LD vs. low achievement

Christine here's one tip to help determine whether a student is LD and not just a slow learner (low IQ). I presume your criteria for LD is a good IQ and poor achievement. Students who have good ability (IQ) will catch onto abstract concepts in class quicker than those with lower IQ's. In math you see it right away in the early grades, like in grade 2 understanding the concept of equivalency (regrouping), not just the rote method for borrowing and carrying. And in English, being able to do generalizations and inferencing. Hope that helps.
-Bob

Christine A. wrote:
>
> I am a 2nd grade teacher and have been a member of my
> school's Student Study Team (SST) for the past few years. I
> have become increasingly interested in the eligibility
> process for special education services and how students
> qualify, particularly students who may have specific learning
> disabilities. It seems at my school and in my district, many
> students are suspected of having learning disabilities and
> are brought to the SST. The SST determines whether or not
> these students should be tested to determine eligibility for
> special education services. I often have difficulty
> determining (without testing) which students are low
> achievers and which have a specific learning disability.
> Even when students are tested (IQ and achievement), I cannot
> see a great distinction academically or behaviorally between
> students who qualify and those who do not. As a result we
> have many students who struggle year after year to meet grade
> level standards but cannot qualify for services. Any
> insights? Any studies?
>
> Thanks

That sure doesn’t apply to NLD children. They often have at least high-average IQ’s, and abstract reasoning and inferential comprehension are two of their weakest areas. They are often great at decoding and simple mathematical procedures.

Karen

Not to mention spelling and vocabulary! =)

Kathy G.

Karen Randall wrote:
>
> That sure doesn’t apply to NLD children. They often have at
> least high-average IQ’s, and abstract reasoning and
> inferential comprehension are two of their weakest areas.
> They are often great at decoding and simple mathematical
> procedures.
>
> Karen

IQ tests on kids with learning differences should produce a scatter pattern. The scores should not be uniformly low or be all within close range of each other but rather show a fairly wide range with highs and some lows. The IQ socre itself does not reveal a learning disability but the sub scores most certainly should.

I often don’t have testing to go on and I often have to make a guess on observation alone. But the same pattern presents even from observation. I see things the child is quite capable of doing and see other areas where it’s like the kid hit a wall.

If you watch the child closely, you can see the presentation of the learning difference.

I also think that if classroom teachers were open and willing to modify and accomodate within the classroom and address the needs of ld kids in that venue, special services outside the classroom would not be quite as important. In my own school, an independent school, we are rarely allowed to request testing and we have no resource room, so I work within my classroom to help every child be successful in it. The willingness to be flexible is key.

If every classroom teacher would allow even the one accomodation of alternative testing, fewer of these kids, identified or not, would struggle through school.

Hoo Raa! I totally agree about the testing. My son is a smart guy, he has a really tough time showing what he knows on tests.

My son too is labeled a slow learner. 2 IQ tests, WISC III-overall IQ, 70. Kaufman Brief Test-Overall IQ 80. He has struggled his whole life to keep up academically. Is now 17, will be a senior in high school. Testing was not done until age 16, after I demanded it. He does not fit LD or special ed criteria. My district did place him on a 504 though. Will some moderate accomidations in reg.ed classes. His hardest times are in Math. In California you need Algebra to graduate. He has yet to pass it. On the NLD, do you feel 10 point difference between verbal and nonverbal IQ is enough to justify NLD? Both IQ tests he has a 10 pt.difference exactly. Thanks for any advice of suggestions you can give.

I could be wrong but I think what qualifies a child for services can vary from state to state, even from district to district.

It bothers me that algebra is required for a student to graduate. I think of algebra as pretty sophisticated material and material than can be very hard for some kids to learn. I’m also not sure that we deserve to be denied a high school diploma because we’re uncertain with algebra.

could your son do it in a summer? Summer courses have fewer students in them and he might find it more comprehensible in a smaller classroom.

There are also correspondence high schools that can be easily found these days by doing a search on the web.
Good luck.