LDAO-North Bay & Area

1. Toolbox Conference 2014 LDAO-North Bay & Area

2. Introductions • Elaine Beckett-Albert – LDAO-NB resource facilitator • Lead Learning Skills Advisor (NOARC) • Learning Disability Specialist (10 years experience) • Master’s Thesis (learning disabilities and adult education) • Person with a LD & CAP

3. Agenda • What is a Learning Disability? • Learning starts with the emotional brain • Discussion • Overview of the process of learning • Simulation of processing weaknesses • Characteristics • Discussion

4. What is a Learning Disability? • To have a learning disability an individual must have an average to above average intelligence with one or more processing weaknesses. • To grasp processing weaknesses • It helps to understand the basic learning process

5. The Beginning of the Learning Process – Activation is vital • The brain’s limbic system supports emotions and motivation • It can discern subtle levels of interest • With the right amount of interest • Brain chemicals are activated which are vital for: • Engagement, concentration and work completion

6. Activity to Understand the Need for Activation • Describe activities that you find boring or monotonous • What happens to your mind and body in these situations?

7. What characteristics do you experience? • Difficulties getting started • Sustaining focus • Regulating alertness • Managing frustration • Difficulty with recalling information • These are all characteristics of Executive Function which is our management system for the process of learning

8. Boredom and Monotony • Report Writing Blues - is like the flu • Don’t want to get out of bed • Even when there is important things to do • Flu of the mind – 4 different reasons • We all experience a sluggish mind now and again • Children with Learning Disabilities, ADHD or executive function issues significantly impact their life

9. 4 types of Attention Issues • Emotional issues – learning is secondary when security is threatened • Processing weaknesses demand mental energy – mental fatigue impacts attention • Doubt in ability (self-efficacy) impacts activation and attention • ADHD– neural chemical basis

10. Discussion • What would you do to engage students who have difficulty sustaining attention?

12. Phonological Processing Working with Speech Sounds • Reading and Spelling Challenges : • Segmenting words • /C/ /A/ /T/ • Blending Words • /C/ /I R/ /C/ /U/ /S/ (one phoneme at a time) • Deletion • Say, “sat”. Say it again but do not say the “s”. • Say, “Mike”. Say it again but do not say the “k”.

13. Challenges with Phonological/ Auditory Processing • Distinguish the separate sounds in words • Manipulating speech sounds – to read and to spell • Filter out specific voices from noisy backgrounds • Recall instructions that are spoken • Recall multi-step directions that are spoken

14. Discussion • How could you support students who have the following characteristics?

15. Visual Spatial ProcessingWorking with Abstract Symbols and Space • Simulation: A C D E G H I L M N O R S T U V ∆ Ө □ ~ ⌐ ≤ ∩ ◊ } « ↔ ∞ ⌠ » ≠ ∏ • Difficulties with visual processing: Ө ∞ ~ ∆ » ~ ⌠∆ ≤ ≠ ⌐~□∩⌠∆ □ ∏ ∆ «» ∆ ⌐ ~.

16. Challenges with Visual Spatial Processing • Distinguishing one symbol from another (letters/numbers/words) • Distinguish printed letters from the background • Recognize a symbol from a partial image

17. Challenges with Visual Spatial Processing • Holding the sequence of visual information • Letter formation, math steps, keyboarding • Eye/hand coordination • Staying within the margins and lines • Positioning objects in space • Spacing letters & words – organizing material on a page – multiple choice –separate sheet

18. Discussion • How could you support students who have the following characteristics?

19. Working Memory Holding Information In Conscious Thoughts • Please copy the following sentence as fast as you can while I time you: • Automatic tasks take very little capacity in your conscious thoughts. • A cognitive task takes a huge capacity in your conscious thoughts!!! • Turn over your sheet when you have completed the task

20. Working Memory Discussion • Extra time and extra effort • Quality of work • Visual-motor integration issue • Role of Working Memory • Automatic task • Cognitive task • Memory – do you recall?

21. Challenges with Working Memory Issues • Reading • Blending sounds (decoding) • Spelling (encoding) • Spelling - sequencing of sounds • Recalling spoken instructions • Reading comprehension • Writing - many tasks happening at once • Holding thoughts • Forming letters • Spelling • Students may forget their thoughts before they are recorded

22. Discussion • How could you support students who have the previous characteristics?

23. Understanding Behaviour • What do you do poorly? i.e. singing, dancing, cooking etc. • You are now a student and the school system has changed. You now need to _________ all of your class work. • How would you feel? • What would you do if you had to demonstrate the skill you find most challenging?

24. Behaviour • Work hard to develop this skill! • Resiliency • Avoid task! • Learned helplessness • What can you do to discourage learned helplessness? • Appreciate diversity – value a variety of strengths

25. Parents • This is their precious cherished child • Build great hope for over 7 or more years • Difficulty resolving the discrepancy between their hope and the assessment results • Confusion about the results

26. Stages of Adjustment/Acceptance • Normal process that parents need to move through: • Stage 1 – shock • Stage 2 – denial • Stage 3 – anger • Stage 4 – resignation • Stage 5 – acceptance • Stage 6 – provide support to the school

27. LDAO-North Bay & Area Services • Help explain assessments using every day language • Coaching to help students/parents navigate the school system in a positive way: • Self advocacy skills – students asking for support • Advocacy skills – parents asking for support • Technology workshops – for parents and students • Parent support groups – you are not alone • Resources at the public library

28. October is LD Awareness Month • Friday Oct. 3rd Flag Raising – kick off for our events - North Bay City Hall at 10:00 am • Awareness Campaign – various days in the secondary schools to accept and support students/teachers who learn differently – dress down days, hat days or wristbands awareness campaign • Thursday Oct. 23rd Guest Speaker – Angie DeMarco – Neurodiversity - One Kids Place at 7:00 pm

29. Take the LDAO-North Bay & Area Challenge! Purchase a wrist band to indicate that you support Friends, classmates and teachers who learn differently All proceeds go to the LDAO-NB services $2.00 per wristband

30. Questions

31. People with ADHD Have More Novelty Seeking Genes • Difficulty with one type of attention: • Required to sustain attention: • Difficulty with routine tasks • Difficulty with tasks that are not interesting to them • Difficulty with externally imposed tasks • Difficulty with tasks that are challenging for them

32. Novelty Seeking Gene