, difficulty

organizing tasks and activities, excessive talking, fidgeting, inability to remain seated in appropriate situations, difficulty sustaining attention on tasks that require effort.References: http://www.dsm5.org/documents/adhd%20fact%20sheet.pdf; Wriight, J. (2002). ADHD: A school-based evaluation manual. Retrieved from:

www.interventioncentral.org.

Executive Functioning Skills

• Response inhibition

• Working memory

• Emotional control

• Sustained attention

• Task initiation

• Planning/prioritization

• Organization

• Time Management

• Goal-directed persistence (sticking with challenging tasks, such as problem-solving)

• Flexibility (okay with changes in plans, tries multiple approaches to solve problems)

• Metacognition (awareness of thinking, checks work, tries to solve problems)

Emotional Disorders

• Learning difficulties that can’t be explained by other factors

• Significant difficulty with relationships

• Inappropriate feelings or behavior under normal circumstances

• General pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression

• Physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems

Social maladjustment exclusion– technically excludes children from eligibility for special education, however, the term is ambiguous and there is currently no research base to reliably distinguish “socially maladjusted” children from those with emotional disturbances.

Emotional Disorders

• Defiant behavior linked to language/communication skills, literacy skills, and/or difficulties controlling impulses should be ruled out

• Emotional and behavioral challenges often co-occur with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Often display immaturity, acting like much younger children

• Behavior is inappropriate for developmental age

Anxiety & Depression:

• Chronic, excessive fears, worries and/or uneasiness that impedes daily routines

• Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, inability to relax, trouble falling asleep

• Irritability, loss of interest in activities, loss of energy, change in appetite or weight

Reference: Davis, M.R., Culotta, V.P., Levine, E.A., Rice, E.H. (2011). School success for kids with emotional and behavioral disorders. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press Inc.

Unique traits of Gifted Children

• Tend to have more fear, insomnia, and anxiety

• May have high levels of energy and intense focus

• Heightened sensitivities make it hard to “turn off” brain

• Tendency to ask deep questions; lack of answers may cause anxiety

• Creativity and imagination can lead to tendency to think about worse case scenarios, which can also lead to anxiety

• Tendency toward perfectionism and depression

• Uneven maturity and levels of development; cognitive maturity may be higher than emotional maturityReference: Lamont, R.T. (2012). The fears and anxieties of gifted learners: Tips for parents and educators. Gifted Child Today, 35(4), 271-276.

Twice Exceptional Children

ADHD• High ability can mask ADHD

• May have difficulty making friends

• Character traits overlap

• Will need different accommodations than a typical child with ADHD

Learning Disability (LD)• LD can mask giftedness

• Giftedness can mask LD

• Easily frustrated by lack of understanding

• Uneven academic skills

• Over-sensitivity to criticism/blaming others

• Lack of organizational & study skills

References: “Consdierations: Twice Exceptional: Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities” (2014); Neihart, M. Gifted children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Retreived from: ldonline.org.

Researching Disabilities

Resources to start your research

http://ldaamerica.org

ReferencesAvailable on Blackboard:

• Christo, C., Davis, J.M., Brock, S.E. (2009). Identifying, assessing, and treating dyslexia at school. In Developmental Psychopathology at School.

• Lamont, R.T. (2012). The fears and anxieties of gifted learners: Tips for parents and educators. Gifted Child Today, 35(4), 271-276.

• Neihart, M. Gifted children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Retreived from: ldonline.org. • Wright, J. (2002). ADHD: A school-based evaluation manual. Retrieved from: www.interventioncentral.org. Resources from websites or books:

• http://www.dsm5.org/documents/adhd%20fact%20sheet.pdf • http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Specific%20Learning%20Disorder%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf• “Considerations: Twice Exceptional: Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities” (2014). Retrieved from:

http://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/documents/packets/twiceexceptional.pdf.• Davis, M.R., Culotta, V.P., Levine, E.A., Rice, E.H. (2011). School success for kids with emotional and

behavioral disorders. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press Inc.• Dawson, P. & Guare, R. (2010). Executive skills in children and adolescents: A practical guide to assessment

and intervention. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.• Fletcher, J.M., Lyon, G. R., Fuchs, L.S., & Barnes, M.A. (2007). Learning disabilities: From identification to

intervention. New York, NY: The Guilford Press• Hulme, C. & Snowling, M. J. (2009). Developmental disorders of language learning and cognition. West

Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell.