Learning Disabilities Association of Canada

Kim McLean, Speaker at CLOSING THE COVID GAP conference. session, Executive functioning skills are central to school readiness and achievement. Many students with learning disabilities struggle with executive functioning and the disruption to their learning during the pandemic can exacerbated this. In order to access the curriculum, feel confident and prepared and make the transition to the next grade level, no matter what the format; students will need to reset their EF skil...ls. We have learned that EF skills can be improved by utilizing interventions that provide students with opportunities to practice their developing EF skills at increasing levels of challenge. This session will present strategies on how to create a classroom that supports and then builds students EF skills, how to reach out to parents before the school year starts and we will briefly touch on what a teacher needs to help them get back into new year refreshed and ready. Kim McLean, M. Ed; has been a special education teacher for over 35 years and is currently the Principal of Foothills Academy; an independent school for students with learning disabilities and a teacher evaluator for Alberta Education with degrees from Brock University and Lesley University. She recently completed a certificate on the Neuroscience of Teaching and Learning from the University of Calgary and contributed to an Infosheet on Understanding Dyslexia designed by Alex DeGrace, MD for the UBC Medicine FLEX Program. Kim is a member of the LDAC’s research committee and a provincial representative. Kim presents workshops and webinars for parents, teachers, schools, post secondary institutions, and businesses around North America on topics ranging from; the brain and learning how to read, class management, critical thinking and learning disabilities and executive functioning. Kim was very honored to have been the recipient of the National Educator of the Year award from the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada. See more

Sarah Hamilton, This session, "Teaching Strategies to Support Mathematical Computation and Reasoning," will discuss ideas on how to support learners in multiple environments (online, blended, face-to-face) with building mathematical understanding. An emphasis on ensuring understanding at each step of instruction using whole class formative feedback and ways to engage all students in problem solving will be discussed, along with an introduction to critical elements for remedi...al math lessons which promote growth and skill development. Sarah Hamilton is a mathematics educator and K-12 researcher whose experience includes working for the past 13 years at Calgary Academy, a school who specializes in teaching students who learn differently. Her Master’s of Education focused on mathematics education, instruction and pedagogical approaches, and student resiliency. She is currently completing her Doctor of Education degree at the University of Calgary, with a focus on collective knowledge building and collaboration. She is a passionate believer that all students can learn and love mathematics given the right opportunities. For more information see here https://www.ldac-acta.ca/

Conference, early bird price ends April 15! CLOSING THE COVID GAP, Supporting Literacy, Numeracy, and Social Emotional. Register here https://www.ldac-acta.ca/ Conference s designed to educate teachers on: --> How to advance numeracy in the virtual classroom,... --> The absolute best way to adapt teaching styles to distance learning, --> How to help students with learning disabilities cope with the social and emotional challenges brought on by the pandemic, --> How to develop Teaching Strategies to Support Mathematical Computation and Reasoning, --> How to develop Strategies to Support Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation.

Daniel Ansari, Speaker at CLOSING THE COVID GAP conference Session, Exploring Developmental Dyscalculia Understanding Specific Learning Disorders in Math. Around 5% of school-aged children present with persistent difficulties learning numerical and mathematical concepts and skills. Despite the well-known consequences of poor numerical and mathematical skills, research into the symptoms and causes of mathematical learning difficulties lags behind progress in the scientific s...tudy of the typical and atypical development of reading and literacy skills. In this talk I will discuss what is known about mathematical learning difficulties (Developmental Dyscalculia) by drawing on research from Cognitive Psychology and Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. I will discuss what we know about the potential causes of Mathematical Learning Difficulties. I will show that there is no single cause for Mathematical Learning difficulties, but rather that such difficulties are influenced by the home and school environment as well as biological factors. Moreover, I will discuss how Mathematical Learning Difficulties relate to other learning challenges, such as Developmental Dyslexia and Mathematics Anxiety. Furthermore, I will discuss what is known about evidence-based approaches to screening of young children who might e at risk of developing mathematical learning difficulties. Finally, I will provide a detailed overview of recommendations from research for how to help children with mathematical learning difficulties compensate for and overcome their difficulties. Daniel Ansari is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning in the Department of Psychology and the Faculty of Education at Western University in Canada, where he heads the Numerical Cognition Laboratory (www.numericalcognition.org). Ansari and his team explore the developmental trajectory underlying both the typical and atypical development of numerical and mathematical skills, using both behavioral and neuroimaging methods. Ansari has published over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is member of the The College of the Royal Society of Canada, a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science as well as the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. Register at https://www.ldac-acta.ca

John McNamara, Ph.D. conference session is, "Examining Interventions for Students with Specific Reading Disorders" Dr. McNamara will present the latest research around best practices in supporting children and youth with learning disabilities. Session participants will learn about the underlying causes of learning disabilities, the factors that affect the possible trajectories of learning disabilities, and the latest research around best practices in supporting children and y...outh with learning disabilities. The session will explore learning disabilities across the span from emergent readers to children identified with learning disabilities in the elementary and intermediate grades. Dr. McNamara is a Professor in the Department of Child and Youth Studies at Brock University. He teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in child psychology with a focus on language and learning disabilities. His research is aimed at exploring how literacy programs can support children and their families. John completed his Ph.D. at Simon Fraser University and has an MA and BA in psychology from Brock University. He also obtained his teacher certification at the University of Kent in England. Registration link is here https://bit.ly/31MFjOk

Learning Disabilities Association of Canada is hosting a virtual conference, "Closing the COVID Gap" on May 28th. LDANB is hosting a draw to give away 10 ticket...s to New Brunswick educators. If you are interested in attending the conference and entering the draw, register here. https://forms.gle/3ccB8TQjSaNEbqt37 Full conference details are found here - https://bit.ly/31whWbJ If you have any questions, please contact Ainsley at [email protected].

Quiet girls with ADHD are often overlooked or ignored. Teachers and even parents call them spacey, disorganized, not trying hard enough. I lived without an ADD diagnosis for far too long, and felt like a constant failure. It needs to end!

What is the Duty to Accommodate? Employers and service providers have an obligation to adjust rules, policies or practices to enable you to participate fully. It applies to needs that are related to the grounds of discrimination. This is called the duty to accommodate. The duty to accommodate means that sometimes it is necessary to treat someone differently in order to prevent or reduce discrimination. For examples, asking all job applicants to pass a written test may not be fair to a person with a visual disability. In such cases, the duty to accommodate may require that alternative arrangements be made to ensure that a person or group can fully participate. More Information ----> https://www.ldac-acta.ca/

ADHD impacts both genders equally, but outdated stereotypes leave too many women undiagnosed and feeling hopelessly ditzy, dumb, or depressed. ADHD often looks different in girls or women. Unfortunately, many clinicians may still not recognize and accurately diagnose their ADHD. This can be a tremendous barrier to effective treatment.

Though teachers may recognize that students with ADHD forget to write down assignments, lose completed homework, and need fidgets to improve focus, many educato...rs are frustrated and confounded by not-so-obvious ADHD behaviors when they inevitably pop up. And that is where this handout comes in. To download this handout for free, click here: https://www.additudemag.com//explaining-adhd-/ #ADHD #ADHDParenting #ADHDParents #ADHDParent #ADHDParentingTips #ParentingTips #ADHDKids #ADHDAtSchool #ADHDTeachers See more

The right to read and the Power to achieve Red flags that could indicate learning disabilities in a first to third grader include: Pronunciation problems, Difficulty learning new facts or skills, Difficulty linking letter combinations with sounds, Consistently mixing up letters and words when reading or writing (using "b" for "d" )

Winter Break Activities for Families Embrace the fun over winter break with these creative activity ideas. Cut out the cards and drop them into a jar for kids to choose from. Challenge them to complete 10 before the New Year! #LD

A Message from the Chair, Learning Disabilities Association of Canada. Winter holidays are approaching! This holiday season brings extra anxiety as our families across the country do their best to cope with their plans for school and seasonal festivities under the shadow of a deadly global pandemic. In spite of rising cases of COVID, we are hearing about successes from creative educators and supporters that are addressing the inequities in the learning environments uncovered ... and exacerbated by the pandemic. These teachers are working together to provide a safe learning environment for all our students. For example, businesses in many communities have chipped in to buy equipment for students so they can continue to learn remotely. More good news is on the horizon as we hear about advancements in vaccines and treatments for COVID. We look forward to the time when we can all safely get together with friends and family. From our dedicated staff and volunteers, we wish you all safe and happy holidays! Thealzel Lee Chair, Learning Disabilities Association of Canada

All sessions will then be available through rebroadcast until April 5th 2021. Tune in for a total of 120 presentations (including 40 in English) on current topics related to the work of educators, parents and health professionals. Speakers will cover topics related to 3 main themes : Resilience... Collaboration Managing a multidisciplinary team; Working in a collaborative team; School-Family-Community Relationships. Inclusion Differentiated instruction; Preschool, elementary, secondary, adult education, continuing education; Reading, writing, mathematics; Assessment and Feedback; Advanced orthopedagogical practices; Educational and assistive technology.

Have you seen LDAC’s Research Hub? Research Hub has summaries of the latest Canadian research on Learning Disabilities (LD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as it relates to LD

The ASSIST research team, led by Dr. Penny Corkum at Dalhousie University, and comprised of health and education researchers, including the IWK Health Centre’s Dr. Isabel Smith, is recruiting 300 Canadian teachers to test the implementation and sustainability of the ASSIST on-line program an evidence-based professional development program for teachers of grades 1 to 12 working with students with diverse learning needs in the inclusive classroom. #dalhousieuniversity #teachers #Learningdisability #EducationResearchers #adhdsupport #parentingprogram

Provide some structure and schedule to your family's day (updated regularly). By Frannie Ucciferri 5/15/2020

December 10 is people stand up for equality, justice and human dignity by celebrating International Human Rights Day. In my own words a brief overview: Students have a right with learning disabilities to receive an education that gives them an opportunity to develop their full potential.... Employees have a legal rights to be accommodated in the workplace. The accommodation on the grounds of disability is up to undue hardship. With objective evidence is supplied with restriction and limitations for an accommodation. Up to undue hardship this varies for each employer depending a variety of factors, very long story short.