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Module 1 Strand C1
Common Characteristics of Students with LD

Reading assignment Bender Text Chapter 5

 Attitudes and Behaviour

• Intelligent but fails at school
• May be reluctant to try anything new, frightened by change
• Lacks flexibility and is upset when routine is different or the schedule changed
• Has difficulty in changing from one task to another
• Says "I don’t care" or "I won’t" and really means "I can’t"; would rather be called bad than dumb
• Impulsive-says what first comes to mind; calls out in class
• Forgets assignments and homework as well as books, coats, and pencils

• Hears the dog barking, truck honking, the scratching of pencils, the sound of the air conditioner footsteps outside but barely hears mother calling and does not hear what the teacher says
• Forgets names of people, places, things, own address and telephones number, but does remember the ads on television
• May be an expert strategist in checkers or chess but cannot understand a riddle or joke
• Many hesitations and repetitions in oral language; blurred pronunciations in speech
• Poor verbal expression; language is jumbled and shows poor usage of syntax and semantics. Stops and starts in the middle of a sentence or idea, talks about hospitals, animals and enemies all at once. Has trouble in relating a story or incident.
• Difficulty in concept formation. Calls breakfast lunch and is confused by yesterday, today and tomorrow.
• Asks the same thing over and over; asks constant questions but does not seem interested in the answers.

• Rushes headlong into work; is the first one finished, and did all the problems wrong
• May read on for no, write 41 for 14, p for d, or q for b, and cannot remember the sequence of letters that make up a word
• May be able to add and multiply but not subtract or divide; or can do math mentally but cannot write it down
• Skip words, omits them, or adds them when reading aloud
• Frequently confuses directions, both oral and written
• Needs instructions explained for each assignment
• Can’t plan studies and assignment
• Sloppy and disorganized book work
• Has difficulty beginning or completing tasks
• Doesn’t complete lengthy assignments

Winzer, 1999, p. 163-164

Social & Personality Traits

 Coordination

• May hug the cat too tightly but can’t hold a pencil; may get frostbite in snow and not feel the hot water until it burns
• May be a good swimmer but stumbles up the stairs
• Does not look before walking, bumps into the door, swings lunch boxes into the nearest legs, and trips easily
• Has trouble lining up, cannot help bothering the child in the line

• Relates poorly to peers; may be socially inept and always on the fringe of a group
• Poor self-esteem and self-concept
• Lacks judgment
• Does not seem to understand the affective status of others derived from facial expressions, body movements, and tone of voice
• Cannot keep a friend and prefers to play with younger children

Winzer, 1999, p. 163-164

• self- concept
• locus of control
• temperament
• anxiety
• loneliness, depression, suicide

Vary in social development:

• social acceptance
• social skills and behaviour
• social competence

Two excellent video resources:

1. Last One Picked, First One Picked On-Dr. Richard Lavoie

2. When The Chips Are Down-Dr. Richard Lavoie

Available through Althouse College Library.

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