MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Teacher Education

LESSON II: LEARNERS WITH LEARNING DISABILITY

Children with LD are not stupid or lazy. In fact, they

usually have average or above average intelligence,
but their brains process information differently. A
learning disability affects the way kids of average to
above average intelligence receives, process, or
express information. Even if the person learns to
compensate and, in effect, overcomes the disorder,
the difference in brain processing lasts throughout
life.

(https://www.naset.org/index.php?id=2522)

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson the student must

have:
1. differentiated the kinds of Learning
Disability
2. identified the causes of Learning
Disability

Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines

 cte@mmsu.edu.ph  (077) 600-2014 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education

Activating Prior Knowledge

Read about the life of Keanu Reeves and fill in the table.

Keanu Reeves- Dyslexic Superstar

https://www.ldrfa.org/famous-dyslexics-keanu-reeves-dyslexic-superstar/

Give 3 things you’ve Give 2 things you still Give 1 question you
learned from Keanu want to learn about want to ask about
Reeves learning disabilities learning disability

Content Input
Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines
 cte@mmsu.edu.ph  (077) 600-2014 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education

Learners with Learning Disability

What is Learning Disability? (https://ldaamerica.org/types-of-learning-disabilities/)

Learning disabilities are due to genetic and/or

neurobiological factors that alter brain functioning in
a manner which affects one or more cognitive
processes related to learning. These processing
problems can interfere with learning basic skills such
as reading, writing and/or math.  They can also
interfere with higher level skills such as organization,
time planning, abstract reasoning, long or short-term
memory and attention.  It is important to realize that
learning disabilities can affect an individual’s life beyond academics and can impact
relationships with family, friends and in the workplace.

Since difficulties with reading, writing and/or math are recognizable problems
during the school years, the signs and symptoms of learning disabilities are most
often diagnosed during that time.  However, some individuals do not receive an
evaluation until they are in post-secondary education or adults in the workforce. 
Other individuals with learning disabilities may never receive an evaluation and go
through life, never knowing why they have difficulties with academics and why they
may be having problems in their jobs or in relationships
with family and friends.

Learning disabilities should not be confused with

learning problems which are primarily the result of visual,
hearing, or motor handicaps; of intellectual disability; of
emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural or
economic disadvantages.

Generally, people with learning disabilities are of

average or above average intelligence. There often appears to be a gap between the
individual’s potential and actual achievement. This is why learning disabilities are
referred to as “hidden disabilities”: the person looks perfectly “normal” and seems
to be a very bright and intelligent person, yet may be unable to demonstrate the skill
level expected from someone of a similar age.

Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines

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 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
A learning disability cannot be cured or fixed; it is a lifelong challenge.
However, with appropriate support and intervention, people with learning
disabilities can achieve success in school, at work, in relationships, and in the
community.

Federal law, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the
term is “specific learning disability,” one of 13 categories of disability under that law.
“Learning Disabilities” is an “umbrella” term describing a number of other,
more specific learning disabilities, such as dyslexia and dysgraphia.

Types of Learning Disability

1. Dyscalculia- A specific learning disability that affects a person’s ability to

understand numbers and learn math facts.
 Affects a person’s ability to understand numbers and learn math facts.
 Individuals with this type of learning disability demonstrate impaired math
calculation skills and difficulty
understanding numbers and math facts.
 Dyscalculia is associated with weaknesses
in fundamental number representation
and processing, which results in
difficulties with quantifying sets without
counting, using nonverbal processes to
complete simple numerical operations,
and estimating relative magnitudes of
sets.
 Because these math skills are necessary for higher-level math problem
solving, quantitative reasoning is likely impaired for these individuals.

2. Dysgraphia- A specific learning disability that affects a person’s handwriting ability

and fine motor skills.
 Affects a person’s handwriting ability and
fine motor skills.

 Dysgraphia is a learning disability which

involves impaired ability to produce
legible and automatic letter writing and
often numeral writing, the latter of which
may interfere with math.

 Dysgraphia is rooted in difficulty with storing and automatically retrieving

letters and numerals.

Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines

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 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
 Individuals with dysgraphia often have difficulties in Executive Functions (e.g.,
planning and organizing).

3. Dyslexia- A specific learning disability that affects reading and related language-
based processing skills.
 Affects reading and related language-based processing skills.

 Dyslexia is characterized by deficits in accurate and fluent word recognition.

 Individuals with dyslexia struggle with word

recognition, decoding, and spelling.

 Reading comprehension is sometimes

impaired due to very poor word reading
skills.

 Individuals with dyslexia often have deficits

in phonemic and phonological awareness, which refer to the ability to hear,
identify and manipulate the sound structure of a spoken word, including its
phonemes, syllables, onsets and rimes.

 Individuals with dyslexia may also have impaired orthographic processing,

which interferes with connecting letters and letter combinations with sounds
accurately and fluently.
Three Criteria in Determining the Presence of Learning Disabilities

1. Severe Discrepancy Between the Child’s Potential and Actual Achievement

 Learning disabilities is present when mental ability tests and standardized
achievement in school. There are pieces of evidence of a discrepancy
score of the following areas: oral expression, listening comprehension,
reading comprehension, written comprehension, basic reading skills,
mathematics calculation, reasoning.
 Children may show learning difficulties that are minor or temporary, in
which case a true learning disability is not present. This means that when
learning disabilities are present, they are neither minor nor temporary.
The degree of discrepancy is such that special education is needed. The
manifest specific and severe learning problems despite regular education
efforts.
2. Exclusion or Absence of Mental Retardation, Sensory Impairment and Other
Disabilities

Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines

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 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
 The exclusion criterion means that the child has significant problems that
cannot be explained by mental retardation, sensory impairment like low
vision, blindness, hearing impairment, emotional disturbance or lack of
opportunity to learn.
3. Need for Special Education Services
 Teaching the child with learning disabilities involves strategies that are
unique, uncommon and of unusual quality. The strategies supplement the
organizational and instructional procedures used with majority of the
children in regular schools. This criterion is meant to keep children who
have not had the opportunity to learn from being classified as learning
disabled.

Causes of Learning Disability (https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ti/node/1955)

The causes of learning disabilities are attributed to genetic and
environmental factors. The genetic factors refer to the characteristics that are
inherited through genes, chromosomes and deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA. Over the
years, genetic researches show that learning disabilities tend to run in families and
heredity is a possible cause. Studies of identical or monozygotic twins, where one
fertilized egg cell splits and develops into two separate embryos, show that when
pone twin has a reading disability, the other twin is more likely also to have a reading
disability. Identical twins possess the same physical and mental traits. However,
research shows that this is not true in the case of fraternal or dizygotic twins where
two egg cells are fertilized and develop into two distinct embryos. Fraternal twins
carry different physical and mental traits.
Learning disabilities are caused by something affecting the development of
the brain. This may occur before birth (prenatally), during birth, or in early
childhood. Learning disabilities can be caused by any one of a variety of factors, or by
a combination. Sometimes the specific cause is not known. Possible causes include
the following:

 An inherited condition, meaning that certain genes passed from the parents
affected the brain development, for example Fragile X.
 Chromosome abnormalities such as Down’s syndrome or Turner syndrome.
 Complications during birth resulting in a lack of oxygen to the brain.
 A very premature birth.
 Mother’s illness during pregnancy.
 The mother drinking during pregnancy, for example
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
 A debilitating illness or injury in early childhood
affecting brain development, for example a road
traffic accident or child abuse.
 Contact with damaging material (like radiation).

Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines

 cte@mmsu.edu.ph  (077) 600-2014 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education
 Neglect, and/or a lack of mental stimulation early in life.
 Some people with learning disabilities have additional physical disabilities
and/or sensory impairments.

Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines

 cte@mmsu.edu.ph  (077) 600-2014 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education

Check for Understanding

Activity 1

Research on the vignette of persons with learning disability and write their
contributions to society.

Persons with Learning Disability Their Contributions in the Society

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Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines

 cte@mmsu.edu.ph  (077) 600-2014 www.mmsu.edu.ph
 MARIANO MARCOS STATE UNIVERSITY
College of Teacher Education

Activity 2

How much did you learn about learning disabilities? Find out by answering the
following question.
1. What are the major concepts in the definition of learning disabilities?
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2. In what way or ways is learning disabilities different from mental retardation?
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3. Enumerate the learning and behavior characteristics of students with learning
disabilities.
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4. What are the causes of learning disabilities? Explain each of them.
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Castro Ave., Laoag City, 2900 Ilocos Norte, Philippines

 cte@mmsu.edu.ph  (077) 600-2014 www.mmsu.edu.ph