SSRCE LD SERVICES
EVERYBODY LEARNS DIFFERENTLY
Welcome to LD Services
The South Shore Regional Centre for Education's mission is to provide our students with a learning environment that engages and inspires them to reach their full potential.
Belief Statements:
Our primary focus is student learning and achievement
All students have the ability to learn and become contributing members of society
Students learn at their own pace and in different ways
We are committed to the development of the whole student in an equitable and inclusive environment
School communities must be safe, supportive and socially just, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect
Education is a partnership among home, school, and community and dialogue strengthens this partnership
We value diversity and the opportunity for our students to be enriched by diverse cultures and abilities
Evidence-based decision making and accountability are important
What do we do?
Help students understand their Specific Learning Disorder/Learning Disability.
Building capacity with SSRCE staff on proactively designing learning activities for diversity using the Universal Design for Learning Framework
Compensatory Strategies for accessing and engaging in learning (for example accessible technologies for reading and writing, Text to Speech, Speech to Text, other AT programs like R&W4G, CoWriter, Orbitnote)
Transition supports between school transitions and graduating from High School to post secondary and/or the workplace
Supports to access post secondary funding including Canada Student Loans, Canada Student Grants for Persons with Disabilities (CSG-PD), Canada Services and Equipment Grant, scholarships and bursaries
Support Teachers to develop Accessible Educational Materials (AEMs)
Support students and school teams on effective use and application of accessible (Tier 1) technology
Our services align with the education standards under the Accessibility Act of Nova Scotia (Draft Recommendation phase 2)
“Essential for some, good for all”
Using DSM-5-TR criteria to diagnose “Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)”
DSM-5-TR criteria does not require that a student have “average intelligence” to receive an SLD diagnosis. In other words, students who have “below average intelligence” may still receive an SLD diagnosis.
A Psych Ed should only be considered when programming and interventions are unclear for a student and the student continues to struggle, despite having supports and adaptations in place. The purpose of the Psych Ed is to provide the school team with more information to direct programming. Proactive design of strong, universal Tier 1 instruction is the best way to diversify, remove barriers to learning, and include all students in the learning
What is a Specific Learning Disorder?
Characterized by a persistent impairment in at least one of three major areas: reading, written expression, and/or math. More specifically:
Difficulties in at least one of the following areas for at least six months, despite targeted help:
Inaccurate or slow and effortful word reading
Difficulty understanding the meaning of what is read
Spelling
Written Expression (grammar and punctuation accuracy, clarity or organization)
Number sense, number facts, or calculation
Mathematical reasoning
*Note that ‘average to above average thinking and/or reasoning abilities’ are not required for this diagnosis.
What is a Learning Disability?
Refers to a number of disorders which may interfere with the acquisition and use of one or more of the following:
Oral language (e.g. listening, speaking, understanding);
Reading (e.g. decoding, phonetic knowledge, word recognition, comprehension);
Written language (e.g. spelling and written expression); and
Mathematics (e.g. computation, problem solving)
Learning disabilities result from impairments in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These disorders affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate average to above average thinking and/or reasoning abilities.
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." - Albert Einstein
