Development of Specific Learning Disability Screening Scale

Abstract

It is known that students with Specific Learning Disability (SLD) are noticed because of the difficulties they experience in academic lessons, especially in primary school years. Especially the difficulties they experience in reading, spelling mistakes, problems in arithmetic skills, attention problems, inability in taking responsibility and communication skills attract attention. The scale, which was developed in Turkey in order to identify students suspected of having SLD during the primary school years and between the ages of 8-11, by their teachers, is a five-points Likert type, 7-factors and 39-items measurement tool. The study was carried out with teachers working with students with Special Learning Disability in Ministry of Education and Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers in the 2019-2020 academic year. A total of 401 classroom teachers and special education teachers from Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Çorum, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Isparta, İzmir, İstanbul, Kayseri, Konya, Sivas and Trabzon provinces participated in the study. In data analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis were performed and a seven-factors structure was found. It was determined that seven-factors explained 73,224% of the total variance. The factors were as follows: writing process, communication skills, literacy skill, taking responsibility, attention skills, arithmetic skills and skill of recognition the numbers. The Cronbach Alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.963 and the RMSEA value was 0,063.