# data[].attributes.body
According to Hillcenter.org , "Learning differences are the unique and individual ways in which some people process new information. In the United States, one and five students has a learning difference, meaning they experience challenges with organization, memory, or attention, especially in academics, such as reading, writing, and math. While everyone in the population may struggle with these skills at some point or another, students with learning differences experience these difficulties throughout their educational development, and they can last an entire lifetime. However, accessing research-based, differentiated, and multisensory instruction can make a difference."

"The terms “difference,” “disability,” and “difficulty” are often used interchangeably, but there are some cases where these terms can have separate, legal meanings. For example, “specific learning disabilities” is a formal disability category under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that covers a specific group of learning challenges, but not necessarily all students who learn “differently.” Another example: While ADHD can cause difficulty in learning environments, it does not necessarily qualify as a learning disability (depending on its impact on one’s life). We are using the term learning differences to apply to students who are at risk for being marginalized in the learning process due to chrematistics such as those listed below. No matter the term, it’s important to remember that students with learning differences are capable of academic excellence and can learn with strategic, diversified teaching techniques."

National Center for Learning Disabilities. “National Center for Learning Disabilities.” NCLD, 2017, ncld.org/.

“What Are Learning Differences? - Hill Learning Center.” Hill Learning Center, 29 Mar. 2022, www.hillcenter.org/what-are-learning-differences/.

# data[].attributes.headline
Step 1: Recognizing the signs of learning disability

# data[].attributes.subject
Step 1: Recognizing the signs of learning disability

# data[].attributes.body
Student has heightened difficulty in learning numeracy, days, colors, the alphabet, and/or shapes. Pay attention to additional early signs of language-based learning disabilities, including:

Consistent difficulty naming familiar and everyday objects;

Using vague words like thing;

Struggling to come up with the right word;

Trouble following or remembering multistep directions;

Difficulty reciting things in the right order (like the alphabet or nursery rhymes); and

Mixing up the sounds in multisyllabic words (“mazagine” instead of “magazine” or “cimmanom” instead of “cinnamon”).

Morin, Amanda. “Recognizing Signs of Potential Learning Disabilities in Preschool.” Edutopia, 18 Feb. 2021, www.edutopia.org/article/recognizing-signs-potential-learning-disabilities-preschool/.

# data[].attributes.headline
Step 2: Eligibility for Special Education Services

# data[].attributes.subject
Step 2: Eligibility for Special Education Services

# data[].attributes.body
According to the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) "In most states the eligibility of a child for special education and related services is considered when a child has arrived at the Tier 3 level of RTI (Response to Intervention). When a child has been in Tier 2 for a pre-determined amount of time and an evaluation is given, then a meeting is called to determine eligibility for special education services.

Who makes the decision about whether a child is eligible for special education and related services?The parent of the child and a team of qualified professionals must determine whether the child is a child with a disability and in need of special education and related services.

(The determination of whether a child suspected of having a specific learning disability is a child with a disability, must be made by the child’s parents and a team of qualified professionals which must include the child’s regular teacher; or a regular classroom teacher qualified to teach a child of his or her age if the child does not have a regular teacher; or, for a child of less than school age, an individual qualified by the SEA to teach a child of his or her age; and at least one person qualified to conduct individual diagnostic examinations of children, such as a school psychologist, speech-language pathologist, or remedial reading teacher.)"

Learning Disabilities Association of America. “Eligibility: Determining Whether a Child Is Eligible for Special Education Services – Learning Disabilities Association of America.” Learning Disabilities Association of America, 2024, ldaamerica.org/info/eligibility-determining-whether-a-child-is-eligible-for-special-education-services/.

# data[].attributes.headline
Step 3: Distinguishing Between Learning Disability and Learning Difference

# data[].attributes.subject
Step 3: Distinguishing Between Learning Disability and Learning Difference

# data[].attributes.body
According to IrisCenter, "Delays in social and communication development might occur when children are learning two or more languages. Because such delays can be red flags for further developmental problems in the areas of social-emotional and cognition, early childhood educators must determine their cause: language difference or disability. Teachers attempting to distinguish between a disability and a language difference should begin by addressing a few key questions:

Compared to English, for how long has the child been speaking and exposed to their home language? Keep in mind that it is typical for a child learning a second language to have a silent period.

Are the difficulties present in both the child’s home language and the new language?

Are the concerns evident in multiple settings (e.g., home, childcare)?

Have developmentally appropriate strategies been delivered systematically?

Have these strategies produced any significant differences in the child’s learning and development?"

Iris Center. “IRIS | Page 2: Distinguishing between Disability and Language Difference.” Iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu, 2023, iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/dll/cresource/q1/p02/.