7. Breakdown in Pathways
• General way of explaining what a learning
disability is - breakdown or slowdown of
pathways that process, interpret, express
information
8. Learning Disabilities:
A new definition
Learning Disabilities Association of
Ontario (LDAO)
2001
9. “Learning Disabilities” refers to a variety of
disorders that affect the
acquisition,
retention,
understanding
organization
or use of
verbal and/or non-verbal information
10. These disorders result from impairments in
one or more psychological processes
related to learning,
in combination with otherwise average
abilities essential for thinking and
reasoning.
11. “Psychological Processes” - An evolving list
that has focused on functions such as:
• phonological processing
• memory and attention
• processing speed
12. Learning disabilities are specific not global
impairments and as such are distinct from
intellectual disabilities.
13. Learning disabilities range in severity and
invariable interfere with the acquisition and
use of one or more of the following
important skills:
• Oral language
(e.g., listening, speaking, understanding)
• Reading (e.g., decoding, comprehension)
• Written language (e.g., spelling, written
expression)
• Mathematics (e.g., computation, problem
solving)
14. Learning disabilities may also cause
difficulties with organizational skills, social
perception and social interaction.
15. The impairments are generally life-long.
However, their effects may be expressed
differently over time, depending on the
match between the demands of the
environment and the individual’s
characteristics.
16. Common Elements Regardless of
Definition
• Neurological dysfunction
• Uneven growth pattern and psychological
processing deficits
• Difficulty in academic and learning tasks
• Discrepancy between achievement and
potential
• Exclusion of other causes
17. Now we have a sense of what a LD is
• How do we assess one?
18.
19.
20. The Family as a System
• All members of the “system” affect, and are
affected by, other members of the system
• “non-linear cause and effect” for what
happens within the system
• parental reactions
• Reactions of siblings
21. Preview Social Emotional Aspects of
Learning Disabilities
• Proportion of Adults with LD who also have
Social-Emotional Concerns
• What May Cause Social-Emotional Concerns in
Individuals with LD
– Primary Social Disability
– Shame
– Family System Variables
• Implications
22. What Proportion of Adults with LD
Require Counselling Support?
Estimates vary, but based on research and
clinical experience, we estimate that
20--25% need significant degree of social-
emotional intervention.
Additional 20--25% could benefit from mild
degree of intervention/ support
23. Why Social-Emotional Difficulties
• Primary “Social Disability”
• Secondary effect of the LD: Feelings of shame
affecting self-image and self-esteem
• “Learned Helplessness” - Family and School
Environment
24. Primary Social Disability
• Difficulties at the input, integration, or output
level(s) of information processing
• Attention and social perception
• Language processing
• Impulsivity and lack of reflectivity
25. Why/How do Feelings of Shame
Develop?
• Not living up to an idealized standard
• Perceived failure despite effort
• Stigma of LD label
• Invisibility of LD
• Family System Variables
26. How Can Shame Manifest in Adults
with LDs?
• Lack of trust
• Anger
• Isolation
• Bravado
• Reluctance to Take Risks
• Reluctance to Seek Help
27. Implications for Support
• If social difficulties are due to Primary Social
Disability,
– Teach social skills, provide opportunities for
positive peer interaction
• If social difficulties are due to Feelings of
Shame related to the LD,
– Individual counselling
– Re-evaluate the teaching/learning environment
28. Implications for Support, cont’d
• If social difficulties are due to issues in Family
Relationships,
– Consider family counselling to deal with
unresolved problem
• Often, the social-emotional concerns are due
to a combination of factors and may require a
combination of treatment strategies
29. Good News
• Growth is an on-going processes
• Counseling has been demonstrated to be
effective
• Close peer friendships are helpful
• As an adult have choices - we can make
supportive reliances
