Knowing the types of learning disabilities that are most likely
to cause students to struggle with writing is essential for anyone
who is teaching writing.
Learning disabilities are neurological problems that interfere
with the brain's information processing abilities. The problems
show up in one or more types of learning blocks.
Here is a short list of some types of learning disabilities whose
symptoms often show up in students' writing.
Input (reception) disabilities
Some learning disabilities impeded information getting into the
brain. We learn primarily through sight and hearing, so any brain
disorder that interferes with vision or hearing can hamper learning.
An auditory recepion disorder makes it hard for a people
to distinguish subtle differences in sounds (phonemes). They hear
the sounds, but cannot distinguish, for example, a T sound from
a D sound. Such problems are worse when there are many sounds clamouring
for attention.
There are several different types of visual reception problems.
In some, people cannot distinguish subtle shape differences in
characters (graphemes). Some people reverse characters, mistaking
a b or a d, for example.
Sometimes folks with visual perception disabilities have no trouble
distinguishing isolated characters, but have problems dealing with
a whole page of text. They may not be able to keep their place
in text or make rows of characters line up. A student
may not be able to use spell check, for example, because he may
not perceive the words in their proper places.
Brain integration disorders
Before a person an use information, the brain has to shape the
information. The brain's internal wiring can cause people to be
unable to sequence information, leaving a student unable
to determine what to do first.
Integration problems may also show up as difficulties with organization.
Inability to keep track of their belongings or of time is a visible
symptom of organizational problems.
Invisible symptoms of integration disorders include an inability
to follow a pattern like the inverted pyramid, which organizes
information in terms of the comprehensiveness of the ideas.
Other symptoms of brain integration disorders are inability to
deal with abstract concepts.
Memory problems
Learning disabilities can interefere with working memory, short-term
memory, or long-term memory.
If a disability interferes with working memory, a students
may not be able to hang on to a thought long enough to put it into
a paragraph.
If a disability interferes with short-term memory, the student
may not be able to remember how when to use its instead of
it's a day after the unit test.
A long-term memory disability could prevent a writer from
remembering how to do a particular writing task from one paper to
the next.
Expressive output problems
Writers not only have to get information into their heads and processed,
they have to get information out on paper.
The writer may have difficulty with the motor skills required
by writing and/or with the mental processes of organizing and
wording a response.
Some types of learning disabilities particularly interfere with
the person's ability to communicate in situations where a response
is demanded. The person may, however, have little problem
when allowed to initiate a message.
Implications for teaching writing
Even a cursory look at types of learning disabilities should show
writing teachers two truths:
If you don't know for sure what is causing a student's struggle
with writing, focus on strategies for teaching someone that
student's particular symptoms. You cannot go too far wrong
that way; you may even do some good.
Deadlines can frazzle any student, but struggling writers are particular susceptible.Learn about teaching time-stress management.
