Activity 2

We defined learning disabilities (see the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario at http://www.ldao.ca and the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada at http://www.ldac-taac.ca) and described the three main types of processing deficits, i.e. visual, auditory and organizational.

We asked you to share examples of learners you suspected had learning disabilities and the strategies you used when working with them. Here's what you told us:

• Use strategies that use as many ways of learning as possible; pay attention to what works and what doesn't.
• Break tasks into small chunks; don't overwhelm the learner.
• Computers are useful ways of introducing the concept of sequencing because you often need to do tasks in a certain order.
• Keeping journals can be helpful.
• Agendas / schedules are also helpful.
• Palm pilots are helpful (if learner can afford one).
• Any type of reminder can be helpful - verbal, written, visual.
• Encourage learners to tell you what worked and what didn't; give them control over their own learning and encourage them to self-identify.
• The Dollar Store is a great place to buy things like address books that learners can use to keep track of new words.
• Shelley Olivier recommends Zero Spelling; she says it is both effective and free! You can find it at http://www.sofotex.com/ZERO-Spelling-download_L6562.html; it works on all Windows systems.