The classroom is a space in which students can participate in both academic and social experiences. Perceptions of school held by students with learning disabilities (LD) may be different than those held by their peers. Researchers suggest that students with LD may experience a sense of being different and isolated from their peers because of their learning differences (Alexander-Passe, 2008; Lackaye & Margalit, 2006). Defining LD is a complex and contested process. However, the lack of a universal definition can contribute to misconceptions about LD. Moreover, this lack of a universal definition makes it challenging for teachers, both new and experienced, to fully understand how to work with students who have LD. Students who have been identified as having a learning disability are sometimes removed from their regular classroom for designated periods of time every day and are placed in a special education setting such as a resource room where they receive explicit instruction to help develop their reading and decoding abilities (Nugent, 2008). Thus, this location difference adds to the differences in educational experiences students with LD can encounter. This qualitative research describes the perceptions of three young adults (aged 18–21) with learning disabilities (YALD) about their educational experiences in elementary and secondary school. Data were collected through two face-to-face in-depth semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of the data was conducted. The findings are reported both individually to allow unique stories to emerge and collectively to highlight similar themes discussed by all three participants. Furthermore, the analysis identified academic, social, and interconnection of academic and social experiences from the participants’ discussions. The participants did not think that they were disabled in learning; rather they understood it as they simply learned differently than their non-LD peers. The lack of understanding about LD from teachers and peers, especially in elementary school, was a predominant theme that emerged. The participants suggested that teachers should get to know the individual rather than identifying characteristics of exceptionalities in order to help teachers better understand and work with students with LD. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-08-14 14:42:37.904

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Case Study research was conducted to investigate how participation in the Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan (LDAS) Arrowsmith program affected the cognitive, academic, emotional, and interpersonal functioning of five students who attended this program for two to three years. Learning disabilities involve consistent cognitive processing and academic difficulties that are present in individuals who have average or higher functioning in other cognitive processing areas. The average adult with a learning disability has less education, lower employment success, and higher rates of emotional and interpersonal difficulties. The Arrowsmith program is a cognitive training program based on neuroplasticity that claims to reduce or remove cognitive functioning deficits in persons with learning disabilities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five students and one or both of their parents. Standardized test results and information from the school cumulative folders of the students were also reviewed. Four of the five students experienced large and significant increases in cognitive, academic, emotional, and/or interpersonal functioning following their participation in the LDAS Arrowsmith program. One of the five students had much smaller gains in cognitive and academic functioning and experienced difficulties with emotional and interpersonal functioning following participation in the program. Several themes related to participation in the LDAS Arrowsmith program are identified for the student, parent, school record perspectives and themes common to these perspectives are also identified. Possible reasons why the students had different outcomes following their participation in the LDAS Arrowsmith program are discussed. Recommendations for parents, school psychologists, teachers, schools/school divisions, the Arrowsmith program, and future research are given.

This study explores the development of a discharge programme in one learning disability hospital in Scotland. The aim of the study is to explore professionals’ perceptions of how the discharge programme developed with a focus on capturing professionals’ experience and knowledge so as to reach an understanding of how best to facilitate a discharge programme and help professionals make the transition from the institution to the community. Different groups of professionals were interviewed and different views and perspectives regarding the progress of de-institutionalisation were collected. Based on the professionals’ perceptions and with a particular emphasis on those of social workers, the following issues were identified as the key points which have to be taken into account for facilitating stable progress in a discharge programme: the creation of a consortium with centralized authority which includes the establishment of a formal process and joint working between health and social work, the setting up of a socalled “stakeholder” management model, the implementation of specific practices and policies with regard to the actual discharges and arrangements for enhancing professionals’ adaptability.

The purpose of this study was to examine the performances of learning disabled and normal children on the children's and adult's versions of the Pitch Pattern Sequence (PPS) Test, the 460 and 230 msec. versions of the Modified Pitch Pattern Sequence (MPPS) Test and the Sound Mimicry (SM) subtest of the Goldman-Fristoe-Woodcock (G-F-W) Test Battery and to examine correlations among these three instruments. In addition, the possibility that learning disabled children demonstrate more reversals than normal children was explored.Thirty eight subjects ranging in age from eight to 15 years who exhibited normal peripheral hearing and I.Q. scores above 80 were tested. Group A consisted of 20 children who did not appear to have learning disabilities. Group B consisted of 18 children who did appear to have learning disabilities.Results indicated that on the average, learning disabled children performed poorer than normal children on the children's and adult's versions of the PPS and the 460 and 2.30 msec. versions of the MPPS to a statistically significant degree. However, because the scores obtained by the two groups largely overlapped, it was concluded that these two instruments should not be used alone to diagnose learning disabilities. Results also indicated that learning disabled children perform poorer than normal children on the SM subtest of the G-F-W Test Battery. Because the scores obtained by the two groups had less overlap, it was concluded that this test offers the most promise as a test for identifying learning disabilities. However, research is indicated in order to further investigate the presently published norms.Correlations were found to be relatively high among the children's and adult's versions of the PPS and the 460 and 230 versions of the MPPS. However, the SM subtest was not strongly correlated with either the PPS or the MPPS.Finally, results indicated that learning disabled children demonstrate more reversals on the pitch pattern tests to a statistically significant degree. However, in view of overlapping scores between the two groups, it was concluded that the number of reversals is not a reliable means for identifying learning disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the listening comprehension of learning disabled (LD) students was affected by structure applied to a listening task with the variable of locus of control held as a constant. The study was also designed to investigate whether there were differences in locus of control orientation between normal and LD students. The following hypotheses were tested: 1. There will be no significant difference in listening comprehension between the learning disabled external locus of control group receiving the structured task and the learning disabled external locus of control group receiving the unstructured task. 2. There will be no significant difference in listening comprehension between the learning disabled internal locus of control group receiving the structured task and the learning disabled internal locus of control group receiving the unstructured task. 3. There will be no significant difference in listening comprehension between the normal external locus of control group receiving the structured task and the normal external locus of control group receiving the unstructured task. 4. There will be no significant difference in listening comprehension between the normal internal locus of control group receiving the structured task and the normal internal locus of control group receiving the unstructured task. 5. There will be no significant difference in locus of control orientation between the total normal group and the total learning disabled group. The subjects of this study were sixth, seventh, and eighth grade LD and normal students. They were selected from a population in Anderson, Indiana. For the sample, a total of 60 LD students from 11 schools, eight elementary and three secondary were obtained. The 60 normal students were chosen from two schools, one elementary and one secondary. Grade level and ages of the sample were approximately equivalent. Following selection of the sample, all students were administered the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children (NSSC). After the NSSC had been administered, 20 LD students, whose scores represented the highest 33.3% on the NSSC, and 20 LD students, whose scores represented the lowest 33.3% on the NSSC, were selected for the remaining portion of the study. The 20 LD students with the highest 33.3% of the scores were designated as external in their locus of control orientation (ELOC) while the 20 LD students whose scores represented the lowest 33.3% were designated as internal in their locus of control orientation (ILOC). The same procedures were followed in selecting the 40 normal students who were also classified as external or internal in their locus of control orientation.The LD and normal students were then administered four listening passages from the Analytical Reading Inventory. Two of the four passages were provided with structured introductions while the remaining two were not. Structured introductions were defined as the oral presentation of prelistening directions given to students in a counterbalanced fashion. They included both general information about the topic and the material to be read, and a preview of the sequence of events in the selection. Five null hypotheses were tested in this study. The first four hypotheses were examined using appropriate t-tests for planned comparisons after two two-way analyses of variance with repeated measures on the last factor were computed. Hypothesis number five was subjected to a t-test for independent groups. Using the .05 level of confidence as the predetermined criterion, only hypotheses number five was rejected. It was determined that LD students were significantly more external in their locus of control orientation than normal students. In the four instances where the hypotheses were not rejected, data indicated, for the LD and normal groups, that there were no significant differences in listening comprehension when the structured and unstructured introductions were administered. The findings of this study indicate, for these particular students, subject to the limitations of this investigation, that the presentation of structured introductions did not significantly improve the listening comprehension of LD subject. It was concluded, however, that LD subjects were operating on a more external locus of control orientation than normal subjects.

This study examines the case of one Canadian family with a child with a learning disability to better understand ways in which social and cultural interactions enable multiple literacies to be constructed and to exist within many settings. It considers how three contextual factors, self-motivation, expectations, and medical conditions, affect the childs literacy. Using an ethnographic case study methodology, this study explores and analyzes the familys literacy events (observable episodes in which literacy has a role) and literacy practices (what people do with literacy). Key findings include identifying ten sociotextual domains of literacy the family employs; the most prevalent are school-based, entertainment, and social cohesion. These ten domains show how the family works together to build literacy for many purposes, such as individual, social, or interpersonal. This study also presents data suggesting parental influence, specialized support, and home/school relationship may affect the construction of literacy for children with learning disabilities.

Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- The Institute for Clinical Social Work, 1995. / A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Institute of Clinical Social Work in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-106).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1991. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [133]-158).