Republic of the Philippines

Commission on Higher Education

Region V
BAAO COMMUNITY COLLEGE
San Juan, Baao, Camarines Sur
E-mail: baaocommunitycollege@gmail.com
Telefax (054) 455-7015

Name of Instructor : John Rodolf N. Mortega, MAEd.

Position : College Instructor
Subject Code : ELE 102
Course Title : Remedial Instruction in English
Name of Student : ___________________________
Section : ___________________________

LEARNING DEFICIENCY/DISABILITIES/ EXCEPTIONALITIES

According to Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defined Specific

Learning Deficiency (SLD) as “a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes
involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest
itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical
calculations. Such term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal
brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. Such term does not include a learning
problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation*,
of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.” (20 U.S.C. §
1401 (30)) *Now known as intellectual disability.

Learning disabilities arise from neurological differences in brain structure and function and
affect a person’s ability to receive, store, process, retrieve or communicate information. While the
specific nature of these brain-based disorders is still not well understood, considerable progress
has been made in mapping some of the characteristic difficulties of LD to specific brain regions
and structures.

“Learning disabilities are not a prescription for

failure. With the right kinds of instruction, guidance and
support, there are no limits to what individuals with LD can
achieve.”
Sheldon H. Horowitz, Ed.D., Director of LD Resources National
Center for Learning Disabilities
Common Types of Learning Disabilities
The most common types of specific learning disabilities are those that impact the areas of reading,
math and written expression. They may co-occur with other disorders of attention, language and
behavior, but are distinct in how they impact learning.
Dyslexia is the term associated with specific learning disabilities in reading. Although
features of LD in reading vary from person to person, common characteristics include:

1. difficulty with phonemic awareness (the ability to notice, think about and work with
individual sounds in words)
2. phonological processing (detecting and discriminating differences in phonemes or speech
sounds)
3. difficulties with word decoding, fluency, rate of reading, rhyming, spelling, vocabulary,
comprehension and written expression

Dyslexia is the most prevalent and well-recognized of the subtypes of specific learning disabilities.

Dyscalculia is the term associated with specific learning disabilities in math. Although features of
LD in math vary from person to person, common characteristics include:

1. difficulty with counting, learning number facts and doing math calculations
2. difficulty with measurement, telling time, counting money and estimating number
quantities
3. trouble with mental math and problem-solving strategies

Dysgraphia is the term associated with specific learning disabilities in writing. It is used to capture
both the physical act of writing and the quality of written expression. Features of learning
disabilities in writing are often seen in individuals who struggle with dyslexia and dyscalculia, and
will vary from person to person and at different ages and stages of development. Common
characteristics include:

1. tight, awkward pencil grip and body position

2. tiring quickly while writing, and avoiding writing or drawing tasks
3. trouble forming letter shapes as well as inconsistent spacing between letters or words
4. difficulty writing or drawing on a line or within margins
5. trouble organizing thoughts on paper
6. trouble keeping track of thoughts already written down
7. difficulty with syntax structure and grammar
8. large gap between written ideas and understanding demonstrated through speech

Auditory Processing Deficit (or Auditory Processing Disorder) is the term used to describe a
weakness in the ability to understand and use auditory information. Individuals with these types
of difficulties often have trouble with:
 1. auditory discrimination (the ability to notice, compare and distinguish the distinct and
separate sounds in words — a skill that is vital for reading)
2. auditory figure-ground discrimination (the ability to pick out important sounds from a
noisy background)
3. auditory memory (short-term and long-term abilities to recall information presented orally)
4. auditory sequencing (the ability to understand and recall the order of sounds and words)
5. spelling, reading and written expression

Visual Processing Deficit (or Visual Processing Disorder) is the term used to describe a weakness
in the ability to understand and use visual information. Individuals with these types of difficulties
often have trouble with:
1. visual discrimination (the ability to notice and compare the features of different items and
to distinguish one item from another)
2. visual figure-ground discrimination (the ability to distinguish a shape or printed character
from its background)
3. visual sequencing (the ability to see and distinguish the order of symbols, words or images)
4. visual motor processing (using visual feedback to coordinate body movement)
5. visual memory (the ability to engage in short-term and long-term recall of visual
information)
6. visual closure (the ability to know what an object is when only parts of it are visible)
7. spatial relationships (the ability to understand how objects are positioned in space)

Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities is the term used to describe the characteristics of individuals
who have unique learning and behavioral profiles that may overlap with dyslexia, dyscalculia and
dysgraphia but that differ in significant ways. Most notably, these individuals often have strengths
in the areas of verbal expression, vocabulary, reading, comprehension, auditory memory and
attention to detail. They have trouble with:
1. math computation and problem solving
2. visual-spatial tasks and motor coordination
3. reading body language and social cues; seeing the “big picture” in social and academic
contexts
Executive Functioning Deficits is the term used to describe weaknesses in the ability to plan,
organize, strategize, remember details and manage time and space efficiently. These are hallmark
characteristics in individuals with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and are often
seen in those with LD.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a brain-based disorder that results in
significant inattention, hyperactivity, distractibility or a combination of these characteristics. It is
estimated that as many as one-third of those with LD also have ADHD, and like learning
disabilities, this disorder is linked both to heredity (genetics) as well as to brain structure and
function. Unlike LD, features of this disorder can be attributed to neurochemical imbalances that
can be effectively treated with a combination of behavioral and, as needed, pharmacological
therapies.
Characteristics of Children with Learning

Disabilities

Learning disabilities may also be mild, moderate, or severe. Students differ too, in their coping
skills. According to Bowe (2005), “some learn to adjust to LD so well that they ‘pass’ as not
having a disability, while others struggle throughout their lives to even do ‘simple’ things.

Despite these differences, LD always begins in childhood and always is a life-long condition”
(p.71). Over the years, parents, educators, and other professionals have identified a wide variety
of characteristics associated with learning disabilities (Gargiulo, 2004). One of the earliest profiles,
developed by Clements (1966), includes the following ten frequently cited attributes:

Hyperactivity
Impulsivity
Perceptual-motor impairments
Disorders of memory and thinking
Emotional labiality
Academic difficulties
Coordination problems
Language deficits
Disorders of attention
Equivocal neurological signs

Almost 35 years later, Lerner (2000) identified nine learning and behavioral characteristics of
individuals with learning disabilities:

Disorders of attention
Reading difficulties
Poor motor abilities
Written language difficulties
Oral language difficulties
Social skills deficits
Psychological process deficits
Quantitative disorders
Information processing problems

Additional Readings:

Philippines – Magna Carta for the Disabled: https://dredf.org/legal-advocacy/international-disability-

rights/international-laws/philippines-magna-carta-for-disabled/
Short Description of the Various Exceptionalities:
http://www.gtequity.org/twice/docs/Exceptionalities.pdf
Aim of remedial teaching: https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/curriculum-development/kla/eng-
edu/references-resources/unit_ii_aim_of_remedial_teaching.pdf
References:

Deshler, D.D., (2014). The State of Learning Disabilities. 3rd Edition. National Center for
Learning Disabilities. https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2014-State-of-
LD.pdf

National Education Special Education for Teachers. (n.d.). Characteristics of Children with
Learning Disabilities.
https://www.naset.org/fileadmin/user_upload/LD_Report/Issue__3_LD_Report_Characteristic_o
f_LD.pdf