Specific Learning Disability (SLD) — Definitions, Variability, and Classroom Supports

Strategies

Cognitive Processes

There are many cognitive processes that are critical to learning. Some are listed in the definition of learning disability in the SLD section. This section will include information on:

• Input (visual, auditory, tactile)
• Integration
• Memory
• Output (sharing what has been learned)
• Motor
• Executive Functioning

Input

Our brains are constantly processing a variety of sensory input. When it comes to learning and instruction, there are three areas that may have a big impact.

• Visual input processing can affect how we process text, images, charts, graphs, and other visual information. Students may have problems recognizing the size, shape, and placement of text, or have problems with line and paragraph typography.
• Auditory processing can affect phonemic awareness, distinguishing subtle differences in sounds. Students may have problems distinguishing figure and background sounds. They may struggle to hear and focus on what the teacher is saying if there are other sounds that distract them. They may also have difficulties associating sounds with symbols.
• Tactile processing can provide additional information that can help students understand some types of information. Our brains do an amazing job of combining various types of input to create a unified awareness, which is one reason math manipulative can help students understand mathematics concepts. It is also a reason multi-sensory instruction can be highly effective.

Strategies

• Use transformative tools, such as text-to-speech, to scaffolding difficulty in decoding text.
• Highlight, or visually mark up, text to support visual navigation of content.
• Use visual reading guides (physical and digital) to support consistent visual movement through a text while reading.
• Simplify digital and online text by removing distractions on the page.
• Use text summarizers to reduce the amount of content in a text so students can learn the core ideas, then add the rest of the content.
• Ensure that the reading level is appropriate when working on word recognition.
• Use text-to-speech to provide access to appropriate content when the language comprehension is higher than the word recognition skills.
• Change the size and type of font used.
• Adjust the spacing between letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs.
• Reduce the width of the columns of text.
• Use personal or classroom audio FM systems.
• Use manipulatives to enhance math and science instruction.
• Use models and 3D printing to support understanding of difficult and abstract concepts.

Integration

Students are often juggling information, trying to understand what they are learning while also trying to make connections with additional knowledge or background knowledge. Understanding concepts often means understanding relationships between bits or chunks of knowledge. This can be as basic as sequencing events in an order, such as a time line, or it may require putting abstract concepts together to infer meaning, see a bigger picture.

Many students struggle with integrating information. Sometimes visualizing the process by putting it on paper can help. Our brains tend to "think" in patterns and using visual representations of how bits of information relate to each other gives students a way to externalize their thinking. Consider these images:

Each graphic represents a different way of connecting information and we tend to recognize the differences. One shows a hierarchy, one shows a process or progression, and one shows how information can overlap with parts being different and parts being similar or shared. This is an example of externalizing how we think, and once these tools are on paper or a computer screen students can use these tools to help internally integrate ideas, concepts, and information.

Strategies

• Build background knowledge to increase opportunities for making connections and anchoring new knowledge.
• Use topic-focused wide reading to increase students' knowledge base and background knowledge.
• Use contrast/comparisons and analogies to widen understanding.
• Use graphic organizers, concept maps, mind maps, timelines, outlines, etc. to organize information and visually integrate different bits of information or events with each other.
• Use diagrams and draw math problems.
• Draw pictures of word problems.
• Use graph paper.
• Use infographics, posters, and other visual tools to help highlight main ideas and important concepts.
• Highlight, or visually mark up, text and math problems to support visual organization of content.
• Provide or use advance organizers to get a big picture of the organization of the text before reading the main content.
• Consistently use text markup strategies to support a thoughtful processing of the text. Provide students a variety of highlighting and text markup strategies that support basic to advanced integration skills.
• Consistently use mental models, such as K-W-L, Compare-Contrast, etc.

Resource: Adventures in Reading — https://at-udl.com/tutorials/reading/

Resource: Building Background Knowledge — http://www.readingrockets.org/article/building-background-knowledge

Memory

There are several different types of models that people use to try to understand what memory is and how it works. For our purposes we will take a simplistic approach. Generally, a memory can be viewed as a network of parts of the brain that "fire" or are activated at the same time. This network is sometimes referred to as an engram. Working memory refers to the ability to take in information and use it while taking in more information. It is being able to work with information coming in (the input processing) and at the same time using that information (the integration processing) in order to solve problems, complete assignments, etc.

The stronger the engrams, or chemical networks/memories, are the easier it is for students to remember information and put it in working memory. So the more parts of the brain that are activated in an engram, the stronger the memory. Have you ever smelled something and suddenly remembered something in your past? What do you think of when you see the word "cinnamon." Do you think of a taste, a food, a spice, a color? Do you remember a place, an event? The more mentally complex a memory the easier it is to recall. So adding pictures to vocabulary words can help with memory. Having students draw pictures to go with concepts, and explain verbally how their pictures represent the concepts can also improve recall because they have the concept, imagery, analysis thinking, and verbalization all working together to help remember that concept. Using multi-sensory instruction strategies can help students grasp instructional goals by creating complex cognitive networks.

Strategies

• Use multi-sensory instructional strategies.
• Provide advance organizers and guides to highlight main ideas and concepts, and have the students refer back to these guides often while reading the content.
• Processing, or reading through, the content several times, each time with a different focus (e.g. making personal connections with the text, asking questions, analyzing the structure, reading for understanding, reviewing). Remember to always increase the complexity to align with the goals of the standards.
• Use visual graphic organizers or timelines to help organize the information.
• Have the students create illustrations for parts of the information and explain the thinking behind the illustrations.
• Comparing and contrasting different ideas, events, concepts, etc.
• Maintaining a journal and reviewing the journal on a regular basis.
• Using flash card type tools to review facts and events.
• Use screen capture tools on interactive whiteboards to save work and then review that work the next day.
• Use a spiral curriculum sequence where you continually address and revisit the grade level standards for a course throughout the year.
• Provide each student a book of sets of instructions, formulas, rubrics, guidelines, etc. that they can use all year as a reference tool.

Resource: Student Learning That Works — https://www.mcrel.org/student-learning-that-works-wp/

Output (sharing)

We are constantly asking students to demonstrate what they have learned. It's how we judge if they have responded to the instruction. But some students can have problems sharing what they know, especially on demand.

There are two basic types of communication language situations, spontaneous language and demand language. Many students are fine with spontaneous language because they are communicating what their brain is processing at that time. But those students may have real problems communicating what they know on demand because their brain needs time to recall the information (memory) and then to organize what they have recalled (integration) in a way that can be verbalized or written. Sometimes they may share something completely off topic because that is what their brain has processed so that is what they have to say.

You can use the tools and strategies from the integration and memory sections to help students prepare for on demand language situations. If the student has been using visual tools such as graphic organizers to visually process what they have been learning and has been keeping those tools and reviewing them on a regular basis to help remember what they have learned, then those same tools now become prompts to help share what they have learned verbally, in writing, or in other media.

Strategies

• Use discussion guides, graphic organizers, or outlines ahead of time that support the organization of main ideas to share, then use them as prompts when sharing with others. An example of this is used in the classroom video on the Inclusion page.
• Prepare fact cue cards prior to sharing.
• Prepare vocabulary cue cards or lists prior to sharing.
• Review text mark-ups and notes on facts, questions, and reactions to the text prior to sharing.
• Use presentation guides, such as PowerPoint slides or teleprompters, to support sharing.
• Provide options on how students can share what they know, such as writing, drawing, audio, role-playing, etc.

Resource: Starting Conversations about Informational Text — https://at-udl.com/docs/Conversation_about_Informational_Text.pdf

Motor

Motor skills, in conjunction with eye-hand coordination and visual spatial organization abilities, are often critical skills needed for engagement in instructional activities. Some students struggle with handwriting. They may have problems holding and controlling a writing tool such as a pencil or pen. Poor spatial planning skills can result in frustration when trying to complete a writing, math, or drawing assignment. Even something as "simple" as drawing a room in their house can be extremely frustrating.

Some students may have problems using manipulatives due to weak fine motor strength and muscle coordination. This can result in problems in any class that uses manipulatives, such as math, or science and biology labs. it can also affect social skill development, as some students may be seen as being clumsy and may have problems participating in some group activities and project based learning.

Strategies

• Use pencil grips and writing tools.
• Use paper lined with writing guides.
• Use raised line paper for tactile response with writing.
• Use graph paper to help with spatial placement and writing math problems.
• Use word processors for writing.
• Use word prediction and grammar checkers to support writing assignments.
• Allow the student to use tape recorders for lectures, or smart pens that record audio and align the audio to writing and drawing.
• Allow dictation and speech-to-text tools.
• Try 3D software for students who have problems with spatial planning on paper.

Executive Functioning

Planning, organization, goal setting, strategizing, remembering details, managing time all of these are a part of executive functioning. Problems here can impact many areas of learning such as task persistence, self-direction, and completing assignments.

Executive Functioning Strategies Handout.pdf

Source: public content retrievable from Google Sites “District Contacts — Strategies”.