Learning Difference Workshop - The University of Auckland - Part 3

Developmental dyspraxia & sensory processing

by Emma Ratcliff from Kidz Therapy.

Developmental coordination disorder = dyspraxia.

It’s about organisation and coordination, not just letters/numbers.

Dyspraxis is about - Idea of what it is I need to do, planning to do something, and execution of that plan.

Children with dyspraxia can hop, skip, and jump separately when asked. But if you ask them to hop, skip and jump one after the other straight away, they might not get it right or do it in the right order. Things they could do yesterday, they can’t do today. They can struggle to transfer skills or knowledge to new areas or join them together.

In the brain, the neurons don’t stay connected as they would in a non-dyzbraxic brain. That’s why kids can do something one day, and not the next. The best way to make the connection stick and grow is to be happy – the chemicals behind being happy anyway.

It’s like having to learn how to drive the car, EVERY TIME THEY GET IN. The brain doesn’t remember what to do.

Therefore, everything is hard, no matter how many times they have done that task.

 This shows as...

How can we give these children a positive learning experience, without being too soft on them?­­

Learning Difference Workshop - The University of Auckland - Part 2

“I thought I was dumb Miss” – Marie Kelly from Kidz Therapy.

DSM5 – “specific learning disorder”

Dys/dis words – disorganised, disliked, disabled as well as dyslexic, dyspraxia, dyscalulia etc.

It has a negative connotation no matter what your intention.

Dyslexia is not the same as dyspraxia (etc) but usually parts of all ‘dys’s are present.

Wechsler scale of intelligence of children (hard to read so here's a better one).

Cognitive ability

1. Working memory is important.

say it forward – 56398 – rote learning.

Now saw it backward… who could do it? Who could do it if you were looking at the numbers written?

Now put these numbers in order –

2. Processing speed –

Even routine things like copying from the board, they get it wrong.

How to help?
Text to speech

Voice typing

Google read and write

Pictures from slideshow.

how does it feel to be dyslexic?  

Kids can’t win--- they can’t follow 10 instructions at once so they ask their friends for help, then get told off for talking.

Research later.

CALL SCOTLAND apps for Dyslexia

Reading rulers - $30 for a pack.

Barrington stokes books?

Vark for children – test to see whatlearning style they are.

Fun with words

Kidspiration

Reading assessments recommended for students with Dyslexia

Burt

Psuedoword

Joy Alcot’ spelling??

Lucid screening test.

Writing sample.

South Australian spelling test or Peters.

Books recommended by Marie

The following 2 pictures I took because they resonated strongly with a student of mine who I suspect has dyslexia.

And another 2 books she recommended. The '100 ideas' one was REALLY good and has lots of beginners tips. 

Learning Difference Workshop - The University of Auckland - Part 1

Workshop about

-       Dyslexia

-       Dysbraxia

-       Dyscultia

-       Dysgraphia

-       ADD

-       Audio processing disorder

Don’t focus on WHY they can’t do it, just focus on WHAT they can do.

Learning DIFFERENCES, not learning DIFFICULTIES. Because they CAN learn, just in a different way.

Communication for Learning Success – by Kate de Groot from 'Growing Minds'.

-       - parents can be a wonderful resource to help teachers.

-       - It’s about changing what we do as practitioners, rather than waiting for the child to change. Their brain is wired differently.

What are the needs of the …

-       Teacher?

-       Parent?

-       Child?

What is the shared need?

How does our communication meet the shared need?

Below the line – he, they, them – usually stuff happened in the past

Above the line – I, we – future focused.
We should be aiming (as teachers and educators) for 'Above the Line' thinking, acting and communicating.

Students with learning differences are often misunderstood - for example a student with auditory processing challenges not responding when the teacher asks them to do something, so you growl them and pull them to where you wanted them to go.

He’s not being bad, but you dragging him by the arm makes him feel as if he is bad.

NO SURPRISES POLICY. Communication between parents and teachers should be often and free, small things can be communicated at before/after school pick ups, big things should be a meeting, phone call or email.

Student voice: “Help me see myself as a contributor not a problem.”

At the end of the day – ARE THEY HAPPY AND FULFILLED?

Building positives relationships about proactive things (e.g. sending parents a photo of child being happy at school, successful work completed, video of child in class etc) then builds trust for when Reactive conversations need to happen.

What do we talk about? What do we avoid talking about? (and why?)

Frame negative things in a positive way

I’ve noticed

I’ve tried

I wonder what is next

Or saying to parents – what are you noticing? What are you trying? What do you think is the next step?

Kids with learning differences need concrete beginnings to lessons (paper, pictures, materials). They are in a comfort zone.

When they are expected to do do complex thinking with only auditory instructions… how can we expect them to succeed?

IT IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT.