Learning Disability
You’ll find helpful information below for several of the specific disorders categorized generally under Learning Disability.
Learning Disability
Learning Disability Basics
Learning Disability can be very broadly defined as an unexpected difficulty in learning. Learning disabilities can be either general (more than one area of difficulty) or very specific (difficulties with decoding but good sight word reading). Having a diagnosis of a learning disability does not necessarily mean a child also meets the criteria for the educational classification of a learning disability to receive special education supports.
A very useful but somewhat dense resource on reading disabilities is “Overcoming Dyslexia: A New Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level” by Sally Shaywitz (2004) Alfred A. Knopf.
How Can We Help Kids With Non-Verbal Learning Disorder?
Kids who have non-verbal learning disorder have a wide variety of learning challenges. All of them involve trouble recognizing patterns, but there are many different kinds of patterns they may have trouble with visual patterns, social patterns, abstract reasoning, math concepts, and organizational skills.
NY State Guidance on Students with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia
From NY State “The purpose of this communication is to inform schools of the release of guidance developed by the Office of Special Education, in consultation with stakeholders, on the educational needs of students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia consistent with Chapter 216 of the Laws of 2017, signed into law earlier this week. This guidance is posted on the Office of Special Education’s webpage and attached.”
Click this link to read the Guidance.
Click this link to read an information flyer and Questions and Answers Document on this topic.
Click this link to read about Meeting the Needs of Students with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, or Dyscalcilia.
Click this link to go to the NYS Department of Education webpage.
What is Dyscalculia?
NICHCY Learning Disabilities Fact Sheet
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) Learning Disabilities Fact Sheet.
Click this link to read go the NICHY page.
Click this link to download a pdf of the Fact Sheet.
What is a Nonverbal Learning Disability
“The term Nonverbal Learning Disorders (or NLD) refers to a neurological syndrome believed to result from damage to the white matter connections in the right hemisphere of the brain, which are important for intermodal integration. Three major categories of dysfunction present themselves: (1) motoric (lack of coordination, severe balance problems, and difficulties with fine graphomotor skills); (2) visual-spatial-organizational (lack of image, poor visual recall, faulty spatial perceptions, and difficulties with spatial relations); and (3) social (lack of ability to comprehend nonverbal communications, difficulties adjusting to transitions and novel situations, and deficits in social judgment and social interaction).
Individuals with NLD generally have exceptional verbal skills, do well in school subjects requiring decoding (the word recognition aspect of reading) and encoding (spelling) written language, have excellent auditory attention and memory, and learn primarily through verbal mediation.”
NY Times - Kids aren't learning to read. This Mom has a surprising solution
Excellent series on Dyslexia, reading instruction, school districts and politics
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