LEARNING DISABILITY
STUDENTS
DEFINITION AND CRITERIA FOR
EVALUATION
All institutions of the University System shall employ the same
definition of learning disabilities in order to promote evenness in the way
that students with learning disabilities are accommodated.
A definition that was originally published by the
Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities (1987) has been adopted as being
in keeping with current practices of most state and federal guidelines. The following definition shall serve as the
basis for a diagnosis in the University System.
Learning disabilities is a generic term that refers to a heterogeneous
group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition
and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical
abilities, or of social skills. 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 emotion
disturbance), with socio-environmental influences (e.g., cultural differences,
insufficient or inappropriate instruction, psychogenic factors), and especially
with attention deficit disorder, all of which may cause learning problems, a
learning disability is not the direct result of those conditions or
influences. (Interagency
Committee on Learning Disabilities [1987]).
Board of Regents criteria require that a diagnosis of specific learning disability be stated within the documentation submitted. The student must exhibit average intellectual ability; academic deficit(s) in one or more, but not all, areas of academic achievement; and a correlated cognitive or information processing deficit. There must be documentation of both an academic deficit and a correlated processing deficit. Documentation of only academic deficit(s) or only processing deficit(s) is not sufficient. There must also be evidence of processing strengths identified in one or more cognitive processing domains. Social-emotional status must also be assessed and discussed. The evaluation must be signed by a professional with expertise in evaluating adolescent and/or adult populations and appropriately licensed by the state.
Average intellectual abilities will be defined as the student’s best verbal/nonverbal or best fluid/crystallized domain score on a standardized global measure of intelligence. A standard score of 90 or above will be considered in the average range.
To be considered an area of academic deficit, a student’s individually administered standardized achievement test results must fall at least a standard deviation below the student’s intellectual abilities, or a standard deviation below the student’s other academic abilities as assessed by the same measures.
Cognitive processing deficit(s) must be identified on measures other than those used to obtain the global IQ score. The processing deficit must represent a logical basis for the academic deficit. For example, one would not expect a specific fine motor deficit to be directly linked to a reading disability. There must also be evidence of processing strengths identified in one or more cognitive processing domains. Processing deficits and strengths must be evident on multiple measure and not based on a single discrepant score on an individual test or subtest.
The following cognitive or processing domains are
typically identified as areas of specific deficits in such students:
Language ‑ including auditory discrimination or processing, phonological
awareness, comprehension, expression, naming, or related linguistic functions
Visual‑Spatial ‑ including analysis and synthesis of
spatial information, visual perception/processing
Memory ‑ including auditory, visual, verbal, or spatial modalities.
Deficits may appear in either short‑term,
sequential, working or long‑term memory functions
Fine motor/dexterity skills
Executive Functions ‑ including concept formation,
problem solving, processing speed, mental flexibility, and
organizational/planning abilities
Attention ‑ including the ability to focus on relevant information to the
exclusion of irrelevant information, ability to switch attention and maintain
attention
UNIVERSITY BOARD OF REGENTS’ POLICY
The University System Board of Regents has established policies in regards
to students with disabilities in specific circumstances. The sections covered in The University System
of Georgia Academic Affairs Handbook (www.usg.edu/academics/handbook)
are as follows:
• Section 2.08.02 Administrative Procedures/Regent's
Test
• Section 2.09.02 Administrative Procedures/Learning
Support
• Section 2.22.01 Definition and Accommodation of Learning Disabilities www.usg.edu/academics/handbook/section2/2.22/2.22.01.phtml
If students require modifications other than those specified in The
University System of Georgia Academic Affairs Handbook, section 2.08.02, prior approval by
the
substitution
of the CPC foreign language requirement,
additional
semesters in Learning Support
Regents’
Test, Collegiate Placement Exam (CPE) or COMPASS
modifications other than those specified by current policy or procedure
The definition of disability in the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) draws substantially from existing
legislation, namely Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended,
and the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988.
The
“Major life activities” is defined as an
individual being limited in his or her ability to perform such functions as
self-care, performing manual tests, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking,
breathing, learning or working.
Those diseases, conditions or infections
that would constitute physical or mental impairments include (but are not
limited to):
orthopedic cancer heart disease
speech diabetes hearing
spinal bifida psychiatric
illness HIV
cerebral palsy renal
failure epilepsy
learning disabilities muscular
dystrophy traumatic brain injury
multiple sclerosis spinal
cord injury visual
Also protected are individuals with
stigmatic conditions such as severe burn victims, who may be “regarded by
others as having an impairment.”
The Director of Student Development
coordinates services offered to students with physical disabilities. The services are provided
based on individual needs of the student.
Determination of appropriate accommodations is based
on assessment and documentation.
In order for services to be
provided, the student must self-identify with the appropriate campus
service provider. For learning
disabilities, contact Ms. Cheryl Biggs or Ms. Rita Wade of Student Support
Services. For students diagnosed with
psychiatric or physical disabilities, contact Dr. Maggie Martin, Director of
Student Development. Appropriate
documentation must be provided that indicates the
nature of the accommodation needed or that provides information adequate to
determine a reasonable accommodation.
Services offered (based on individual need) include but are not limited to:
• Registration
assistance (early registration)
• Orientation
(extra help during)
• Assistance
in purchasing books
• Detailed
map of the campus (with information for the mobility impaired)
• Institutional
standardized test modifications (Compass and Regents’ Exam)
• Classroom
testing notifications, including:
extended time on exams
administration in a quiet, alternative location
modification of test format
transcription or reader services
•
Readers
• Use
of dictionaries, electronic dictionaries, spellcheckers, word processors, or
scratch paper for copying essays
• Note
takers
• Assistance
with ordering texts from the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic
• Interpreters
• Copying
services
• Assistive
listening devices
• Use
of a tape recorder in class
• Rearrangement
of classes to an accessible classroom
• Faculty
liaison
• Student
Advocacy letters
• Library
assistance
• Information
and referral services to both supports and community agencies
• Liaison
between the student and community contacts such as Vocational Rehabilitation,
physicians, psychologists, etc., as needed
• Tutors
• Use
of calculators in Math
•
Students needing interpreter services must
make a request at least three weeks in advance of the needed time. A student must also give at least a 24 hour notice to cancel an interpreter. If notice is not received,
the student will be charged for the interpreter’s time. Emergency situations
will be considered on a case by case basis.
Advanced registration for students with
visual impairments and specific learning disabilities is encouraged to allow
time for ordering textbooks on tape or securing a reader.
If a classroom move involves a major lab,
the student requesting the lab should participate in advance registration to
allow for adequate time to arrange the move. A minimum of four weeks advanced notice is needed.
Students needing a quiet room for testing
should notify the appropriate
Often people assume that students with learning disabilities are unmotivated and less intelligent. Many question whether these students can succeed in college. Students with learning disabilities are not intellectually limited. They have the potential to succeed in higher education and are accepted based on the same qualifications as other students. In fact, students with learning disabilities attend the top academic institutions in our nation.
The following cognitive processing domains are typically identified as areas of specific deficit(s) in students with learning disabilities:
· Attention – the ability to focus on relevant information to the exclusion of irrelevant information, to maintain attention, and to shift attention.
· Oral Language – auditory comprehension and oral expression of linguistic information at the lexical, syntactic, semantic or discourse level.
· Phonological/Orthographic Processing – auditory discrimination, phonological awareness, phonological decoding, and the ability to represent linguistic information in writing.
· Fluency/Automaticity – the ability to automatically and efficiently retrieve linguistic information from long term memory.
· Memory/Learning – short term and long term memory for verbal or nonverbal information presented in auditory or visual modalities.
· Executive Functions – processing speed, concept formation, problem-solving, mental flexibility, response inhibition and organizational/planning abilities.
· Visual-Perceptual/Visual-Spatial – discrimination, analysis and synthesis of visual form and spatial relations.
· Visual-Motor – integration of visual information and motor output necessary for graphic motor (e.g., handwriting, drawing) and constructional tasks.
Professional clinical judgment and interpretation must be a part of any assessment if made by a clinician with expertise in assessing such disorders in adults. This is particularly important in the case of minority or international students involved in standardized testing. Consideration of a student’s cultural, linguistic, and international status must be included in any evaluation results. The use of a particular eligibility formula for learning disabilities at the post-secondary level has not been validated in research at this time. Therefore, the use of only such formulas, based solely on test scores, is unwarranted and problematic.
The use of pervious evaluation information may be integrated into this evaluation process if deemed appropriate by the professional assessment team.
Some of the terms referring to disorders included under the umbrella term specific learning disabilities are: dyslexia (difficulty with reading), dysgraphia (difficulty with writing) and dyscalculia (difficulty with mathematics).
Adelman and Olufs (AHSSPPE, 1986) described some of the characteristic problems of college students with learning disabilities. Naturally, no student will have all of these problems.
difficulty reading new words, particularly when sound/symbol relationships are
inconsistent
slow reading rate so that it takes longer to read a test and other in class assignments
poor comprehension and retention of material read
difficulty interpreting charts, graphs, scientific symbols
difficulty with complex syntax on objective tests
Writing
problems in organization and sequencing of ideas
poor sentence structure
incorrect grammar
frequent and inconsistent spelling errors
difficulty taking notes and keeping pace with the lecture
poor letter formation, capitalization, spacing, and punctuation
inadequate strategies for monitoring written work
Math
difficulty with basic math operations
difficulty with aligning problems, number reversals, confusion of symbols
poor strategies for monitoring errors
difficulty with reasoning
difficulty reading and comprehending word problems
difficulty with concepts of time and money
visual discrimination deficits
Oral Language
difficulty concentrating in lectures, especially two to three hour lectures
limited vocabulary, difficulty with word retrieval
problems with grammar
auditory discrimination deficits
Additionally, an adult with learning disabilities may have social skill problems due to inconsistent perceptual abilities. He or she may be unable to detect the difference between a joking wink and a disgusted glance. The student may not notice the difference between sincere and sarcastic comments, or be able to recognize other subtle changes in tone of voice. These difficulties in interpreting nonverbal messages may result in lowered self-esteem for some adults with learning disabilities, and may cause them to have trouble meeting people, working cooperatively with others and maintaining friendships.
Although a learning disability cannot be “cured,” its impact can be lessened through instructional interventions and compensatory strategies. Appropriate academic adjustments made for students with learning disabilities may include some of the following examples of strategies, depending upon documentation of individual need and the educational setting.
Suggested Modifications
Give priority registration.
Textbooks and Printed Course Material
Students who have textbooks on tape as an approved accommodation can often obtain them from Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic.
If the textbook has a study guide or computer tutorial, suggest that the student use it.
Student Support Services has various assistive technology which may be used by students with learning disabilities. (See description in section on visual impairments.)
Make all assignments in writing. Double-space all material.
Provide handouts in high contrast form: black print on white paper.
Make the syllabus available prior to the first day of class to allow students to begin their reading early.
Lectures
Use multimedia presentation.
Use note taking modifications:
A note taker may be requested. This person should be a good student who takes complete notes. The Office of the Vice President for Student and Enrollment Services pays students who take notes for a challenged student.
The classmate’s notes may be photocopied in a division office located in the building where the class is held.
Provide copies of the instructor’s notes for those classes the student attends.
Students are permitted to tape record lectures.
Provide copies of transparencies.
Read aloud material that is written on the chalkboard or that is given in handouts or transparencies.
Written Assignments
When the object of the assignment is to demonstrate knowledge or opinions, allow alternative formats of equal difficulty such as taping, visual displays, oral presentation, etc.
Allow the student to use a word processor in class.
Minimize penalties for misspellings, incorrect punctuation and poor grammar unless the object of the assignment is to demonstrate written skills.
Allow the student to use a dictionary/or electronic spell checker.
Critique an early draft of the paper.
Allow extended time for in-class writing assignments and/or permit student to utilize
computer lab for writing.
Math
Allow use of a basic, four-function calculator in class.
Examine the test for the types of errors. It may be appropriate to give partial credit for work shown even when the final answer is incorrect due to transposed numbers, etc.
Evaluation
Allow tests to be taken in a quiet environment with minimal distractions.
Allow the student to use a blank card or paper to assist as a reading guide.
Allow extended time.
Provide alternatives to computer-scored answer sheets (e.g., allow the student to mark the exam rather than a separate answer sheet).
Allow the student to respond orally to exam questions. Answers may be relayed directly to the instructor, tape recorder, or scribe.
Give the student prompt, explicit written and oral feedback.
Consider alternative test designs. Some students with learning disabilities may find multiple choice or fill in the blank formats confusing. A student with a perceptual impairment will have trouble with tests requiring students to match different items.
Consider alternative or supplementary assignments to evaluate student’s mastery of the course material. Taped interviews, slide presentations, photographic essays, or handmade models may lead to more accurate evaluations of mastery.