Symptoms Of Learning Disabilities Research Articles

Examination of Pre-school Teachers' Knowledge Levels of the Symptoms of Learning Disability According to Different Variables

<p style="text-align:justify">Considering the fact that learning difficulties are mostly related to academic learning, and students first encounter tasks related with academic learning during the pre-school, it is critical for early intervention that the first symptoms of students with potential learning disability are detected by the pre-school teachers. The aim of this research is to examine knowledge levels of pre-school teachers about the characteristics of learning difficulties that 3–6 years old students, in the pre-school period, may show. With this aim in mind, the development of the “Test for identifying characteristics of learning disabilities in pre-school students (3-6 years)” was completed with 471 pre-school teachers and pre-school teacher candidates of the last grade of pre-school education program. The research has been done in the survey model with a quantitative approach. The sample of the study consists of 291 pre-school teachers. The data have been collected by means of the “Test for identifying characteristics of learning disabilities in pre-school students (3-6 years)” and analyzed using descriptive statistics techniques. At the end of the research, it has been found that there are no statistically significant differences in knowledge levels of pre-school teachers regarding the cognitive, affective, social and motor characteristics of learning disabilities in terms of their gender, the program they have graduated from, having taken courses on special education, having taken courses on learning disabilities, the types of institutions they worked at, and their class sizes. It has been found that there are statistically significant differences in their knowledge levels about cognitive, affective, social and motor characteristics of learning disabilities according to the length of service, teaching students with learning disabilities, having inclusive students in their class, having a relative in need of special education, and teaching students with learning disabilities variables.</p>

Knowledge Regarding Learning Disability among Primary School Teachers

Learning disability is a heterogeneous group of disorders and is manifested as significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of basic academic skills like reading, writing, spelling, mathematics or language (Hammill, 1990). Teachers play a very important role in diagnosis of disorders related to learning disability. Unfortunately, most of the symptoms of learning disability is either ignored or blame it on the child’s personality branding it as laziness, an attitude problem or aggression. This is due to lack of adequate knowledge about specific learning disability among primary school teachers. This study aims to assess the knowledge of primary school teachers regarding learning disability and also compare the knowledge between private school teachers and government school teachers and based on their experience. The sample for this study includes 100 primary school teachers (50-private school teachers, 50-government school teachers). A structured knowledge questionnaire on learning disability has been used for the collection of data (by Anju George, 2015) Appropriate statistical tools are used for the analysis of the study. The results of this study indicates that the level of knowledge regarding learning disability is moderately adequate among primary school teachers. Also, there is no significant difference in level of knowledge among teachers based on their year of experience and nature of employment.

CLASSIFICATION MODEL FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUPILS

Learning disability is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. Although, Learning Disability cannot be cured medically, there exist several methods for detecting learning disabilities in a child. Existing methods of classification of learning disabilities in children are binary classification – either a child is normal or learning disabled. The focus of this paper is to extend the binary classification to multi-label classification of learning disabilities. This paper formulated and simulated a classification model for learning disabilities in primary school pupils. Information containing the symptoms of learning disabilities in pupils were elicited by administering five hundred (500) questionnaire to teachers of Primary One to Four pupils in fifteen government owned elementary schools within Ife Central Local Government Area, Ile-Ife of Osun State. The classification model was formulated using Principal Component Analysis, rule based system and back propagation algorithm. The formulated model was simulated using Waikatto Environment for Knowledge Analysis (WEKA) version 3.7.2. The performance of the model was evaluated using precision and accuracy. The classification model of primary one, primary two, primary three and primary four yielded precision rate of 95%, 91.18%, 93.10% and 93.60% respectively while the accuracy results were 95.00%, 91.18%, 93.10% and 93.60% respectively. The results obtained showed that the developed model proved to be accurate and precise in classifying pupils with learning disabilities in primary schools. The model can be adopted for the management of pupils with learning disabilities.

The Creative Potential and Self-Reported Learning Disabilities of Polish University Students Who Major in Special Education

The basic purpose of this research was to explore certain dimensions of creative potential in university students who assessed their scholastic skills using self-ratings of the symptoms of learning disabilities. The learning disabled (LD; n = 47) group revealed lower levels of self-reported scholastic skills, whereas the non–learning disabled (NLD; n = 52) group showed higher levels. Both female and male undergraduate students of Maria Curie-Sklodowska University (MCSU), who majored in special education, participated in the study. The creative potentials of the LD and NLD groups of MCSU students were compared. The creative potential was investigated in two ways. First, the subjects were asked to think of as many uses as they could for a paperclip and a pencil (Alternative Uses Task by Guilford). Second, they were asked to complete a Creative Behavior Questionnaire (KANH) by Popek. Furthermore, the subjects were asked to complete a Rating Scale for Intensity of LD Symptoms. Thus, they were requested to self-report the intensity of their LD symptoms. It was found that nonconformity and heuristic behavior were the factors that differentiated the university students with self-reported LD from their peers in the NLD group. In general, taking into consideration the scores that were obtained in the KANH, the LD group obtained a lower level of creative potential, compared with the NLD group. The effects of gender, self-reported LD, and instrument selection on our research outcomes are also discussed.

Jordan–3: Measuring Visual Reversals in Children as Symptoms of Learning Disability and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The purpose of this research was to establish new norms for the Jordan-3 for children ages 5 to 18 years. The research also investigated the frequency of visual reversals in children previously identified as having reading disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and broader learning disabilities. Participants were regular education students, ages 5 through 18 years, and special education students previously diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, reading disability, or broader learning disability. Jordan-3 Accuracy and Error raw scores were compared to assess if there was a significant difference between the two groups. Mean Accuracy and Error scores were compared for males and females. Children with learning disability and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder had higher reversals when compared to regular education children, which lends continued support to the Jordan-3 as a valid and reliable measure of visual reversals in children and adolescents. This study illustrates the utility of the Jordan-3 when assessing children who may require remediation to reach their academic potential.

Motivation in Learning Disabled Children

It is generally thought that children with learning disabilities are poorly motivated to learn. However, the reasons usually given are very vague and the causes are, more often than not, attributed to symptoms of learning disability such as ‘hyperactivity’ and ‘short attention span’. This article proposes that such symptoms may be misleading in the search for the true causes of learning disability and that lack of motivation may be the result of the education system rather than an inherent fault in the child himself. Methods of dealing with motivational problems using social, environmental and physiological approaches are outlined.

Neurological Aspects of Learning Disabilities

While we tend to agree that learning disabilities include neurological factors, we do not understand the relationships of these symptoms to different socio-economic groups, nor to various nutrition components. The result is a neglect of low-income children who demonstrate the symptoms of learning disabilities but have symptoms confounding the diagnosis. Similar materials, however, produce desired results both for advantaged and disadvantaged children regardless of the source of the learning disability.