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HOW DO WE IDENTIFY THE STUDENT AND THE IMPAIRMENT?
On all Aoraki Polytechnic sites, it is NOT the role of tutorial and support staff to identify the learning disability. However, the awareness of general factors that may indicate a student has a specific learning disability can be useful.
FACTORS
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Marked difference between oral and written skills
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Marked difference between their level of achievement and their apparent intellectual aptitude
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While seeming to read material with ease, comprehension is difficult.
Tutors are encouraged not to “label” a student when these factors are present. Students present at differing stages in their lives, come from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds and may have a significant other health issues that impact on their learning abilities.
Some students may believe themselves to be responsible for the learning difficulties, through messages from teachers and parents about attitude, energy, or motivation. There may be cultural or language differences, that are not part of a learning disability.
IDENTIFIED CHARACTERISTICS
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There may be difficulty in modifying reading rate in relation to the level of difficulty of the material.
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Uneven comprehension and retention of material read.
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Skips words or whole lines of printed material.
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Difficulties with phonics, confusion with similar words, learning and integrating new vocabulary
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Difficulty reading for long periods of time.
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Difficulty identifying significant points and themes.
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Reading rate is slow
Written Language Skills
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Difficulty with sentence structure (e.g., incomplete sentences, run-ons, poor use of grammar etc.)
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Difficulty planning a topic and organising thoughts on paper.
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Frequent spelling errors with words left out, word place transposed
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Compositions are often limited in length, insufficient data or information
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Slow written production.
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Inability to copy correctly from a book or the blackboard.
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Often difficulty effectively proofreading written work and making revisions.
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Poorly formed letters, incorrect use of capitals, trouble with spacing, overly large handwriting, lack of punctuation.
Oral Language Skills
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Inability to concentrate on and to comprehend spoken language when presented rapidly.
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Trouble telling a story in the proper sequence.
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Difficulty in orally expressing concepts that they seem to understand.
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Grammatically correct English is sometimes difficult.
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Difficulty following or having a conversation about an unfamiliar idea.
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Difficulty following oral or written directions.
Mathematical Skills
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Incomplete mastery of basic facts (e.g. mathematical tables).
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Reverses number (e.g. 123 to 321 or 231).
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Confuses operational symbols, especially + and x.
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Copies problems incorrectly from one line to another.
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Difficulty recalling the sequence of operational concepts.
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Difficulty comprehending word problems.
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Difficulty understanding concepts & applications to aid problem solving.
Organizational and Study Skills
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Difficulty with organization skills & time management.
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Slow to start and to complete tasks.
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Unable to recall what has been taught on a day to day basis.
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Lack of overall organization in taking notes & problems with charts & graphs.
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Inefficient use of library and reference materials.
Attention and Concentration
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Trouble focusing and sustaining attention on academic tasks.
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Fluctuating attention span during lectures.
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Easily distractible by outside stimuli.
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Difficulty juggling multiple task demands and overloads quickly.
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Hyperactivity and excessive movements may accompany the inability to focus attention.
STRATEGIES and RESOURCES
If the student has received an assessment, follow the guidelines in the assessment.
Human resources may include a note taker, a reader/writer for assessments, a transcriber for class notes on tape and a peer tutor.
Equipment may include use of a Dictaphone in tutorials, amended page layout for some text, CD Rom of text for use with screen readers, use of Read & Write Gold.
Any or all of this support can be offered to the student once the student chooses to have an assessment from an educational psychologist.
In the interim, peer tutor and note takers can be used. Head of Faculty permission is required for an Alternative Assessment. (See HOF or Access Aoraki Coordinator.)
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