Learning about Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabilities are one of the most prevalent types of special needs in our classrooms today. Everyone can benefit from taking the time to learn about learning disabilities, whether you are a special educator or not. Take a look at these resources:

The Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta - is a non-profit organization that provides information, resources and programs to children and adults with learning disabilities. This organization is taking big steps to increasing public awareness of learning disabilities, something that is extremely important within today's classrooms, elementary to senior high. I have linked to the organizations website, but within Alberta they have 4 locations that can provide support and also conduct professional development sessions.

Alberta Education's Unlocking Potential: Key Components of Programming for Students with Learning Disabilities. This guide, found by navigating through the Alberta Education website, is a FANTASTIC resource for teachers and parents. It really emphasizes parent involvement and collaboration (which is key!) and includes a chapter solely on transition

planning. This resource can be shared with parents as well!

One of the most important aspects about working with students and children with learning disabilities is teaching them self-advocacy skills. I found this neat self-advocacy manual: Uncovering the Mysteries of your Learning Disability, that is kid-friendly and teaches them, via Sherlock Holmes Investigation, about learning disabilities, accommodations, and self-advocacy. Kids can read this at home with their parents and can be used in conjuction with parent-teacher strategy collaboration.

ADHD:

I have decided to include a section on ADHD within the Learning Disabilities portion as these two special needs often co-exist with eachother.

In an article from the Journal of Learning Disabilities, Learning

Disabilities and ADHD: Overlapping Spectrum Disorders, its is noted that 'learning and attention problems are on a continuum, are interrelated, and usually coexist' (Mayes, p.1).

The Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada is an organization dedicated to supporting children and adults with ADHD. In Canadian classrooms, its estimated that 1 in 3 children has ADHD. As educators, its important to know how ADHD manifests itself in students. This website I've included as contact information for CADDAC also includes many useful resources for parents and teachers, as well as recent ADHD studies.

20 Tips to Teach Kids who Have ADHD:

Teachers make a difference; an article that dishes out some excellent pointers for educators that are simple and most of which work universally with the rest of your students (Yay for UDL!)

I found this article on Education world, which has an amazing repertoire of resources for just about every aspect of education for Teachers, parents and students!