A great way to get basic information about most learning disabilities is to check out the National Center for Learning Disabilities website and the LD Online website. Please keep in mind that this information provides general guidelines but does not hold true for everyone with these learning differences. Accommodations must be done on an individual basis. For accommodation assistance, questions, or more information please contact Clare Carson, Associate Dean of Students.
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD(H)D):
AD/HD is a neurobiological disorder identified by problems with attention, impulsivity, and over-activity. AD/HD often leads to problems in school, home, and interpersonal relationships. It can occur in conjunction with one or more learning disabilities.
Noticeable Behaviors:
- Trouble paying attention
- Inability for close attention to details
- Restless and fidgety
- Easily distracted
- Difficulty with organization and sequential steps
- Often loses things
- Impatient
- Forgetful
- Poor time perception and time management
- Mood swings and anxiety
Accommodation Strategies:
- Support groups
- Preferential seating
- More time for tasks/tests/assignments
- List making, filing system, color coding, day planners
- Establish routines
- Simplify instructions (specific and clear)
- Offer visual instructions when possible
- Tape-recorders
- Note-takers and tutors
- Assistive Technology
- Get enough sleep (establish a bedtime routine to help shift gears)
- Break large projects into small, manageable tasks
- Work in a quiet space, away from distractions
- Have movement breaks
Helpful Resources:
Auditory Processing Deficiency:
Auditory Processing Deficiency, also commonly referred to as CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder), affects how the brain processes and understands what the ear hears. It is important to note that CAPD can happen without any sort of hearing loss.
Noticeable Behaviors:
- Needs instructions repeated frequently
- Easily distracted and disturbed by background noise
- Often misunderstands oral directions
- May have problems with spelling and reading
- Interprets words too literally
- Has trouble distinguishing between similar sounds
Accommodation Strategies:
- Work in a quiet location, with minimal distractions
- Request written directions whenever possible
- Request copies of lecture notes/summaries
- Ask for directions to be given one at a time (clearly)
- Use tape recorders and take notes
- Speak slowly
- Tackle one task at a time
Helpful Resources:
Dyscalculia:
Dyscalculia is a disorder that affects an individual's mathematical ability. There is not a single form of the disorder; each individual struggles with different aspects of mathematics. People with dyscalculia are often quite good at language acquisition, sciences, visual memory, and communication.
Noticeable Behaviors:
- Good memory for printed words, but difficulty with sequences of numbers
- Difficulty with schedules and time
- Low mental-math ability
- Difficulty keeping score of games
- Struggle with sense of direction
- Struggle with computational aspects of math
Accommodation Strategies:
- Visualize information/draw pictures
- Read problems aloud
- Make sure to look at any visual information given (pictures, graphs, charts)
- Use rhythm and/or music to help memorize math facts
- Use graph paper to organize work
- Ask for uncluttered worksheets
Helpful Resources:
Dysgraphia:
Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder involving the writing process that often results in incorrect spelling and poor handwriting. This can occur after, but is not limited to, traumatic experiences. The primary cause of this disorder is currently not known.
Noticeable Behaviors:
- Illegible writing
- Mixture of writing types/styles (cursive and print, lower and upper case)
- Cramped grip
- Avoidance of written projects
- Slow and labored writing
- Difficulty with lines/margins/spacing
- Writing is inconstant with other language skills
Accommodation Strategies:
- Allow more time for writing assignments
- Dictate assignments/notes
- Make use of abbreviations
- Implement checklists of writing steps
- Reduce length of writing assignments
- Use word processing/computers
- Speech recognition software
Helpful Resources:
Dyslexia:
Dyslexia is a neurological language processing disorder, causing problems in reading, writing, and spelling. This disorder makes it difficult for individuals to express themselves and causes a struggle with processing any sort of verbal or written information.
Noticeable Behaviors:
- Avoidance of reading and writing
- Difficulty summarizing and outlining
- Often misreads information
- Often spells the same word differently in the same piece of writing
- Very competent in oral language
- Struggles with sequential information
Accommodation Strategies:
- Extra time to complete assignments
- Books on tape
- Assistive technology, i.e. voice recognition software
- Ask for things to be clearly written on the board, and left up as long as possible
- Get photocopies of lecture/presentation notes or outlines
- Practice reading different kinds of written work (newspapers, novels, comics)
Helpful Resources:
Dyspraxia:
Dyspraxia is a disorder affecting the development of motor skills. This often, but not always, co-exists with other learning disabilities. Individuals with dyspraxia may struggle with single-step and multi-step tasks, as well as coordinating speech muscles and establishing spatial relationships.
Noticeable Behaviors:
- Poor balance
- Poor hand-eye coordination
- Often bumps into things, stumbles, falls
- Difficulty with manipulative skills
- Unclear speech and/or repetition
- Difficulty with visual tracking
- Struggles with organizing/sequencing
- Easily distracted
- Struggles to understand non-verbal communication
- Poor sense of direction
Accommodation Strategies:
- Ask for clear, precise directions
- Finish one task before starting another
- Break projects into manageable tasks
- Use visual aids (charts/graphs/diagrams)
- Use calendars, post-it notes, lists, color-coordinating to keep organized
- Try to keep a daily routine
- Prioritize tasks
- Ask to get deadlines/due dates far in advance
- Take regular breaks
- Use tape recorders
- Implement grammar/spell check
- Speech Recognition software
Helpful Resources:
Non-Verbal Learning Disorder:
Non-Verbal Learning Disorder, referred to as NLD, is a neurological disorder in the right side of the brain. It greatly affects the perception of non-verbal information, resulting in difficulties with visual-spatial, communicative, and organizational information.
Noticeable Behaviors:
- Remarkable rote memory skills
- High verbal ability/vocabulary
- Strong auditory retention
- Difficulty with visual-spatial organization
- Inability to understand non-verbal communication
- Trouble distinguishing tone of voice, inferences, facial expressions
Accommodation Strategies:
- Avoid assignments involving copying text
- Simple layouts on assignments/test
- Use graph paper to organize work
- Limit quantity of writing
- Utilize predictability of routines
- Check for understanding
- Make directions/expectations clear and simple
- Verbally teach (talk self through tasks)
Helpful Resources:
Visual Processing Disorder:
Visual Processing Disorders affect the way in which the brain processes what the eyes see. These are not necessarily connected with any sort of visual impairment or sight loss. There are several types of visual processing disorders: Visual Discrimination, Auditory Figure-Ground Discrimination, Visual Sequencing, Visual Motor Processing, Visual Memory, Visual Closure, Spatial Relationships. Please make sure that accommodation strategies match the type of visual processing disorder. For more specific information see the resources below.
Noticeable Behaviors:
- Confusing written symbols
- Difficulty organizing things on a page (math problems, writing)
- Easily distracted
- Difficulty copying from board or books
- Difficulty judging distances
- Struggles with fine motor activities
- Has trouble organizing information from several sources into one document
- Has trouble finding specific information on a page
- Difficulty remembering directions
- Difficulty staying in the right place while reading
Accommodation Strategies:
- Clearly space words/problems on a page
- Color code written instructions
- Use an index card or ruler while reading
- Use computer and/or tape recorder
- Ask to give oral reports instead of written ones
- Ask for oral instructions along with written
- Ask for clearly written handouts
- Practice creating maps and estimating distances
- Use enlarged print (or a larger font) when possible
- Make lines darker for clear distinction
- Simplify worksheets
