CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties AUTISM DYSLEXIA SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTIES DYSCALCULIA ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER DEVELOPMENTAL COORDINATION DISORDER Workbook 1
Variation in characteristics between individuals Please read the following as it will help you to answer question 4. It is important to understand that no two individuals with Specific Learning Difficulties or an autistic spectrum condition will have the same characteristics or the same difficulties. You have seen that there are different types of Specific Learning Difficulties even though there are common characteristics, so those with dyslexia may have different characteristics than individuals with dyscalculia, for example. You have also discovered that autism is a spectrum of conditions, which means each individual will experience different characteristics and experience the characteristics to a different extent. However, there are also variations with the types of Specific Learning Difficulty. You have seen, for example, that ADHD has two different types of characteristics which can be experienced separately or in any combination. Variation also exists in other Specific Learning Difficulties. They can be experienced in mild, moderate or severe forms or individuals may experience some of the characteristics but not others. In addition to this, the characteristics of individuals may vary depending on the situation or environment they are in. This may be because they have learned to compensate in some situations or because they feel more comfortable with familiar situations, for example. Workbook 1 13
Read the case studies below to see how individuals may vary in the difficulties they face. Josie and Zoe s stories Josie and Zoe are both aged 14 and both have ADHD. Josie has also been diagnosed with Asperger s whilst Zoe has Dyslexia. Josie can read well and has a good memory, but cannot maintain her interest in school work for long periods. She can often quote whole chunks of the school text books, but doesn t always show an understanding of what it means. She finds social interaction difficult, and can become isolated at school because she talks about dolls all the time, which are a special interest for her. Zoe finds it difficult to read aloud and to spell properly when she is writing. She also has difficulty with short term memory. This together with her ADHD, which means she can only concentrate for very short time periods, means that it is hard for her to read and remember information from text books they use at school. Zoe can make links between information though, and understands the concepts they are learning about. Zoe has a good group of friends who help her with her revision for exams. Knowledge Activity 3: Describe, in your own words, the two different sets of characteristics in ADHD. 14 LCG 2017
Conditions that may co-occur with Specific Learning Difficulties Please read the following as it will help you to answer question 5. Another aspect that causes variation is that, often, individuals will have co-occurring Specific Learning Difficulties. For example, they may show characteristics of dyslexia and dyscalculia. There is also a high level of co-occurrence between autistic spectrum conditions and Specific Learning Difficulties. In addition, there are other conditions which can exist alongside Specific Learning Difficulties. Individuals, especially those with dyslexia, may experience visual stress. This means they experience visual disturbance where text they are reading appears distorted or seems to move, which makes it difficult to track the text across the page. Some individuals may not see the letters properly, e.g. cannot see the tops and bottoms of letters, which makes everything look the same and makes it impossible for them to read. Individuals may also find that white backgrounds are too bright, which makes it difficult for them to read. Toby s story Toby had been assessed as dyslexic but also complained about the white pages in books and school whiteboard being so bright they hurt his eyes. This made him reluctant to try and read. An optician s appointment showed there was no actual eye problem he was just sensitive to the brightness of the page. Toby was provided with tinted reading glasses which helped with his sensitivity to the white page/board and made him a little less reluctant to try and read. Emotional and Behaviour Disorder is where individuals display behaviour and emotional responses that are generally different from that of their peers. Behaviour may be challenging and will include the inability to build and maintain relationships. Sometimes, this may develop as a result of Specific Learning Difficulties that have not been identified in the individual. Specific language impairment is another type of Specific Learning Difficulty which can occur alongside others. This is a difficulty in the development of language skills, which will affect understanding and the individual s ability to express themselves. Individuals may have difficulty forming words, speaking, understanding and remembering words, the rules of speech and spoken information, and may have an inability to ignore distractions, which affects attention span. Workbook 1 15
Typical signs of Specific Learning Difficulties Please read the following as it will help you to answer question 6. The characteristics of Specific Learning Difficulties may cause problems in everyday life. Read the case study and consider what you have already learned about Specific Learning Difficulties. Then try the activity, before reading about difficulties that individuals may face in everyday life, education and the workplace. Steve s story Twenty-five year old Steve had been assessed as dyslexic at school and supported through school and university to gain his degree. However, there are still everyday situations where he faces difficulties. He says whenever he is given verbal instructions that involve two or more steps such as directions to somewhere or is asked to fill in a form, his mind goes blank and he panics. He says sometimes you don t want to have to explain your difficulty to people so you just give up and miss out on things. 16 LCG 2017
Knowledge Activity 4: Earlier in the workbook, you learned about the common characteristics of Specific Learning Difficulties. For each of the following, give one example of how you think these might affect individuals in day to day life. Tip: think about what you have done today and how it might be affected by the difficulties with: Memory Organisation Time management Reading Writing Visual processing of information environmentsṡample work The difficulties that individuals have may be apparent in their living, education and Workbook 1 17
Signs of Specific Learning Difficulties in everyday life Signs in everyday life include: Individual has difficulty remembering appointments, shopping lists, etc. They miss doctor s appointments, for example, or fail to buy the ingredients they need for a meal. Not being able to remember telephone numbers, addresses, etc. Being late for appointments due to difficulty telling the time or having a different perception of time. Lack of self-care or clothing being wrongly fastened due to problems with motor skills. Not managing money properly. Not understanding prices and buying incorrect quantities of food or using the wrong quantities in recipes. Not reading for pleasure and a reluctance to read and write, e.g. on official documents. Not listening to others and failing to form friendships and other social relationships, or avoiding relationships. Failing to complete tasks, e.g. becoming distracted halfway through cooking a meal or brushing their teeth. An inability to navigate to places and/or confusion between left and right. Difficulty in learning new skills, such as riding a bike, driving a car, etc. Difficulty in using a knife and fork. Signs of Specific Learning Difficulties in education In education, children and adult students may show signs such as: Not arriving on time for lessons/sessions or not turning up at all. A difference between their verbal and written ability. Making odd spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes. The inability to recite the days of the week or months of the year. Delay in learning numbers, basic arithmetic, letters, words and learning to read in children. 18 LCG 2017
AUTISM SPECTRUM CONDITION ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER Disclaimer Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within this learning material is accurate and reflects current best practice. All information provided should be used as guidance only, and adapted to reflect local practices and individual working environment protocols. All legislation is correct at the time of printing, but is liable to change (please ensure when referencing legislation that you are working from the most recent edition/amendment). Neither Learning Curve Group (LCG); nor their authors, publishers or distributors accept any responsibility for any loss, damage or injury (whether direct, indirect, incidental or consequential) howsoever arising in connection with the use of the information in this learning material. CACHE is a trading name of NCFE (registered company number 02896700) and CACHE; Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education; and NNEB are registered trademarks owned by NCFE. CACHE has exercised reasonable care and skill in endorsing this resource, and makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the continued accuracy of the information contained in this resource. CACHE does not accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions from the resource or the consequences thereof. Copyright 2017 All rights reserved. All material contained within this manual, including (without limitation): text; logos; icons; and all other artwork is copyright material of Learning Curve Group (LCG), unless otherwise stated. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior permission of the copyright owners. If you have any queries, feedback or need further information please contact: Learning Curve Group Unit 51 53, Innovation House, 26 Longfield Road, South Church Enterprise Park, Bishop Auckland, County Durham. DL14 6XB info@learningcurvegroup.co.uk www.learningcurvegroup.co.uk CACHE is a trading name of NCFE (registered company number 02896700) and CACHE; Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education; and NNEB are registered trademarks owned by NCFE. These learning resources are endorsed by CACHE against the associated NCFE CACHE qualification/units(s); this means that CACHE has reviewed the resources and agreed that they meet the endorsement criteria. LCG-USLD November 2017 Version 1 (603/2041/2)