Chapter 5 Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities
5.1 Multiple Choice
1. Alexandria is a seventh grader who displays inconsistency in task completion, has difficulty reading, and appears
unmotivated. One reason why her learning disability may be difficult to identify is
A) that she often performs as a “typical” seventh grader.
B) her inconsistency makes her teacher believe that she does not have a learning disability.
C) she is able to complete some assignments with little difficulty.
D) all of the above.
2. Nine-year-old Marvin has significant achievement problems, average intellectual ability, and a severe hearing loss.
He would not qualify for special education under the category of learning disabilities because
A) he does not exhibit a significant discrepancy between academic achievement and intellectual
functioning.
B) the federal definition of learning disabilities explicitly excludes students whose learning difficulties are
primarily the result of disabilities related to hearing and vision.
C) his problems are primarily the result of spoken and written difficulties.
D) his problems are primarily developmental in nature.
3. The definition of learning disabilities in IDEA 2004
A) specifically address its likeness to mental retardation.
B) includes the general definition, disorders included, and disorders not included.
C) identifies the method used for identification.
D) focuses on genetic causes.
4. The multidisciplinary team may not identify a student as having a learning disability if the problems with academic
achievement are primarily the result of
A) a visual, hearing, or motor disability.
B) mental retardation.
C) emotional disturbance.
D) economic disadvantage.
E) all of the above.
5. Disorders included in the most recent definition of learning disabilities include
A) mental retardation.
B) dyslexia.
C) emotional disturbance.
D) motor disabilities.
6. ________ is the individual given credit for coining the term, “learning disabilities.”
A) Grace Fernald
B) Tom Smith
C) Samuel Kirk
D) Albert Louis
7. Students with learning disabilities comprise what percentage of the disabled student population?
A) approximately 50%
B) approximately 40%
C) approximately 70%
D) approximately 35%
8. Which of the following statements is most accurate regarding gender differences in the learning disabled
population?
A) More girls are identified as learning disabled.
B) More boys are identified as learning disabled.
C) Boys are an under-identified population.
D) Girls have less serious learning disabilities than do boys.
9. Which of the following prevalence estimate reflects the percentage of students with learning disabilities in the school-
aged population?
A) approximately 10%
B) approximately 3%
C) approximately 5%
D) approximately 12%
10. Which of the following statements is most accurate regarding the cause(s) of learning disabilities?
A) Learning disabilities are due primarily to genetic and heredity influences.
B) Learning disabilities have many possible causes; an exact cause is unknown in most instances.
C) Learning disabilities are due primarily to brain injury, damage, or dysfunction.
D) Learning disabilities are the result of adverse prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal factors.
11. Possible causes of learning disabilities include all of the following except
A) a mother’s use of prescription drugs.
B) a prolonged labor.
C) the use of pre-natal vitamins.
D) a trauma during birth.
12. Studies have found that approximately ________ of children identified as learning disabled have primary deficits in
the area of reading and related language functions.
A) 30%
B) 80%
C) 45%
D) 60%
13. The most common problem among students who are learning disabled is in the area of
A) reading.
B) oral language.
C) written language.
D) mathematics.
14. Written expression skills include all of the following skills except
A) listening comprehension.
B) spelling.
C) handwriting.
D) writing.
15. Eight-year-old Helen has difficulty accurately interpreting nonverbal gestures used in everyday conversation. This
may indicate a deficit in
A) pragmatics.
B) semantics.
C) articulation.
D) syntax.
E) gesticulation.
16. A disability in math can be called
A) dysgraphia.
B) dyscalculia.
C) dyslexia.
D) pragmatics.
17. Twelve-year-old Hannah has difficulty understanding what is said to her. This might be indicative of
A) a deficit in receptive language.
B) a deficit in pragmatics.
C) a deficit in expressive language.
D) a deficit in aural language.
18. Most recently, the use of a discrepancy model was replaced by the model referred to as the
A) IQ/achievement model.
B) metacognition model.
C) response to intervention model.
D) profile model.
19. One benefit of response to intervention with preschool students has been
A) a reduction of the overidentification of young boys.
B) an increase in the number of preschoolers identified as learning disabled.
C) an increase in the number of programs available.
D) a reduction of the overidentification of minority students.
20. Four-year-old Sabrina participates in an innovative preschool program that emphasizes field trips, diverse
experiences, and language enrichment. This program is characteristic of which of the following preschool models?
A) cognitive model
B) behavioral model
C) social model
D) developmental model
21. Which of the following statements is true regarding the placement of preschoolers with learning disabilities?
A) Individual needs should be met in inclusive settings.
B) A strictly behavioral model should be used.
C) There exists little variation among preschoolers in terms of growth and maturation.
D) The “wait and fail” approach may be appropriate as students with learning disabilities need early intervention
services.
22. Thirteen-year-old Deshan remembers that 4 x 8 = 32 by visualizing a door on a gate by a dirty shoe. This is an
example of using a
A) phonemic awareness strategy.
B) number sense strategy.
C) mnemonic strategy.
D) metacognitive strategy.
23. Mnemonic strategies are effective in helping students with learning in which one of the following areas?
A) attention
B) memory
C) social skills
D) oral expression
24. Mr. Summers begins his lesson on subtraction with regrouping by reviewing addition. This is an example of
A) a memory strategy.
B) using prior knowledge.
C) a mnemonic.
D) modeling.
5.2 True or False
1. Nine-year-old Sean performs well in spelling on some days but not on others. This inconsistency is a common
characteristic of individuals with learning disabilities.
2. Students with learning disabilities are a very homogeneous group of students.
3. Although the exact cause is not known, there is general agreement among professionals that learning disabilities are the
result of neurobiological abnormalities or atypical brain development.
4. There is no single intervention approach that is effective for all students with learning disabilities.
5. There is current brain imaging research being undertaken that might one day be used to determine the best
methods for teaching.
6. Children with learning disabilities in the area of mathematics may have good ability in
mathematical calculations but have significant problems in math reasoning (and vice-versa).
7. Language disabilities are relatively uncommon among children with learning disabilities.
8. Some children with learning disabilities have strengths in the area of social skills.
9. Attention deficits are common in students with learning disabilities.
10. Many students with learning disabilities also have ADHD.
11. Although learning disabilities are primarily related to academic achievement difficulties, children with these
disabilities often exhibit problems in non-academic areas such as social skills, attentiveness, memory, motor skills, and
perceptual abilities.
12. To determine whether or not a student is learning disabled, the eligibility team must consider whether or not the
student has had appropriate learning opportunities.
13. An important step in the assessment process is the evaluation for possible vision and hearing problems.
14. Identification of preschool students with learning disabilities is difficult and controversial.
15. Researchers believe that a child must be nine years old before a discrepancy from IQ can be measured reliably.
16. Teachers sometimes expect less from students from diverse cultural backgrounds and consequently, may view special
education as the most appropriate placement for them.
17. The discrepancy model is better to use with culturally and linguistic diverse learners to avoid over-identification.
18. Teaching specific strategies to students with learning disabilities may facilitate students’ success.
19. A structured sequential phonics approach has been shown to be very effective in correcting the reading
difficulties experienced by many students with learning disabilities.
20. Improvement in oral language can be stimulated by promoting a better self-concept.
21. Students with learning disabilities who have poor listening skills are impacted only in the academic setting.
22. Teaching study skills to students with learning disabilities is an important area of concern at the secondary level.
5.3 Short Answer
1. A disability in reading is sometimes referred to as ________.
2. Language deficits among children with learning disabilities are found in the areas of ________ and ________.
3. A disability in the area of written expression is sometimes referred to as ________.
4. ________ refers to “thinking about thinking.”
5. According to Deshler, Lenz, and Kissam (2004), a ________ is an individual’s approach to a task.
6. ________ focuses on helping students to become more active participants in designing their own educational
experiences and monitoring their own success. This method involves teaching students self-awareness and self-advocacy
skills.
5.4 Essay
1. Discuss the minimal standards below that are mandated by IDEA for determining whether or not a student is
eligible for special education services under the learning disabilities category.
(1) Multidisciplinary team
(2) Observation
(3) Criteria for determining a learning disability
(4) Written report
2. List three (3) historical terms that were used to describe the population we now refer to as “learning disabled.”
3. Identify at least six (6) advantages of using technology to assist students with disabilities.
4. Select one learning strategy presented in the text (e.g., LISTEN, Graphic Organizers, Sound Blending, Give Me
Five). Describe the purpose of two (2) of these strategies and give an illustrative example of how and when you might
use this strategy in your classroom.
5. Give an example of a low-tech and high-tech writing adaptation for students with learning disabilities.
6. Discuss what a nonverbal learning disability is and the difficulty it can cause in social skill development.
Chapter 5 Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities
5.1 Multiple Choice
5.2 True or False
5.3 Short Answer
5.4 Essay
