What is the difference Slow Learner or Learning Disabled

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What is the difference - Slow Learner or Learning
Disabled?

• Danielle Jones Alison Scott

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YOUR TASK

• Divide up into 4 groups
• Each group will come up with characteristics/attri
  butes of either slow learners or learning
  disabled students
• Each group will elect a spokes person to report
  back to the class
• you have five minutes to complete the task before
  it self-destructs!

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Why is it important to be able to identify the
slow learners in a class as opposed to those
children with specific learning disabilities?
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• To ensure that the level of service and support
  provided to that child is markedly improved
• The learning needs of these two groups are quite
  different, so it is important to make correct
  identification for programming needs

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Characteristics Slow Learner

• Developmental
• May have immature language patterns or speech
  problems

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• Social
• poor judgement, immature social behaviour,
  prefers company of younger children

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• Personal
• frustration
• aggression
• anxiety

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• Academic
• May show proficiency with particular tasks rather
  than subject areas, poor memory, difficulties
  understanding several steps in a task

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• Learning
• needs to have new information linked to old,
  difficulties transferring information learned in
  one situation to other situations

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Learning Disabled

• Academic - reading
• confuses similar words and letters
• loses place
• repeats words
• does not read fluently
• persists in using fingers to follow along,
• does not like to read

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• Academic - spelling
• uses incorrect order of letters in words
• had difficulty associating correct sound with
  appropriate letter
• reverses letters and words

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• Academic - maths
• had difficulty associating number with symbol
• cannot remember number facts
• confuses columns and spacing
• has difficulty comprehending maths concepts

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• Physical
• perceptual motor difficulties
• visual perception difficulties
• poor visual decoding
• general co-ordination deficits
• poor auditory memory
• attention deficit
• mixed dominance

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• Psychological
• emotional instability (violent reactions)
• difficulty learning by ordinary methods
• low social acceptance
• low self concept/self esteem
• general disorganisation

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• Social/Emotional/Behavioural
• hyperactivity (gross, noisy, constant movements)
• hypoactivity (quiet, nervous, fidgety)
• impulsivity
• poor concentration span
• low frustration tolerance
• emotional liability
• seem paradoxical

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The failure to recognise, understand and address
learning differences has a profound impact on
individual lives. Collectively, it is a national
problem of profound proportions, affecting every
institution and system in society1998, Hello
Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation.
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For more information

• http//www.education.qld.gov.au/tal/liu/
  policy/supas_04.htm
• REFERENCE
• Whats the Difference - Slow Learner or Learning
  disabled? by Karen Mackay in Speld News, Vol.4
  No.1