Learning Disabilities In Online Training: 10 Facts eLearning Professionals Should Know

1. Prevalence of Learning Disabilities: It is estimated that around 15-20% of the population has some form of learning disability. eLearning professionals must recognize that a significant portion of their audience may require additional support.

2. Diverse Needs: Learning disabilities can vary greatly; dyslexia, ADHD, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia are among the most common. Each condition presents unique challenges and necessitates different accommodations in an online training environment.

3. Lack of Visible Signs: Unlike physical disabilities, learning disabilities are not always apparent. This can lead to misunderstandings and a lack of support for affected learners unless they disclose their conditions.

4. Technology as a Tool: Assistive technologies like text-to-speech software, speech-to-text tools, and interactive multimedia can significantly aid learners with disabilities by enhancing accessibility and engagement.

5. Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Implementing UDL principles means designing online courses in a flexible way that allows all students to learn in the way that suits them best. This includes providing content in multiple formats (text, audio, video) and offering various methods of assessment.

6. Legal Obligations: Under various laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act’s Section 504, eLearning platforms are required to provide reasonable accommodations for learners with disabilities.

7. Early Identification Is Critical: The sooner learning disabilities are identified, the sooner appropriate interventions can be implemented. Online training programs should have mechanisms to help identify at-risk learners.

8. Collaboration Is Key: Working with disability services experts can help eLearning professionals understand how to create inclusive content and address specific needs.

9. Training and Awareness: eLearning teams should be trained on how to recognize signs of learning disabilities and how to make online resources more accessible.

10. Continuous Feedback Loop: Establishing a system where learners can provide feedback on accessibility is crucial for continuous improvement of online training programs. This ensures that adaptations keep pace with evolving learner needs and technological advancements.

Understanding these ten facts helps eLearning professionals create inclusive online environments conducive to the success of all learners, regardless of any learning disability they may have.

20 Ways to Simplify Difficult Concepts for Struggling Learners

Are you looking for ways to simplify difficult concepts for struggling learners? If so, keep reading.

1. Utilize several modalities (e.g., auditory, visual, tactile, etc.) when presenting instructions, explanations, and instructional content . Ascertain which modality is stronger and utilize that modality.

2. Utilize concrete examples of experiences in teaching ideas and sharing information with the students.

3. Daily, examine those skills, ideas, tasks, etc., that have been previously introduced.

4. Utilize images, diagrams, the smartboard, and gestures when delivering information orally.

5. Praise the learner for listening to what is said: (a) give the learner a concrete reward (e.g., classroom privileges, line leading, five minutes free time, passing out learning materials, etc.) or (b) give the learner an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

6. Get the learner to repeat or rephrase what is said to them to ascertain what they heard.

7. Praise the learner for listening carefully based on the duration of time the learner can be successful. As the learner shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.

8. Converse with the learner to explain (a) what they are doing wrong (e.g., failing to listen carefully) and (b) what the learner should be doing (e.g., listening carefully).

9. Assess the difficulty level of information orally delivered to the learner (i.e., information should be communicated on the learner’s capacity and ability level).

10. Get the learner to question any directions, explanations, instructions, etc.; they do not understand.

11. Provide the learner with instructions, explanations, or presentations of ideas. As the learner shows success, slowly increase the length of the instructions, explanations, or presentations of ideas.

12. Provide a consistent format for the delivery of oral instructions.

13. Make sure the learner is paying attention to the source of information (e.g., making eye contact, hands are free of writing learning materials, looking at the task, etc.).

14. Give the learner written directions and instructions to supplement oral directions and instructions.

15. Place emphasis on or repeat word endings, keywords, etc.

16. Talk concisely when delivering directions, explanations, and instructions.

17. Put the learner near the source of information.

18. Minimize distracting stimuli (e.g., noise and motion in the classroom) to enable the learner’s capacity and ability to listen successfully.

19. Separate at crucial points when delivering directions, explanations, and instructions to ascertain the learner’s comprehension.

20. Provide directions, explanations, and instructions at an appropriate rate.

21. Use digital storytelling to help struggling learners grasp new concepts.

22. Use gamification to help struggling learners grasp new concepts.

Helping Middle School Children With Dyslexia Study

As children progress through the education system, studying becomes more complex, involved, and challenging. Middle school studying is complicated for all learners since different teachers schedule their tests at different times. 

The material is also more complex, which means more effort is required to commit it to memory. Children with dyslexia face another obstacle when studying, and they often find the task to be almost impossible.

Let’s take a look at how you can help your middle school child with dyslexia achieve effective and meaningful study. Read on for more. 

Determine the Amount of Study Time Needed

Children with dyslexia will generally take more time to study than their peers. Continuous decoding issues can slow a child down, and if they experience problems with reading comprehension or working memory, they might need more repetition and practice to retain information. 

Be sure to talk with your child about the amount of time they think they will need to prepare for a test. Then, work together to create a study schedule that is achievable and effective and that works for both of you. 

If your child needs to take breaks during their study sessions, factor those in, as well. Pushing beyond their limits might lead to frustration, lower productivity, and increased anxiety about the upcoming test. 

Incorporate Visual Elements

Memorizing information simply by reading it can be difficult for children with dyslexia, which is why adding a visual element to the study process can be beneficial. For the sake of this article, let’s say that your child has a test on the oceans’ cycles. 

They could make a presentation of the critical facts to study from or a slideshow with narration. For history tests, your child could develop a visual timeline of the main events pertaining to the test. 

Working with visuals can help your child connect more deeply with the material they are studying. 

Use Software to Organize Notes

A great tool to help your child structure their writing is graphic organizers, and they can also help children with dyslexia convert their notes into a format that is easier to read. For example, your child can use this software to create visual notes. 

Some programs will allow your child to hide and show their notes so that they can test themself. Others will provide text-to-speech functions that enable them to hear their notes as they read along with the narration. 

Technology can be a fantastic tool for helping your child cope with their dyslexia and achieve more effective studying. 

Concluding Thoughts

Dyslexia does not have to cripple your child’s ability to study effectively. It doesn’t have to be a hindrance at all. Be sure to use the tips mentioned above, and your child will be studying like a pro in no time.

How Learning Differences Can Affect Spelling

There are plenty of children, adolescents, and adults who struggle with spelling for different reasons. This is not surprising, as spelling is a complex activity that simultaneously uses many different skills. 

When spelling, we have to think about how words sound and then transfer said sounds to paper or a computer. We have to commit a plethora of rules to memory and then memorize the exceptions to said rules while also choosing between different words pronounced the same way. 

Let’s take a look at how various learning differences can affect spelling. Read on for more. 

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a learning difference that primarily affects reading, making it challenging to isolate word sounds, match said sounds to letters, and blend sounds into words. Learning how to spell can be even more challenging than learning how to read for those with dyslexia. 

Folks with dyslexia generally confuse letters with identical sounds, and vowels can be particularly challenging. They may change up the order of letters or misspell common sight words, even with plenty of practice. 

Teaching phonics rules to people with dyslexia can help form a strong foundation that connects letter sounds with their symbols. Focusing on word structure, history, and meaning can also be beneficial. 

ADHD

In essence, ADHD makes paying attention difficult. It also influences organization, impulse control, and other skills that are known as executive functions. Not only that, but people with ADHD can also struggle to spell. 

Having difficulty spelling can make it challenging for those with ADHD to notice when they have made a spelling mistake. They might use the wrong letters, leave letters out, or write them in the incorrect order. 

ADHD can also make it more challenging to commit spelling rules and words to memory. It can also make it difficult for the brain to organize and retrieve information effectively. 

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is a challenge when writing that makes it challenging to write legibly and at speed appropriate for one’s age. Many people with dysgraphia find it difficult to write down their thoughts, which is sometimes known as a disorder of written expression. 

People with dysgraphia find it challenging to put their words onto paper, either by typing or writing. They may not remember how to write a word or how to hold a pencil properly. They might also misspell the same word in different ways. 

Getting past this involves working on the fine motor skills used when writing and typing, as well as using slant boards and pencil grips to promote neater writing. 

Concluding Thoughts

Computer spelling programs can be fantastic tools for those who need help with spelling, but they won’t help improve spelling skills. It’s better to work on building a solid foundation first.

Helping Dyslexic Children Learn Sight Words

Children who have dyslexia have trouble when it comes to picking up sight words. It is not always as easy for them to be able to decode the words that they see, and they may often struggle with this process more than other students. 

It is important to know that sight words play a crucial role in the reading development process. Thankfully, you can make this process easier for them and help make sure that they can learn sight words. Let’s take a look at how you can do this. 

Break the Words Up For Them

The first thing that you will need to do is break up the sight word for them. By doing so, you will be able to help them understand these words better. The truth about dyslexia is that you can help your child learn better with the right kind of support. 

Make sure that you’re putting in the effort to help them. Break up the words by how they look, help them spell the words, focus on the vowels, and do anything else that can help them learn. 

Use Mnemonics

If there is one thing that works amazingly, it is the use of mnemonics. These will help your child remember sight words even better. For instance, to help them remember the spelling of “separate”, they can learn that “there is a rat in separate”.

Help them come up with the right kind of mnemonics for their learning. It will take time, but it will turn out to be very helpful when it comes to their learning. There are plenty of tools and apps for students with learning disabilities to help them get a hold of sight words better. 

Make Use Of Pictures

Children can learn better with the use of visual aids, so when you’re trying to help them to learn sight words, try to make use of pictures, as well. Doing so will help them make a better connection to what they are reading or looking at. 

Illustrations added to flashcards or used in conjunction with them are a great way to start. On top of that, you can switch things up when they get used to learning the words with the illustrations. 

Concluding Thoughts

You can do many different things to help your child with dyslexia learn sight words more easily. 
For instance, there is a collection of sight words songs that you can use for dyslexic children. Whatever method you choose, make sure you cover all the options available for your child to improve their learning.

How To Help Your Child With Dysgraphia

It can get especially challenging for parents whose children have dysgraphia. These children struggle with writing, making it more difficult for parents to help their children with their writing skills. This inability to write properly puts them behind the rest of their peers in school, and eventually, they will feel left out or left behind. 

Make Them Feel What They Write

Allowing your children to feel the letters they are supposed to be writing down can help them learn the formation of letters

You can help them understand different letters through straightforward and fun activities that you and your child can enjoy. You can trace a letter on their palm or their back and ask them to write the letter down on paper or trace it on your back. 

You can make it more challenging for them by tracing a capital letter on their palm and asking them to write the lowercase letter for that letter and vice versa.

Write Bigger

It is challenging for kids with dysgraphia to remember how letters are formed. However, therapists have found a way to make it easier for children to remember how to form letters. In this process, children write in a way that uses large motor movements.

A home remedy for this problem is to let children spray letters on the wall using shaving cream when they take a bath. Another way is to let them spread the cream on the wall and then allow them to use this cream to make letters on the wall. Using damp sand in a plastic tub is a good way to practice, as well. To increase sensory input, finger paint can be mixed with the sand.

Use Clay

Clay is a perfect reusable material to help with dysgraphia. As it has a smooth texture, it is very responsive and adaptable, so even when a small mistake is made, it can be corrected. 

Clay can be rolled into ropes and then used to produce letters. The use of clay also enhances hand strength and emphasizes improving fine motor skills. It can help children remember the shape of the letters better, as well. 

Another effective method is to place the clay on a cookie sheet and smooth it out. Then, ask your child to form letters on this surface with the help of a pencil. This way, the child’s brain is receptive to the sensory output that informs how the letters are formed. 

Concluding Thoughts

With a few helpful methods, your child can develop good writing skills. Good writing skills will help them become better readers as they understand phonetics and gain familiarity with the words.

How Dyslexia Affects Certain Skills

While most people know about dyslexia and how it can affect your reading skills, other skills are affected by dyslexia. Some of the essential skills it may affect are the ability to build self-esteem and other social skills.

Read with us to see what other skills can be affected by dyslexia which most people overlook.

Affecting Social Skills

There are up to 5 ways dyslexia can affect social skills and make life a bit more difficult for those who have dyslexia.

  1. Because people with dyslexia are struggling to read, this causes them to know fewer words than other people. This may lead them not to understand a joke or may have difficulty understanding puns and idioms.
  2. They may also find it challenging to find the right words when expressing themselves, leading to frustration. This may especially happen when the conversation is fast, and they struggle to find the right word that fits their mood.
  3. Those with dyslexia may have difficulty reading body language and facial expressions, so they cannot determine how others feel. This may become a problem for them when they miss social cues and feel incompetent and unable to cope with everyday life.
  4. Sending messages to friends on their phones may be difficult because they do not understand the abbreviations used. This may cause them to shy away from social media on their phone and may be seen as anti-social by others.
  5. People with dyslexia also tend to misremember things, so they cannot understand what people meant when saying something. They will have a hard time remembering specific details and how things were said, so they may keep to themselves and be alone to prevent embarrassment.

Other Affects Dyslexia May Have

There are several other things dyslexia may have an effect on for those who struggle with this disability.

  • Making and keeping friends may be a problem for them because many people do not understand them.
  • They can also sometimes not tell left from right, making them look dumb, and people may laugh at them.
  • People with dyslexia may have difficulty staying on the topic because of their lack of social words.
  • They may also have a problem with rhyming, making them look foolish, especially in the classroom.

Self-Esteem

Self-esteem may be the biggest problem with people with dyslexia, which may cause them to withdraw into a corner. This will cause other problems such as not feeling ready to go to school and face other children and the teachers.

Concluding Thoughts

There are so many other skills in a person with dyslexia that can be affected by it and not just reading. These people have more challenges on a typical day that other people don’t even know about, making their social lives stressful.

Finding Solutions for Kids Who Struggle With Reading

Many people struggle with reading. This is caused by many different factors. It could be dyslexia, autism, or difficulty with sound recognition. There have been numerous research and solutions offered by professionals to help those with reading-related concerns. All the experts agree that early diagnosis and intervention are the keys to solving or managing these issues. To this day, doctors continue to work together to find solutions for kids who struggle with reading

Dyslexia

People with dyslexia are often thought to be at a disadvantage because of the difficulties they have with reading. They have difficulty recognizing letters, so they have no idea how to put these symbols together to form words. Dyslexia varies in severity, but symptoms start at the age when children start to read. 

Problems with Processing Sounds

Speech and reading experts have associated problems with hearing sounds and reading delays and disorders. Processing sounds is different from hearing. Hearing has to do with acknowledging the presence of sounds, while processing sounds has to do with discriminating between the sounds of the letters of the alphabet. Pediatricians and reading experts usually recommend reciting nursery rhymes because it helps children recognize letter sounds even before they speak their first word.

Brain Imaging Helps with Assessment

A machine called an magnetoencephalography (M.E.G.) machine, developed by Dr. Andrew Papanicolau, was designed to locate the part of the brain that is responsible for or involved with speech. Throughout their research and experiments, Dr. Papanicolau’s team found information that was related to reading. They found that when using the M.R.G., the right side of the brain was activated—more activated than the normal reader. This is known to be a signature of dyslexia. Keep in mind that the M.E.G. is just one example of a machine that was developed to take images of the brain. This process is just one part of the entire assessment process.

Interventions for Children

Specific kinds of intensive reading instruction are designed to address reading delays and disorders. The intervention programs are not one size fits all—each one will be tailored-fit to address a child’s unique concerns and goals. These interventions can include specialized tutorials at a reading and speech clinic to be followed-up by activities at home with parents. Results are most impressive when professionals and caregivers work together to help the child.

Teachers, parents, speech, and reading specialists need to work together because reading is an activity that involves the entire brain. It has to do with looking at letters, recognizing the letters, associating it with a sound, forming letters into words and then sentences into paragraphs—all to make sense of what is written on a piece of paper.

The Emotional Toll

There is much talk about reading delays and difficulties, but we often overlook the emotional toll it takes on those who have reading difficulties. People who struggle with reading might feel embarrassed and insecure and cover it up by acting funny, being withdrawn, or even acting out. They might feel judged by their peers, teachers, and family and feel embarrassed to even reach out for help.

Early Intervention is Key

At 3 to 4 years old, some reading problems start to show themselves. Parents and caregivers who have some concerns should not think twice about consulting professionals, even if it’s just to rule out any disorders. In an ideal setting, a supportive team of doctors, teachers, and parents work together to implement interventions and monitor the progress of the child. There are celebrities and public figures that have come forward with their stories to give a voice to those who are struggling and encourage them (or anyone they know who needs it) to get the help that they need. Interventions for children with autism can help others who may not have autism but have difficulties with reading comprehension.

Teaching With Trauma

Trauma has been identified as a major challenge in the field of education. One study found that up to 48% of teachers have experienced at least one traumatic event (Foucault-Laroche et al., 2013). This raises several questions about how best to approach teaching traumatized students.

One of the first considerations is to understand the nature of trauma. Trauma can be broadly defined as an experience that is outside the norm, upsetting, and life-threatening (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This can include physical or sexual abuse, witnessing violence, or experiencing a natural disaster.

There are several ways to approach teaching students who have experienced trauma. One option is to provide a supportive environment. This can involve providing a safe space for students to talk about their experiences, providing support and resources, and providing a positive attitude. Another approach is to provide specific instruction related to trauma. This can involve teaching students how to deal with stress, cope with anger, or handle traumatic memories.

Either approach is likely to be challenging. One of the main challenges is that traumatized students often have difficulty regulating their emotions. This can make it difficult for them to listen and follow directions. It can also make it difficult for them to learn.

Fortunately, several strategies can help. One strategy is to provide structure. This can involve setting clear expectations, providing clear instructions, and providing regular feedback. Another strategy is to provide support. This can involve providing emotional support, providing physical support, or both. Finally, it is important to provide positive reinforcement. This can include giving students positive feedback, awarding them points for good performance, or providing rewards for completing tasks.

In summary, teaching with trauma is a challenging task. However, with the right strategies, it can be manageable.

The Many Benefits of Strengths-Based IEPs

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are designed to support the education and development of students with disabilities. However, traditional IEPs often focus on students’ deficits and weaknesses rather than their strengths and potential. A strengths-based approach to IEPs focuses on students’ abilities, skills, and potential for growth and success.

A strengths-based IEP can help increase motivation and engagement in the learning process by focusing on students’ strengths. Students who understand and value their strengths are more likely to be invested in their success and more motivated to participate in their education.

A strengths-based IEP can help improve students’ self-esteem and confidence by highlighting their abilities and potential. This can lead to a more positive attitude towards learning and a greater sense of self-worth.

A strengths-based approach to IEPs encourages collaboration between teachers and students. Teachers and students work together to identify strengths and set goals based on the student’s abilities and potential rather than focusing on their weaknesses.

Students can better utilize their abilities and succeed by focusing on their strengths. This can improve academic performance, better behavior, and a more positive learning experience.

A strengths-based approach to IEPs can also lead to improved teacher satisfaction. Teachers who focus on students’ strengths are more likely to see positive results in the classroom and feel more motivated to support their students. A strengths-based IEP can help prepare students for success in post-secondary education and employment by highlighting their abilities and potential. This can make the transition to adulthood smoother and more successful.

A strengths-based approach to IEPs can benefit students with disabilities and their teachers. Focusing on students’ abilities and potential can improve motivation and engagement, self-esteem and confidence, academic performance, and the overall quality of the educational experience. By taking a strengths-based approach to IEPs, educators can help students with disabilities reach their full potential and prepare them for success in the future.