Learning Support

Learning Support

by Chelsea Preh

Poll

Which learning condition do you know the LEAST about?

• Autism

• ADHD

• Dyslexia

• I don't know any of them!

Multiple Choice

How many students are estimated to have Autism?

• .25%

• 2.5%

• 12.5%

• 25%

​Autism Spectrum Disorder

ASD "affects how people communicate and interact with others, as well as how they behave and learn."

Signs of ASD:

​- avoid eye contact

​- have delayed communication and social skills

​- have difficulty understanding other's emotions

​- rely on routine and rules

​- become upset by minor changes

​- have unexpected reactions to smells/sounds/sights/textures

​- become hyper focused on a topic or object

Superpowers of ASD:

​- expert level understanding and passion for one topic

​- strict adherence to rules and schedules

​-memorizing and learning information quickly, and remembering it!

​- very detail oriented

Draw

Draw your favorite Pokemon!

​Edison (12 years old)

• ​Extremely intelligent

• ​Hyper interested in airplane mechanics - burned himself

• ​Learned best when he could move around the classroom

• ​Became upset when posters advertising events weren't taken down

• ​Lacked social skills to participate in group work without teacher support

​Lucky (15 years old)

• ​Extremely intelligent

• ​Hyper interested in expensive pens

• ​Became upset when he didn't understand other people's thinking or emotions

• ​Lacked social skills to participate in group work without becoming upset

• ​Related to adults better than peers

Multiple Choice

What is the best way to support a student with Autism?

• Have clear routines and follow a consistent schedule in class.

• Give them a lot of group work opportunities.

• Make them give you eye contact when you speak to them.

• Use humor!

Strategies & Interventions

1. Teach time management 

2. Set realistic expectations 

3. Reinforce positive behaviors

4. Give choices for non-preferred activities 

5. Use visuals and social stories 

1. Teach coping skills and calming strategies 

2. Practice transitions

3. Be consistent each day

4. Consider sensory needs

5. Teach self-monitoring and emotion regulation 

Multiple Choice

How many students are estimated to have ADHD?

• 2%

• 5%

• 10%

• 25%

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD "is a condition where differences in brain development and brain activity affect attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control."

Signs of ADHD:

• having a short attention span and being easily distracted

• making careless mistakes – for example, in schoolwork

• appearing forgetful or losing things

• being unable to stick to tasks that are tedious or time-consuming

• appearing to be unable to listen to or carry out instructions

• constantly changing activity or task

• having difficulty organising tasks

• ​being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings

• constantly fidgeting or moving around

• being unable to concentrate on tasks

• excessive talking

• being unable to wait their turn and interrupting conversations

• acting without thinking

Superpowers of ADHD:

​- highly energetic

​- great conversationalists

​- resilient

​-creative

​-spontaneous

​-hyper-focused when in flow

Draw

Draw your best Micky Mouse!

​Jed (13 years old)

• ​Very, very social - had many friends and always wanted to include everyone in conversations and activities.

• ​Very, very happy and engaged when a learning activity was relevant to him.

• ​Prioritized friends over learning, often without realizing it.

• ​Earned lower grades than many of his peers because it was difficult for him to focus for long periods of time.

• Very, very creative thinker who could make connections between ideas in surprising/amazing ways.

• ​Very dry sense of humor that would be expressed in his writings or during class discussions that kept everyone engaged.

• ​Difficulty maintaining friendships due to his hyperactive behavior.

• ​Shouted out frequently in class without realizing it.

​Gray (13 years old)

Multiple Choice

What is the best way to support a student with ADHD?

• Help them to learn how to remain still.

• Incorporate frequent breaks into learning.

• Discipline them each time they shout out so they learn quickly.

• Do not communicate issues with the family, as it will add stress.

Strategies & Interventions

• Be Simple, Clear, and Direct

• Break Things Up

• Reward Good Behavior

• ​Allow movement breaks

• ​Allow student to move while learning

• Build a Strong Relationship with the Child's Parents

• Allow Extensions

• Establish Effective Seating Arrangements

• Establish Rules and Routines

Multiple Choice

How many students are estimated to have Dyslexia?

• .2%

• 2%

• 12%

• 20%

​Dyslexia

"a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words."

Signs of Dyslexia:

• Difficulty reading, including reading aloud

• Slow and labor-intensive reading and writing

• Problems spelling

• Avoiding activities that involve reading

• Mispronouncing names or words, or problems retrieving words

• ​Spending an unusually long time completing tasks that involve reading or writing

• Difficulty summarizing a story

• Trouble learning a foreign language

• Difficulty memorizing

• Difficulty doing math problems

Superpowers of Dyslexia:

• Good problem solvers.

• Creative.

• Observant.

• High levels of empathy.

• Excellent big-picture thinkers.

• Good at making connections.

• Three-dimensional thinking.

Poll

Who is your favorite?

• Tom Cruise (actor)

• Jim Carrey (actor)

• Picasso (artist)

• John Lennon (musician)

​Luna (7 years old)

• Very, very sweet girl who was always smiling and excited to learn.

• ​Very funny sense of humor!

• ​Could not distinguish letters no matter how much she practiced.

​Jude (13 years old)

• ​Very passionate person - when he became interested in something, he would spend hours researching it!

• ​Difficulty spelling and learning new language.

• ​Had a feeling of inadequacy in some academic pursuits, but this changed after having a new teacher.

Multiple Choice

What is the best way to support a student with Dyslexia?

• Make them practice reading in front of the class.

• Make them write by hand frequently to practice.

• Allow them take notes during a lesson.

• Allow them to give oral answers rather than written answers on tests.

Interventions & Strategies

• Provide an outline or notes of a lesson.

• ​Download and use the "Dyslexie" font for reading assignments.

• Encourage students to use text-to-voice apps for reading assignments.

• ​Provide a balanced range of activities - listening, speaking, doing - in addition to writing and reading.

• Allow students to type or give oral answers rather than write by hand when possible.

• ​Grade student work based on content, not spelling/writing mistakes.

• ​Choose one reading or writing skill at a time to practice so that it is not overwhelming for the student.