Identifying Adult LDsNot so easy….

Before trying to identify an adult as learning disabled consider the following, which will affect all learning, while an LD usually only affects one area:

Limited previous education may hinder progress (e.g. classroom setting/behaviours may be completely new to some)

Lack of effective study habits

Interference of a learner’s native language (e.g. change in alphabet (Arabic to English), change in direction of reading)

LDs or other reasons?

Mismatch between instructor’s teaching style and student’s learning style/expectation of the class

Stress or trauma that refugees or other immigrants have experienced (i.e. can lead to memory and concentration issues)

Sociocultural factors such as age, physical health, etc.

External problems with work, health, and/or family

Poor attendance

Lack of practice outside the classroom

LDs or other reasons? Cont’d

student is not making the expected progress in language learning, particular in one area (e.g. reading, writing, oral comprehension)

giving initial assessments/placement tests – written, oral and speaking comprehension

periodic milestone assessments

Interviews with students

How do you know if it could be an LD?

LDs affect every person differently, can range from mild to severe

Some adults have more than one LD

Common LD diagnosis tools are often geared to native English speakers

Often the assessments are designed for children or youth

No single assessment is enough for a diagnosis; multiple assessments are needed

LD assessment is team work (talk to other teachers with the same student for their observations)

Difficulties in diagnosis

Adults with learning disabilities may overachieve in:

Imagination

Creativity

Spoken language

Visual information

Mathematics

Common signs & characteristics

But they may have difficulty with:

Reading, writing, spelling

Following written instructions

Expressing ideas in writing

Completing job application forms

Finding/keeping a job

Managing time and activities

Common signs & characteristics

Long attention span

Multi-tasking

Remembering sequences

Poor coordination and spatial disorientation

Problem solving strategies

Classification and organization of information

Common signs & characteristics cont’d

Questions about the learner

Interview learner

Collect information about the learner’s work

Use vision and hearing tests

Assessment options

A comprehensive assessment can only be done by a clinician (e.g. psychologist)

However, as an instructor you could ask questions about previous education, languages learned, medical history (non-intrusive: vision, hearing) in an initial, intake interview as part of language assessment

Interviews with adult students

Instructors should answer the following questions of themselves after having worked with the student:

1. Has the problem persisted over time? (talk to colleagues who may have taught the student previously or ask the student)

2. Does regular instruction address the problem?

Preliminary questions

3. Does the learner show consistent strengths & weaknesses in class? (e.g. consistently good at speaking & poor at writing)

4. Does the problem interfere with learning or the student’s regular life in a major way? (e.g. difficulty holding a job, filling out forms, etc.)

Preliminary questions (cont’d)

If you (or you in discussion with the student) answered ‘yes’ to the previous questions, you should follow with some additional collection of information.

(1) Interview – very useful to gain information about the learner such as educational/language history, social background, strengths & weaknesses, the learner’s perspective on the problem

After initial questions…

(2) Collect more information – keep a portfolio that can be assessed regularly and also shows progress (or lack thereof) over time. Portfolios include writing samples, class assignments along with attendance data.

Portfolios document persistence of a problem and show if teaching strategies have been effective or not.

After initial questions…cont’d

(3) Vision and hearing tests – it might not be a learning disability at all but rather visual or auditory impairment.

After initial questions…cont’d

For example: Dyslexia Comprehension texts – does the adult

understand the information

Syllables – can the adult break a variety of words into syllables

Phonological memory – can the person repeat strings of words, numbers, letters and sounds of increasing length

More specific diagnosis – learning disorders

Instructors have to weigh diagnosing & labelling an adult as learning disabled with the possibility of stigma of the label

Something to consider…