Teaching Mental Retardation  
    


      SCHR launched a new training program for mentally disabled children
      What is a learning disability?     
      Teaching and Learning Mental Retardation - Learning Disabilities 
      Pointers for parents of children with learning disabilities.
       General Courtesy for students with learning disabilities
      What are the Signs of a Learning Disability?
      Different testing modifications that can really help a student with LD

      What is a learning disability?

There is no clear and widely accepted definition of "learning disabilities." Because of the multidisciplinary nature of the field, there is ongoing debate on the issue of definition, and there are currently at least 12 definitions that appear in the professional literature. These disparate definitions do agree on certain factors:

  1. The learning disabled have difficulties with academic achievement and progress. Discrepancies exist between a person's potential for learning and what he actually learns.
  2. The learning disabled show an uneven pattern of development (language development, physical development, academic development and/or perceptual development).
  3. Learning problems are not due to environmental disadvantage.
  4. Learning problems are not due to mental retardation or emotional disturbance

     

Teaching and Learning Mental Retardation - Learning Disabilities

Children with learning disabilities exhibit a wide range of symptoms. These include problems with reading, mathematics, comprehension, writing, spoken language, or reasoning abilities. Hyperactivity, inattention and perceptual coordination may also be associated with learning disabilities but are not learning disabilities themselves. The primary characteristic of a learning disability is a significant difference between a child's achievement in some areas and his or her overall intelligence. Learning disabilities typically affect five general areas:

  1. Spoken language: delays, disorders, and deviations in listening and speaking.
  2. Written language: difficulties with reading, writing and spelling.
  3. Arithmetic: difficulty in performing arithmetic operations or in understanding basic concepts.
  4. Reasoning: difficulty in organizing and integrating thoughts.
  5. Memory: difficulty in remembering information and instructions.

        Among the symptoms commonly related to learning disabilities are:

  • poor performance on group tests
  • difficulty discriminating size, shape, color
  • difficulty with temporal (time) concepts
  • distorted concept of body image
  • reversals in writing and reading
  • general awkwardness
  • poor visual-motor coordination
  • hyperactivity
  • difficulty copying accurately from a model
  • slowness in completing work
  • poor organizational skills
  • easily confused by instructions
  • difficulty with abstract reasoning and/or problem solving
  • disorganized thinking
  • often obsesses on one topic or idea
  • poor short-term or long-term memory
  • impulsive behavior; lack of reflective thought prior to action
  • low tolerance for frustration
  • excessive movement during sleep
  • poor peer relationships
  • overly excitable during group play
  • poor social judgment
  • inappropriate, unselective, and often excessive display of affection
  • lags in developmental milestones (e.g. motor, language)
  • behavior often inappropriate for situation
  • failure to see consequences for his actions
  • overly gullible; easily led by peers
  • excessive variation in mood and responsiveness
  • poor adjustment to environmental changes
  • overly distractible; difficulty concentrating
  • difficulty making decisions
  • lack of hand preference or mixed dominance
  • difficulty with tasks requiring sequencing

        Pointers for parents of children with learning disabilities.

  1. Take the time to listen to your children as much as you can (really try to get their "Message").
  2. Love them by touching them, hugging them, tickling them, wrestling with them (they need lots of physical contact).
  3. Look for and encourage their strengths, interests, and abilities. Help them to use these as compensations for any limitations or disabilities.
  4. Reward them with praise, good words, smiles, and pat on the back as often as you can.
  5. Accept them for what they are and for their human potential for growth and development. Be realistic in your expectations and demands.
  6. Involve them in establishing rules and regulations, schedules, and family activities.
  7. Tell them when they misbehave and explain how you feel about their behavior; then have them propose other more acceptable ways of behaving.
  8. Help them to correct their errors and mistakes by showing or demonstrating what they should do. Don't nag!
  9. Give them reasonable chores and a regular family work responsibility whenever possible.
  10. Give them an allowance as early as possible and then help them plan to spend within it.
  11. Provide toys, games, motor activities and opportunities that will stimulate them in their development.
  12. Read enjoyable stories to them and with them. Encourage them to ask questions, discuss stories, tell the story, and to reread stories.
  13. Further their ability to concentrate by reducing distracting aspects of their environment as much as possible (provide them with a place to work, study and play).
  14. Don't get hung up on traditional school grades! It is important that they progress at their own rates and be rewarded for doing so.
  15. Take them to libraries and encourage them to select and check out books of interest. Have them share their books with you. Provide stimulating books and reading material around the house.
  16. Help them to develop self-esteem and to compete with self rather than with others.
  17. Insist that they cooperate socially by playing, helping, and serving others in the family and the community.
  18. Serve as a model to them by reading and discussing material of personal interest. Share with them some of the things you are reading and doing.
  19. Don't hesitate to consult with teachers or other specialists whenever you feel it to be necessary in order to better understand what might be done to help your child learn

           General Courtesy for students with learning disabilities

  • Don't assume that the person is not listening just because you are getting no verbal or visual feedback.
  • Don't assume that you have to explain everything to students with learning disabilities. They do not necessarily have a problem with general comprehension.
  • Consult with the special education specialist to obtain help in understanding the specific nature of the learning disability for each student.
  • Never assess a student's capabilities based solely on their IQ or other standardized test scores.
  • Give student with learning disabilities priority in registration for classes.
  • Allow course substitution for nonessential course requirements in their major studies.
  • A student may have documented intelligence with test scores in the average to superior range with adequate sensory and motor systems and still have a learning disability. Learning disabilities often go undiagnosed, hence teacher observation can be a major source of identification.
  • Bring to the student's attention science role models with disabilities with a similar disability to that of the student. Point out that this individual got ahead by a combination of effort and by asking for help when needed.
  • Allow the students with learning disabilities the use of computers and spell checking programs on field notes and reports.
  • Consider alternate activities/exercises that can be utilized with less difficulty for the student, but has the same or similar learning objectives.

         What are the Signs of a Learning Disability?

There is no one sign that shows a person has a learning disability. Experts look for a noticeable difference between how well a child does in school and how well he or she could do, given his or her intelligence or ability. There are also certain clues that may mean a child has a learning disability. We've listed a few below. Most relate to elementary school tasks, because learning disabilities tend to be identified in elementary school. A child probably won't show all of these signs, or even most of them. However, if a child shows a number of these problems, then parents and the teacher should consider the possibility that the child has a learning disability.

When a child has a learning disability, he or she:

  • may have trouble learning the alphabet, rhyming words, or connecting letters to their sounds;
  • may make many mistakes when reading aloud, and repeat and pause often;
  • may not understand what he or she reads;
  • may have real trouble with spelling;
  • may have very messy handwriting or hold a pencil awkwardly;
  • may struggle to express ideas in writing;
  • may learn language late and have a limited vocabulary;
  • may have trouble remembering the sounds that letters make or hearing slight differences between words;
  • may have trouble understanding jokes, comic strips, and sarcasm;
  • may have trouble following directions;
  • may mispronounce words or use a wrong word that sounds similar;
  • may have trouble organizing what he or she wants to say or not be able to think of the word he or she needs for writing or conversation;
  • may not follow the social rules of conversation, such as taking turns, and may stand too close to the listener;
  • may confuse math symbols and misread numbers;
  • may not be able to retell a story in order (what happened first, second, third); or
  • may not know where to begin a task or how to go on from there.
If a child has unexpected problems learning to read, write, listen, speak, or do math, then teachers and parents may want to investigate more. The same is true if the child is struggling to do any one of these skills. The child may need to be evaluated to see if he or she has a learning disability.


 Different testing modifications that can really help a student with LD

Learn about the different testing modifications that can really help a student with LD show what he or she has learned.

Teach organizational skills, study skills, and learning strategies. These help all students but are particularly helpful to those with LD.

Work with the student's parents to create an educational plan tailored to meet the student's needs.

Establish a positive working relationship with the student's parents. Through regular communication, exchange information about the student's progress at school.

SCHR launched a new training program for mentally disabled children
1-10-2007
SCHR launched a new training program for mentally disabled children
Initiated.
The Studies Center for Handicapped Research entry second training session for the (Down Syndrome, Autism, learning disabilities) children
Participants in the group of volunteers to work in the program.

Target groups:
Children ages 7-13 years
Disabilities: Down Syndrome-Autism-Learning Disabilities 

Number of children: 12 students
Number of volunteers: 5
Name of trainers:( Noura Eid, Lamis Fatoum, Rasha Efarah,Heba Wanous)and Nabil Eid

Putting Children on the Road to Recovery

 
   
 
 
 


Happy birthday Ibrahim
Studies center for handicapped research celebrated birthday of Ibrahim Eid, Autism case,on Wednesday 31-10-2007

The Center shared Ibrahim happiness with his colleagues during a training session the staff in the center actively participated in this event, the jubilant children express their happiness and pleasure by folklore dances and songs many pictures were taking for them and the end of this event the children were given some sweets, the children wished Ibrhim and his family happy times and good health.