BIS #7283 Seminar on Learning Disabilities for Teachers
By Fr. Edward D’Souza sdb for BIS Mumbai
“The world of rights cannot be the prerogative of only the healthy. The participation of the disabled person must be facilitated in the life of the society. The quality of life within a community is measured to a large extent by the commitment to the care of the weakest and the neediest. Catering to children with disabilities would be a profound witness of our commitment to serve the weakest in society.” ---Pope John Paul II
As part of the silver jubilee celebrations for the year 2024-2025, the teachers of the Primary, Secondary and Jr. College Sections of Don Bosco, Naigaon, Mumbai, participated in a seminar on Learning Disabilities. It was conducted by Fr. Edward D’Souza, a member of the management and a qualified Special Educator specializing in Learning Disabilities. Fr. Edward introduced the enigmatic concept of Learning Disabilities (LD), which affects 10 to 15% of the school-going population globally. Before delving into LD, he explained how to interpret scores from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and Malin’s Intelligence Scale for Indian Children (MISIC) using a bell-curve graph.
This foundational knowledge helped the teachers understand the distribution of IQ scores and the corresponding percentages of population segments along with their aptitude. Fr. Edward highlighted that the school population typically falls within IQ scores ranging from 70 (Borderline Intelligence) to 130 (Superior Intelligence). He said that the standard school curriculum targets students with average intelligence (IQ scores of 90 to 110), covering roughly 50% of the population, with some extending to an additional 10% on either side of this range. This means that while a teacher can effectively reach 65% to 70% of her class, the remaining 30% to 35% may present challenges due to being either gifted or intellectually weak.
Having understood the importance of these challenges, the teachers moved on to understand Learning Disabilities, the topic of the day. A series of simulation exercises helped teachers experience the challenges faced by LD students. Citing recent brain researches, Fr. Edward emphasized that LD is a neurological disorder caused by differences in brain structure, affecting how information is processed. It is also a biological disorder, he said, linked to genetics, as evidenced by family and twin studies. Hence it is said to be a neurobiological disorder. This variance in structure in an LD brain can impact one or more of the abilities, such as speaking (Aphasia); listening, reading, spelling and writing (Dyslexia); writing mechanics (Dysgraphia); mathematics (Dyscalculia), motor coordination (Dyspraxia); reasoning; and organizing information.
Through videos of individual testimonies the teachers learned about several successful professionals who faced LD challenges in their early schooling, illustrating that LD is not due to a lack of intelligence. LD can affect individuals with average, above-average, superior or even very superior intelligence. A significant discrepancy between a student’s potential and performance may indicate LD, warranting clinical assessment.
However, Fr. Edward clarified that LD students are not Slow Learners. LD students typically have average to very superior intelligence and with early identification and appropriate support, can achieve as much as their non-LD peers. Slow Learners, on the other hand, with IQ scores between 70 and 89, can only complete basic education with proper support and are unlikely to manage university studies. He also made the teachers realise that if the special needs of students are not addressed, it will lead to maladjusted behaviour in the students.
Now that the teachers were aware of the daunting task ahead of them of addressing the special needs of the 10 % to 15 % LD students and at least another 12 % of slow learners, Fr. Edward recommended a few measures to be adopted by schools to support these students:
1. Early Identification:
o Identify LD students by age six to prevent the Matthew Effect, where students with
special needs fall behind their peers in knowledge accumulation.
2. Special Education Teacher Support Services:
o Provide in-house or external special education teacher support.
3. Modified Curriculum and Assessments:
o Implement disability-appropriate concessions, such as oral exams, extended time,
provision of a scribe and reading out the question paper.
By way of Special Education Teacher Support services, Fr. Edward recommended:
• A parallel pull-out programme for two to three hours a week, focusing on English and Math.
• Students in this programme would be mainstreamed over a period of time depending on the severity of their disability and the degree of the Matthew Effect.
Conclusion
The seminar concluded with teachers gaining a deeper awareness of the special needs of LD Students and the Slow Learners who make up approximately 25% of their class. They left with a renewed commitment to extend understanding, patience, support, and appropriate remediation to ensure the success of all students through their school life.