Learning Disabilities - Organizational Skills

Learning Disabilities – Organizational Skills
The definition of a learning disability, according to Congress, “Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia. The term does not include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.”
A learning disability is a condition that causes significant learning problems, most often related to reading and writing. It is a disability of unexpected underachievement that is typically resistant to treatment. Learning disabilities often begin with a language problem at a young age and soon evolve into a reading disability.
Each learning disability is different; therefore, it has different effects on the person who has it. If learning disabilities are not attended to at an early age there can be serious effects to the person. All children with learning disabilities learn differently in school. Some children, with more severe disabilities, require support and assistance throughout their years in school. Learning disabilities may lead to various characteristics that are: academic, social, behavioral, or all three. Some examples of academic characteristics are unexpected underachievement, inability to solve problems, uneven academic abilities, inactive learning style, poor basic language skills, poor basic reading and decoding skills, inefficient information processing abilities, and inability to generalize. Some examples of social characteristics are: immature, socially unacceptable, misinterprets social and nonverbal cues, makes poor decisions, victimized, unable to predict social consequences, unable to follow social conventions (manners), rejected, naïve, shy, withdrawn, insecure, and dependent. Lastly, here are some examples of behavioral characteristics: inattentive, distractible, hyperactive, impulsive, poorly coordinated, disorganized, unmotivated, and dependent.
If I were a teacher in a general education classroom I would need to know different information and strategies to help me better support a child with a learning disability. Good teaching can prevent students from failing and help them overcome their learning disability. Educators should teach organizational skills to help students overcome or reduce their learning disability. Teachers should target the right skills, set goals and expectations high, use validated instructional procedures, and support students as much as possible. Doing these simple things can make a difference in the student’s education. Educators should also begin teaching the foundations of reading, sound-symbol awareness; phonological awareness; letter fluency; and phonics for example, during preschool years. This can easily decrease a child’s learning disability before it becomes severe. Early intervention is extremely important. The preschool years are very important because this is when the foundation for learning is set. During their preschool years, children begin learning to develop basic skills naturally. However, some children need help, so it is important that an educator is actively involved.
As a teacher, a variety of resources can be used to help serve a child with a learning disability. Organization is extremely important during school because without it, students can easily get lost in information from every subject. If educators teach students simple tools and tricks, they will develop better organizational skills and learn better. One tool that can be used is an advance organizer. An Advance organizer is a tactic that previews lectures and provides organizing structures to acquaint students with the content, its organization, and its importance before the lesson. The organizer explains why the information is important and what features of the content should be focused on. Another tool that can be used is a mnemonic. A mnemonic is a learning strategy that promotes remembering information by associating the first letters of items in a list with a word, sentence, or picture. These word tricks are great when learning vocabulary, studying complex information, and preparing for tests. Different forms of technology can also help students with learning disabilities in the classroom. For example, technology can enhance a student’s strengths, compensate for the effects of their disability, and provide alternate modes of performing tasks.
There are also other learning skills can also help students with learning disabilities. Classifying helps with categorizing and grouping items that have common characteristics. Chunking is organizing information by groups or topics. Associating is seeing the relationships among different concepts. Sequencing is putting items, facts, or ideas in order along various dimensions. All of these thinking skills help students organize their thoughts, ideas, and information. Doing so can help them in the end with school and in life. If simple organizational skills are taught in the classroom, it will be easier for students to learn. Mnemonics, advance organizers, different learning skills can help students with learning disabilities overcome or reduce their disability.