Name: Lissy Allegrotti
EDU-645 LEARNING DISABILITIES I FINAL EXAM
Take-home. Open book. You may use handouts, books, articles, class notes and your own
knowledge. Work individually. Honor system. DUE DECEMBER 13. NO EXTENSIONS.
I. Complete the following statements and/or fill in the blanks.
1. In 1977, the US Office of Special Education defined a learning disability as “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, or emotional disturbance, or of
environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.”
2. This definition was used as a part of Public Law: 94-142.
3. The 1981 National Joint Council on Learning Disabilities defined a learning disability as a:
“generic term that refers to a heterogenous group of disorders manifested by significant
difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or
mathematical abilities. These disorders are intrinsic to the individual and presumed to be due to
central nervous system dysfunction. Even though a learning disability may occur concomitantly
with other handicapping conditions (e.g., sensory impairment, mental retardation, social and
emotional disturbance), or environmental influences (e.g., cultural differences,
insufficient/inappropriate instruction, psychogenic factors), it is not the direct result of those
conditions or influences”
4. The important distinction between the two is that the 1981 definition: adds to the 1977
definition. The additions are: learning disabilities are biological and related to central nervous
system problems, people with learning disabilities may exist with other disabilities, and learning
disabilities are “intrinsic to the individual” and not based on external factors.
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5. At its root, a learning disability is a neurological condition.
6. Dyslexia is a learning disability that can be manifested through difficulties with language that
impact a student’s ability to oral and written language as well as decoding skills.
7. The most common type of learning disability is called Dyslexia.
8. Difficulty with mathematics is called Dyscalculia.
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9. We can conceptualize a learning disability as a problem with (1) input disability,
(2)integration disability, (3) memory disability, and (4) output disability.
10. Name the three subcategories of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:
(1) Inattentive
(2) Impulsive
(3) Combination of inattentive and impulsive
11. What lobe of the brain plays a key role in attention, concentration, planning and memory, etc.
Frontal Lobe_______.
12. It is not true that a person with ADHD cannot pay attention to anything, but rather that they
struggle with staying on task and/ or difficulty in concentration.
13. Children with LD also have ADHD at a rate of 25-40%.
14. Occupational Therapy is a field that addresses a students’ motor development.
15. A student who does not like to be touched unexpectedly or is particularly sensitive to tactile
input is said to have tactile defensiveness.
16. Sensory integration is “ a person’s ability to take in information through the senses, organize
it in the brain, and use it to adapt successfully to the world.”
17. The proprioceptive system is the sensory system that provides information about muscles and
joints and where each part of the body is at a given time.
18. The vestibular system has receptors located in the inner ear and helps to monitor balance.
19. Awareness of one’s body in space is known as kinesthesia.
20. The sense of touch is monitored by the sensory system.
21. Dyspraxia is a difficulty with motor planning.
22. We can subdivide the concept of motor planning into sequence and coordination of
movements.
23. The awareness of both sides of one’s body is called laterality
We often see children who have trouble crossing the midline when he/she has a weak sensory
system and is struggling with laterality.
24. Auditory perception is defined as: “the ability to comprehend and associate meaning with
sounds, encompasses auditory discrimination and memory”.
25. Visual perception is defined as “the identification, organization and interpretation of sensory
data received through the eyes”
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26. Auditory discrimination is defined as “the ability to perceive or discriminate the differences
between sounds and the sequence of sounds”
27. Visual discrimination is defined as “the ability to note the visual differences or similarities
between objects, including letters, and words.”
28. Metacognition is defined as “the learner’s ability to know how to think about his thinking
and to evaluate his learning”
29. The tendency to have sudden mood swings and/or changes in behavior related to difficulties
with inhibition is known as EBD.
30. The ability to see or hear a “part” from its background is called figure-ground perception.
31. Speaking involves expressive language and listening involves receptive language.
33. A learning disability that manifests as difficulties in perceptual, mathematical and visualspatial areas and is more related to social functioning is called Nonverbal LD
40. What is VAKT? _Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic and Tactile___
Why is it a good tool for teaching the student with learning disabilities? This approach is helpful
to a student with LD because students with LD typically have a deficit in one or more of these
areas. However, if a something is taught with a multisensory approach students are able to grasp
the concept through a variety of mediums instead of just one.
41. What is form constancy? Ability to recognize shapes and forms no matter what their
positioning.
42. What is does the LD characteristic of perseverating mean? It means to be “stuck on a thought
or behavior or approach to a task.”
43. Name the four main lobes of the brain: frontal¸ parietal, temporal, and occipital
(one lobe each for # 44-47)
44. The __frontal____ lobe is responsible for reasoning, planning, emotions, parts of speech and
movement, and problem solving.
45. The __parietal____ lobe is responsible for touch, pressure, temperature, pain, and body
sense.
46. The __temporal___ lobe is responsible for hearing, memory, attention, personality, and
vision.
47. The occipital lobe is responsible for vision and visual perception.
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48. Broca’s area is located __in the frontal lobe_ and is responsible for speech.
49. Wernicke’s area is located _temporal lobe___ and is responsible for comprehension
language.
50. The Angular gyrus is responsible for complex language functions and is located parietal lobe.
51. The visual word form area is located in the occipital lobe.
52. In individuals with dyslexia, we know that the front of the brain phoneme producer region of
the brain is typically over-used instead of using many areas of the brain in concert to read.
53. Sally Smith referred time and space as the two hidden dimensions of a learning disability.
54. Processing in general is understood as activities needed to take in information.
55. Auditory processing can be subdivided into (1) auditory which refers to the ability a person
can hear sounds through their ear and into (2) processing which entails taking in and organizing
information.
56. Speech enters the frontal lobe through an area called Broca’s area.
57. Auditory and visual closure refer to the ability to recognize an object with a piece or part of it
missing.
61. Tourette’s Syndrome is involuntary motor or verbal tics/ impulses.
62. Name three anxiety disorders that can often accompany (be co-morbid) with a learning
disability (1) social anxiety (2) obsessive compulsive disorder, and (3) panic attacks
64. For a student with learning disabilities, the locus of control is usually external.
65. A development or behavioral optometrist would be seen for vision problems
but an ophthalmologist would be seen for eye surgery .
66. Eye convergence is necessary in order to be able to read because eyes must turn inward
together to be able to focus, if they cannot you cannot read because you are unable to focus on
the words in front of you.
67. Visual memory refers to remembering visual stimuli.
68. Auditory memory refers to remembering auditory stimuli.
69. Tactile- kinesthetic memory refers to remembering tactile-kinesthetic stimuli.
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70. The memory process begins with input stimuli.
71. From its first “stop,” memory goes to a “place” known as sensory register.
72. From this “second stop,” memory goes to short term memory or is working memory through
a filtering mechanism.
73. Next, the memory goes to long term memory, which is also known as episodic and semantic
memory.
74. The specific roles of active working memory are to actively receive information then use it to
process that information immediately, and act on it, whether it is to take away from something,
act on it or build upon it.
75. The brain looks for meaning in the input it receives.
76. The role of emotions for memory is helps provide meaning and the emotion adds details to
time the memory was inputted
77. The job of long term memory is to store memories for a long time (permanently)
78. The two pathways for memory are short term and working memory.
79. Episodic memory refers to visual and other sensory images to an event.
80. Semantic memory refers to general knowledge, language, concepts and generalizations.
81. Procedural memory refers to the sequence in which one remembers how to do things
82. Priming is early exposure to something and later recognizing and understanding it faster the
second time. This can work positively if the student is properly takes in the exposure or is can
work negatively and a student can mis-interpret something because of that priming .
83. Classical or conditioned memory refers to if a subject if given a positive reinforcement over
and over again some autonomic functions can occur and behavior can change because of this.
Just like Pavlov’s dogs. The bell signaled the dogs that it was time to eat and they were fed.
Later the dogs would salivate when the bell rang even if there was no food being given.
84. Information is stored in our brain in our memory.
85. The act of retrieval involves activating long term memory in order to pull something from
our episodic or semantic memory.
86. Associative retrieval is words or things that are similar to the thing your brain might be
searching for.
87. Strategic retrieval is a strategy that people use who are suffering memory loss.
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_______________________________________________________________________.
90. IDEA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
96. The old model for identifying a student for special education is the IQ-Achievement
Discrepancy Model.
97. This model required a difference in a students’ general intelligence test (ie. WISC-IV) and
achievement test (ie. Woodstock Johnson Achievement Test).
98. The first form of an intelligence test was created by Alfred Binet in order to better
understand if a person actually had a disability or if their deficit was because they hadn’t had
very many experiences.
99. The new model that has been used by some states to identify a student with a learning
disability is referred to as Response to Intervention, or known by its acronym RTI.
100. This model proposes students receive interventions when the academic difficulties are first
noticed, then once evidence based interventions are received the students difficulties are reevaluated. If the student makes enough growth they will either remain with their interventions or
move back to the general education program. If not they will move up a tier and/ or begin the
evaluation process.
II. Essays. Please type your answers on a separate page. Please be sure to retype the
questions with your answer. Staple your answer pages to your final when you turn it in.
(No more than one page, single spaced per answer.)
II. Essays. Please type your answers on a separate page. Please be sure to retype the questions
with your answer. Staple your answer pages to your final when you turn it in.
(No more than one page, single spaced per answer.)
1. How would you professionally describe to a parent who has been told that her 7-year-old son
has a LD and has no knowledge of LD: 1) what a learning disability is and its common
characteristics; 2) how it differs from intellectual disability (ID); and 3) what types of placements
and services she should consider for her son?
1) What a learning disability is and its common characteristics?
A learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects the way your son’s brain gets,
delivers, puts together and stores information. So when your son is receiving information taught
by myself, he may not understand it the way it has been taught because of the method
I am teaching or the way his brain is organizing it. This learning disability can affect your son in
a variety of subject areas like: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and math. It is important that
we figure out the specifics of your son’s LD so that we can work together to address his needs
and fill any deficits he may have as a result of his LD.
2) How does it differ from an intellectual disability?
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A learning disability differs from an intellectual disability in that your son is of typical academic
performance. However, there are deficits in his ability to acquire knowledge at the same rate as
his peers. He is capable of doing all that I am asking academically; he just needs some supports
and strategies put in place to help him remain at a similar level as his peers.
So as I said before, we will work together to put in a place a plan that will meet his needs so his
learning disability does not interfere with his academic performance.
3) What types of placements and services should she consider for her son?
Some types of services and placements we should consider are making sure we follow the
recommendations that go along with your son’s diagnosis. Some of the recommendations are
small group work 2-3 times a week with our early intervention specialist. Our early intervention
specialist will also be pushing into the classroom 1-2 times a week to support your son during
whole group and independent work time. I would also like to suggest talking
to our school social worker about supports at school and outside of school that could help your
son with his self-esteem as students with LD sometimes suffer from self-esteem issues.
2. What are we learning today from the latest brain research that applies to our work in the
teaching students with learning disabilities?
We are learning a lot from the latest brain research in teaching students with learning disabilities.
Knowing and using the latest brain research can help us better diagnose what is happening when
a student has a deficit in their learning. Understanding what other parts of the brain can be used
to support that deficit is important, as well. Knowing more about the brain and the latest research
is helpful in recognizing that these learning disabilities are not because of “laziness, lack of
trying, etc.” Often they are a neurological problem that can be proven through a brain scan. This
is also helpful because it allows us know more about what the brain does. For example, if a
group of people are diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder and they all have similar
findings in their brain scan, it gives a little bit more insight into that part of the brain and what it
does.
3. Describe how LD, ADHD, and EBD are typically comorbid and include detailed discussion
of how you would address each of these challenges for a particular student in the classroom
environment.
The comorbidity between: LD, ADHD and EBD is fairly common and it is often hard
to tell which disability came first but ultimately it doesn’t really matter because as a teacher,
one must address it all. Each disability must be addressed through a variety of processes that are
likely to intertwine. There must be a formal plan like an IEP and BIP to manage the LD, ADHD
and EBD. For pull out lessons they should help the learning disability deficits and one must
implement activities that are fun and engaging to help better manage the ADHD while learning
at the same time. Part of the BIP should be a well thought out behavior plan that addresses
antecedents to extreme behavior, reward system for self-monitoring and calm behavior, and
clear consequences for extreme behavior. These plans in place along with a similar classroom
plan that has the student being a helper for movement breaks, getting extra teacher support for
certain tasks and follows the BIP the student’s challenges, are likely to be addressed and better
managed.
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4. Think of the books that you have read for your journals and consider a theme related to
learning disabilities that you see expressed in both books. Explain this theme and its relationship
to the field of learning disabilities
The books I chose for my reading journals were Managing Meltdowns and ADHD & Me.
Both books were helpful to me as teacher and helped improve my relationships and management
of some of my most challenging students. Managing Meltdowns taught me that there is usually a
sign or signal of some sort to the meltdown and once you figure it out you can better manage the
meltdown. In ADHD & Me I learned that there are things you can do to be supportive and
understanding of ADHD and there are limits and boundaries that need to be set as well.
A theme I noticed in both of the books I read, Managing Meltdowns and ADHD& Me, is that
having a learning disability is hard but with thoughtfulness, a plan and support, a learning
disability can be managed in a very successful way. Managing Meltdowns and ADHD& Me
were written in a similar style in that both were written with a small vignette to present a
problem a student might have but at the end of each vignette there was a solution to each
problem that was presented. Solutions often had to do with knowing the trigger(s) to a problem
which is helpful in preventing that problem. Having a plan in place to prevent a problem and
manage a disability from happening is also a common theme. Many challenges presented by both
authors were often met with for next time and in the future I will do this to prevent this from
happening. Meaning, often times there had to be mistakes or missteps in order to know and
understand what exactly is required to manage the disability. The idea of “mistakes are going to
be made” is helpful to a person who doesn’t have disabilities and is working on managing them
within a classroom. Mistakes are going to be made in my interactions with my students but I
must have a plan in place for next time so that it doesn’t happen and the information that I learn
should be passed on for the following year to their next teacher. Reading both of these books
really shaped the way I view my kids with meltdowns and with ADHD and it has definitely
improved my management in both areas.
References
1. Baker, J. (2008). No More Meltdowns: Positive strategies for managing and preventing
out-of-control behavior. Arlington, TX: Future Horizons.
2. Lerner, J. & Johns, B. (2009). Learning Disabilities and Related Mild Disabilities:
Characteristics, Teaching Strategies, and New Directions (11th Ed.). Boston: Houghton
Mifflin.
3. Anderson, A. (2012). LD Characteristics [classroom handout]. LD I, American
University, Washington, DC.
4. Anderson, A. (2012). Definitions and terminology related to learning disabilities and
instruction [classroom handout]. LD I, American University. Washington, DC.
5. Definitions and terminology related to learning disabilities and instruction handout
6. Smith, S. (2012). Stock Phrases from Lab, Academic Club Method, Oral Directions, the
teacher at Work [classroom handout]. LD I, American University. Washington, DC.
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7. Taylor, B. (2007) ADHD and me: What I learned from lighting fires at the dinner table. New
Harbinger
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