Page 134 - DEDU506_SPECIAL_EDUCATION_ENGLISH

Special Education

Notes 8. Ensuring a noise-free and in other ways a distraction-free environment outside the classroom.
9. Enchancing the intensity of the teaching materials in terms of colour, size, and vividness.
(4) Cognitive Training Approach : Many learning disabled children exhibit deficient problem-
solving skills. They are likely to act impulsively rather than reflectively. responding quickly
without considering the various alternatives. In order to reduce their impulsively and to increase
their reflectivity two techniques are found successful:
(a) Cognitive modelling : and
(b) Self-instructional training.
(a) Cognitive Modelling : Cognitive modelling is sometimes known as metacognition, meta
memory and cognitive behaviour modification strategy. This approach is directed towards
providing LD children with an awareness of how people learn or remember. In cognitive
modelling the LD child is exposed to models (adults or peers) who tend to be more reflective
so that he can imitate the model and learn the appropriate strategy. Through this technique
the LD child is taught how to slow himself down before he reads a word or given an answer,
looks carefully at all cues and possibilities, considers his response carefully, and then responds.
In remembering, he is taught to group information into small bits or clusters, rehearses these
by saying them over and over to himself and even use mneumonic devices to aid in memory
storage, many LD children improve dramatically when they are simple made aware of the
most effective way to learn and remember.
(b) Self-instruction Training : Modelling can also be combined with self-instructional training.
In self-instructional training the impulsive child is encouraged to learn to develop verbal
control of his behaviour. The following is an example :
(i) The teacher (adult model) performs a task (solving an arithmetic problem) while talking
out to himself loudly.
(ii) The child performs the same task under the direction of the teacher.
(iii) The child whispers the instruction to himself as he goes through the task, and finally.
(iv) The child performs the task while guiding his performance via private speech.
Through self-instructional training the LD child is helped to monitory his own
performance in learning situation—to be aware of his own approach to cognitive tasks.
(5) Other Special Approaches and Techniques : The LD children have characteristics which are
unique to them. Although they are not visually impaired they have difficulty in visual perception.
They have difficulty in visual reception, visual discrimination, and visual memory. Similarly
although they are not auditorily handicapped they have difficulty in auditory awareness,
auditory discrimination, and auditory memory. They have problems in attention and retention.
These difficulties hinder their acquisition of language, their ability to read and write, listening
skills, etc. Hence, special training in these areas is very useful for LD children. The resource
teacher can provide such training to the LD children in the resource room. The following
approaches and activities are useful for LD children.
(i) Listening Exercise : The LD children have problems of distractibility which hinder their
acquisition of listening skills and hence their ability to follow direction. Listening exercise for
such children are often helpful. One exercise involves having someone who is out of sight
produce various sounds for the children to identify, such as when the group goes for a walk,
the children can be instructed to listen for common sound, including a care running, a train
chugging, or a bird singing. To improve comprehension of spoken words in children with
listening problems, the teacher can give direction orally, beginning with short and simple
ones and increasing the difficulty as the child progress (‘stand up, turn around, and then sit
down’). Riddles can also be used to develop listening power and comprehension.
(ii) Discrimination Learning : The LD children have difficulties in discriminating one letter from
another, one word from another and one number from another. Discrimination learning can
be encouraged among such children for the above purpose. In discrimination learning children

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