TEACHING & LEARNING 2 :2 Winter/Spring 200 5 What can be done ? Facts on Literacy and Disabilitie s • Accessible assessment and diag- nosis of LD must be available for Literacy Alberta people of all ages . Effective and efficient learnin g reprinted with permission from Myra Skerrett • and teaching methods, resource s and programs must be funde d and developed to meet the spe- Learning disabilities affect a t parts of the brain . They can learn least 10% of Canadians. More but the learning process may be cific needs of individuals with than 80% of these experience diffi- inefficient as a result of differ- LD. culty in learning to read. ences in brain structure and func- • Policy-makers, school board ad- tion. The right learning strategies , ministrators, teachers colleges, Learning disabilities (LD) are now techniques, supports and inter- educators and medical personne l recognized as a lifelong neurolog- ventions can impact the learnin g must recognize and accept th e ical disorder that is the result of a process in significant and positive scientific evidence, establish poli- difference in brain structure and ways. cies, and match the instructiona l function. Learning disabilities im- goals, content and pace of teach- pact the learning process, includ- It is estimated that 30 - 80% o f ing to the learning needs of thos e ing language learning and the students in literacy and basic ed- with LDs so that individuals ca n acquisition of literacy skills . LD's ucation programs have learning achieve maximum success . can be divided into five types disabilities. Learning disabilities affect at least 30% of the less liter - • Federal and provincial govern- • Visual problems : poor visua l ate population . Researchers hav e ments need to understand the im - memory, reversals in writing; found that if LD intervention i plications of policy decisions, s services and programs in the Ca- • Auditory problems : poor audi- not provided before the age of 8, tory memory, speech problems; nadian educational, legal, health, then there is a 75% probability of finance environmental and jus- • Motor problems: poor hand-eye reading difficulties continuing tice systems, for people with LDs . coordination; into high school . At that point , • We all need to understand, recog- • Organizational problems : poor 35% of students who are identi- fied with learning disabilitie s nize and support the uniqu e ability in organizing time or learning challenges and needs o f space; drop out of high school . This is twice the rate of non-LD peers others in our communities , . workplaces and families . • Conceptual problems : poor so- This drop out rate does not in- cial skills and peer relations, diffi- clude students who drop out bu t Suggested Literacy and Learn- culty in correctly interpretin g are not identified with learning non-verbal language . ing Disabilities Resources disabilities. As adults many arrive For the newly revised, full defi- in literacy and basic skills pro- The Learning Disabilities Asso- nition of learning disabilitie s grams, however the majority drop ciation of Canada (LDAC) The consult the Learning Disabilities out as programs are still no t national support organization fo r Association of Canada at funded to be able to meet their all the provincial and territorial http:/ /www.1dac-taac.ca/ special needs. Learning Disabilities Association s (LDAs) . Each provincial/territo- People with learning disabilitie s Learning and literacy difficulties rial LDA in turn supports member CAN learn with the appropriate limit participation in all aspects chapters at the community level . supports . Learning disabilitie s of society. Many adults are not All these organizations have cre- need not prevent an individual aware that the problems they ha d ated innovative projects and pro- from leading a productive and in school, jobs or relationships ar e duced resources in a variety o f happy life. LDs are not due to a due to "hidden" or undiagnose d formats. To check your local, pro- lack of intelligence but rather t o LDs. These difficulties are often vincial or national LD contacts , deficiencies in acquiring and pro- compounded by, or result in, liter- call 613-238-5721 or visit LDAC's cessing information. In fact peo- acy problems . Disproportionat e website at www .ldac-taac .a ple with LDs often have average numbers of adults with LDs can or above-average intelligence but be found in prisons (30 - 70%), on Adult Learning Development the LD affects their ability to inter- welfare (25 - 40%) and in job train - Association (ALDA) is a pret what they see or hear or to ing programs (15 - 30%). BC-based non-profit association link information from different in support of adults who hav e 28 2 :2 Winter/Spring 2005 TEACHING & LEARNING learning disabilities. They pro- Tel: 613-731-1209 or online a t that are available to parents, vide both direct service program s http.chadd.org/ teachers and LD adults . Go to and public education. For infor- LD Online An excellent US-base d www.ncld.org/ mation contact ALDA in Vancou- informative website a t The National Institute for Liter- ver at tel: 604-683-5554 or www .ldonline.org/ acy (NIFL) has a Literacy and www.alda-bc.org/ Learning Disabilities Resource s Learning Disabilities Special Col- The Canadian Dyslexia Associa- A constantly updated website lection at tion. Find out more about dys- where people exchange useful re- www.nifl.gov/lincs/collec- tions/collections.html lexia which is estimated to affect 1 sources and information . Check it in 6 Canadians at out at www .ldresources.com/ University of Toronto's Adap- www .dyslexiaassociation.ca/ tive Technology Resource Centr e National Adult Literacy Data- The Centre of Literacy of Quebe c base (NALD) The National Adul t University of Toronto's websit e has a large collection of LD re- Literacy Database has a large col - for their Adaptive Technology Re - sources available for borrowing at lection of online resources and source Centre at www.nald .ca/ litcent .htm links for learning disabilities in - www.utoronto .ca/atrc/ Children and Adults with Atten- formation at www.nald .ca/ (Click on Web Resources for the tion Deficit Disorder (CHADD ) learning disabilities section) National Coalition for Learning works to improve the lives of peo- Disabilities This website is a US Literacy Alberta gratefully ac- ple with Attention Deficit/ Hy- information and referral service knowledges the support of Move- peractivity Disorder through that provides the latest informa- ment for Canadian Literacy (MCL ) education, advocacy and support. tion on LD and relevant resources nal then this book provides a A New Canadian Book of Art, platform on which your reader s can immerse themselves and in- Poetry and Music vite others to participate in th e richness of a Canadian collabo- Melissa Vassallo ration of words, music and art . The book is available from Key ecently I participated as a Franz List and others . The book i s Connections Oakville, Ontario, proof reader of a ver y full of vibrant, colourful, and orig - Canada. Runique Canadian book , inal art work portraying the melo - Contact North America in Picture, Poetry dious poetry of Sinclair . Included Estelle©keyconnections .ca and Piano. It is special becaus e is an intriguing play along or play for additional information . three talented and highly vener- alone CDROM . Teachers and stu - ISBNO-9736227-0-9 ated Canadians collaborated t o dents can read, listen and hear the Melissa Vassallo is a recent sounds of North America fro m bringing together music paintin g Queens University Graduate and poetry within the context of a the Pacific to the Atlantic, fro m with an Honours Degree in hard cover edition. Pierre Berton, the Pueblos to the Great Borea l English. As an a friend of the authors wrote the Forest, from the land of the mid - emerging free- forward describing the venture as night sun to Florida palm tree s lance writer "a true celebration in words, mu- and from the Prairies to French and editor sic and poetry of the goodliest Canada. One of my favourite ren- Melissa ha s continent that we ever saw" . It is a ditions involves the music of accepted an work that should be used in class - Rimsky Korsakov's "Flight of the offer to edit rooms and homes to invite chil- Bumblebee" and Rachmaninoff' s the CF'UW, dren on a journey of Nort h "Midsummer's Night Dreams " Women' s America. The book brings to- that brings alive Sinclair's Hoodo Executive gether the art of Ted Harrison, the Dust Devils as they play at being newsletter poetry of Lister Sinclair and musi - "mischievous, capricious trick- and agreed to review selecte d cal improvisations by Glori a sters of the land from Banff to books for Teaching and Learn - Saarinen of works composed by Bryce" . If encouraging literacy is ing She is currently conductin g Oscar Peterson, Samuel Barber, the focus of this issue of the jour - a series of biographical inter- view with Lister Sinclair . 29.