Specific Learning Disabilities

Overview 

• A disorder in psychological processes involved in understanding or using language which may be manifested in problems with listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, or doing mathematical calculations.

• Includes: perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, developmental aphasia

• Excludes: problems primarily due to hearing, visual, or motor disabilities; mental retardation, emotional disturbance; or economic, cultural, or environmental disadvantage

PREVELENCE

Prevalence rates of SLD continued to drop since 2009 and are between the second- to fourth-lowest in the nation, including Puerto Rico and American Samoa. In 2017-2018 approximately 32,332 students were identified as SLD.

• The majority of students identified as SLD are served in the regular classroom with special education supports.

• The majority of students with an identified SLD take the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment.

  •  Reading proficiency rates for students with SLD have been hovering around 10-11 percent.

    • 12 percent of students identified SLD increased in level of proficiency between third and eighth grade.

    • 39 percent of students identified SLD decreased in level of proficiency between third and eighth grade.

    • 49 percent of students maintained their same proficiency designation between third and eighth grade.

  • Math proficiency rates for students with SLD have been hovering around 13-14 percent.

    • 15 percent of students identified SLD increased proficiency between third and eighth grade.

    • 38 percent of students identified SLD decreased in level of proficiency between third and eighth grade.

    • 47 percent of students maintained their same proficiency designation between third and eighth grade

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Language Processing 

  • Dyslexia

  • Apraxia

• Written Language (Dysgraphia)

  • Spelling, handwriting, composition

• Spoken Language

  • Syntax (grammar)

  • Semantics (word meaning)

  • Pragmatics (social use of language)

• Math

  • Dyscalculia

• Perceptual, perceptual-motor, and general coordination

• Disorders of attention and hyperactivity

• Memory

  • Short-term and working memory

  • Retrieval of information from long-term memory

• Metacognition and self-regulation

  • Recognize task requirements

  • Select and use appropriate strategies

  • Monitor and adjust performance (comprehension monitoring)

• Social-emotional problems (nonverbal LDs)

• Motivational problems

  • Locus of control

  • Learned helplessness

• Inactive learner with strategy deficits

TYPES OF Dysgraphia

• Dyslexic Dysgraphia

• Motor Dysgraphia

• Spatial Dysgraphia

Symptoms-Dysgraphia

• Inconsistencies in letter formation (mixture of upper and lower case/print or cursive)

• Unfinished words or letters

• Generally illegible writing despite time given to task

• Talking to self while writing

• Watching hand while writing

• Inconsistent position on page with respect to margins and lines

• Slow copying or writing

• Omitted words in writing

• Inconsistent spaces between letters and words

• Struggle to use writing as a communication tool

• Cramped or unusual grip on pencil

• Unusual body, wrist, or paper position

Symptoms of Dyslexia

Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent recognition of words and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. (MDE) 

Symptoms-Dyscalculia

• Inconsistent results with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division

• Inability to remember mathematical formulas, rules, or concepts

• Difficulty with abstract concepts of time and direction

• Consistent errors when recalling numbers, including transpositions, omissions, and reversals

• Difficulty remembering how to keep score during games

Types of Dyscalculia

• Number concept difficult (small numbers and quantity)

• Counting skills deficits

• Difficulties with arithmetic skills

  • Procedural

  • Memory

  • Visual-Spatial

Synesthesia 

 a phenomenon that causes sensory crossovers, such as tasting colors or feeling sounds. Some people describe it as having “wires crossed” in their brain because it activates two or more senses when there’s only a reason for one sense to activate. 

• Auditory-tactile synesthesia.

• Day-color synesthesia.

• Grapheme-color synesthesia.

• Hearing-motion synesthesia.

• Mirror-touch synesthesia.

• Time-space synesthesia.

• Visualized sensations.

MN Eligibility

Support Tool: Organization and Study Skills Tools