Description of 19 Learning Dysfunctions - Symbol Relations

This capacity is involved in understanding the relationships among two or more ideas or concepts.  A weakness in this capacity may result in the following difficulties. 

In more severe cases the child reverses the letters b-d-p-q.

The child has some trouble learning how to read a clock (an analog clock).  The relationship between the hands are mixed up with the hour hand being read for the minute and vice versa or the minute hand being misread by 5 or 10 minutes.

The person does not understand math concepts.  The person can learn math procedures but has no idea of the meaning or "why" of the procedure.  Mathematics is mechanical or procedural rather than conceptual.  The person does not understand formulas such as distance = rate x time and therefore has trouble figuring out the formulas for rate and time.

The person has trouble understanding cause and effect relationships or the reasons why events happen.  This has implications for learning in school, on the job and in social situations.

The person has trouble understanding grammar and doing grammatical analysis.

The person has to read material over and over again and is never certain as to whether he has understood what is being said.

The person has great difficulty figuring out word problems such as "Sally is shorter than Jane who is taller than Mary.  Who is tallest?" because he can't see the relationships.

The person sits in on a seminar and is not able to comment on the points being made because he does not fully grasp the meaning at that moment.  After he leaves the seminar he plays the ideas over inside his head, comes to understand what was said and then is ready to comment but the situation is no longer available.  This is a very frustrating experience.  This can also happen in a discussion in a social situation.

The person can't grasp the logical inconsistencies in what some body is saying, which may leave him prey to destructive friendships or con artists.

There is often personality rigidity or stubbornness associated with this learning dysfunction because the person has difficulty considering several alternatives logically at the same time in order to plan and make decisions.  Once the person has made up his mind it is very hard for it to be changed because he has so much trouble holding two or more alternatives in his head simultaneously and looking at the advantages and disadvantages of each.  He can't see the relationships between two or more positions.

The individual often has trouble understanding and communicating his own thoughts and feelings to others due to this problem.  This can lead to feelings of anger and frustration on the one hand and helplessness, alienation and depression on the other.

The most salient feature is a sense of uncertainty - of never being able to verify meaning but only guess.  There is a general difficulty in interpreting the meaning of any symbolic information whether spoken or written and the person is left with a constant sense of uncertainty as to whether he has correctly grasped the meaning intended.

Reprinted with permission:  www.arrowsmithschool.org
'Arrowsmith Program's Description of Learning Dysfunctions'

Description of 19 Learning Dysfunctions - Motor Symbol Sequencing

This capacity is involved in the process of learning and consistently producing a symbolic sequential motor pattern (e.g., writing out the alphabet, or numbers).  All sequential symbolic processes involving input through the eye (e.g., reading), output through the hand (e.g., writing) and mouth (e.g., speaking) are impaired when there is a weakness in this capacity.  Following are some of the features of this problem.

Misreading - Words are misread due to poorly developed patterns of eye fixations.  The person reads "step hall" for a road sign that says "steep hill".  A truck driver misreads road signs and bills of lading thus ending up in the wrong locations and taking much longer to do his job than expected despite superior intelligence.

Handwriting is messy and irregular.  People with this dysfunction frequently print rather than hadwrite.

Writing is not automatic.  The person has to concentrate on the process of writing and as a result has less attention to focus on the content of what is being written.  This also slows down the speed of writing so written assignments and tests often take longer to complete than the allotted time.

Copying material from one location to another (i.e., from the blackboard or a text into a notebook) is slow and often inaccurate.  Clerical work is painful and tedious and the person may have a tendency to put it off.

Spelling - The person can spell the same word several different ways on the same page. 

Speech - The person tends to ramble and have difficulty getting to the point.  There is a tendency to leave out chunks of information which are necessary for the listener to understand what the person is talking about.  The person has this information in his head and thinks he ahs said it but it does not get expressed in speech.  It is difficult to get ideas out in the order of their importance in speech, and the person may go back and forth over several subjects, making his speech difficult for others to follow.

Mathematics - This problem affects accuracy in mathematical computations.  The person makes what appears to be careless errors but which are really motor slips.  For example the person thinks one number in his head and writes down another number.

This is 1 of the 19 dysfunctions that the Arrowsmith Program deals with.  We will be looking at the other learning dysfunctions over the next number of days.

Reprinted with permission:  www.arrowsmithprogram.org
'Arrowsmith Program's Description of Learning Dysfunctions'.

Arrowsmith Program

Arrowsmith Program - A Cognitive Program
Change your brain.....Change your life!

If you have problems with:
Slow reading, word recognition, comprehension
Spelling, letter reversals, writing down ideas
Math facts, reading a clock, solving word problems
Focusing on a task, organizational skills, time management
Understanding oral instruction

You May Have A Learning Dysfunction.

The Arrowsmith Program:
Deals with the cause rather than its symptoms
Builds cognitive processes necessary for learning
Trains visual and auditory memory, attention and concentration
Improves fine motor skills
Strengthens working memory and processing speed
Builds verbal, non-verbal and reasoning skills

For further information about the program please see www.arrowsmithschool.org
Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon will have openings for the program in September 2011 please call 652-4902 if interested.

Proud to Present - Brain School with Howard Eaton, Ed.M

Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan Presents Brain School with Howard Eaton, Ed.M

When:  May 25, 2011
Where:  Travelodge Hotel
              106 Circle Dr W, Saskatoon
Time:  7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Admission:  No admission but donations are always welcome and appreciated

In Brain School, Howard Eaton explores how, by applying the principles of neuroplasticity, Barbara Arrowsmith Young developed cognitive exercises, founded the Arrowsmith Program, and opened the first Arrowsmith School in Toronto, Ontario, over 30 years ago.  Mr. Eaton discuss how he gradually moved from traditional remediation methods for learning disabilities to seeing new possibilities because of the brain's ability to change itself.

Howard Eaton, Ed.M., founded Eaton Arrowsmith School in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., as well as the Eaton Brain Improvement centre (a young adult Arrowsmith program) and Magnussen School.  He is an author of handbooks and DVDs on self-advocacy and transition planning for children with learning disabilities.  He has spoken throughout North America on topics related to learning disabilities, attention disorders, self-advocacy, and transition planning.

The LDAS Arrowsmith School will have openings in September 2011.  Please visit www.ldas.org or call 652-4902 for more information

Work As A Team to Help Your child

If the evaluation shows that your child has a learning disability, your child is eligible for special education services.  If eligible, you will work with a team of professionals, including your child's teacher, to develop an individualized Education Program (IEP).  The IEP is a written document summarizing your child's current educational performance; annual goals and short-term objectives; nature and projected duration of your child's special services; and methods for evaluating progress.

If your child does not qualify for special education, it is still important for you to work with your child's teacher to develop an informal program that meets your child's learning needs.  You are a vital part of your child's education!

Parents and teachers should remember that these children may not pick up the same information from day to day living as others do.  These children have had all the opportunities to learn at home that other children have enjoyed but need more time, and need to be taught in a step-by-step fashion.  Parents can do a great deal to ease the way for such a child from buying loafers or Velcro-fastened shoes to being ever-sensitive to materials and tasks that the child can manage.

What If I See The Signs of a Learning Disability?

Collect information about your child's performance.  Meet with your child's teachers. tutors, and school support personnel to understand performance levels, and attitudes toward school.  Observe your child's ability to study, complete homework and finish tasks that you assign at home.

Have Your Child Evaluated

Ask school authorities to provide a comprehensive educational evaluation including assessment tests.  Tests for learning disabilities are referred to as assessment tests because they evaluate and measure areas of strengths and areas of needs, such as interview, direct observation, reviews of your child's educational and medical history, and conferences with professionals who work with your child.  Either you or the school can request this evaluation, but it is given only with written permission.  Since you are one of the best observers of your child's development, it is important that you be an active participant in the evaluation process.  If you don't understand the test results, ASK QUESTIONS!!

Know You Rights!
Parents need to know how and where to get appropriate information.  Learn about your special education program and services, your rights and responsibilities as a parent of a child with special needs by requesting a summary of legal rights and services from your child's school, district/board.

Common Signs of Learning Disabilities in Adults

Excellent verbal ability, but cannot express thoughts on paper
Mechanical aptitude, but difficulty with reading, writing or spelling
Lacks social skills and has difficulty maintaining relationships or making friends
Learns well when shown, but cannot follow written and/or verbal instructions
Feels constantly anxious, tense, depressed and has a very poor self-concept
Has difficulty organizing belongings, time, activities, or responsibilities

Common Signs of Learning Disabilities in High School Students

Continues to spell incorrectly, frequently spells the same word differently in a single piece of writing, laborious handwriting
Avoids reading and writing tasks
Difficulty with putting thoughts on paper
Trouble summarizing
Trouble with open-ended questions on tests
Weak memorization skills
Difficulty adjusting to new settings
Works slowly
Poor grasp of abstract concepts
Either pays too little attention to details or focuses on them too much
Misreads information/lacks logic, poor reasoning ability
Vulnerable to peer pressure, often the 'scapegoat' in situations
Difficulty organizing and/or concentrating on homework
Rarely relates past events or experiences in sequence or detail

What Are Some Common Signs of LD's in Grades 5-8

• Reverses letter sequences (soiled/solid, left/felt)
• Slow to learn prefixes, suffixes, root words and other spelling strategies
• Avoids reading aloud
• Trouble with word problems
• Difficulty handwriting
• Awkward, fist-like, or tight pencil grip
• Avoids writing compositions
• Slow or poor recall of facts
• Difficulty making friends
• Trouble understanding body language and facial expressions
• Difficulty expressing ideas and relating events in sequence