Learning is a process that can look different for every child. It is important that educators and caregivers have access to the resources they need to support students with learning disabilities. In response to this need, the Iowa Reading Research Center (IRRC) has released the Learning Disability Hub. The hub is a collection of free resources providing research-based information about learning disabilities, such as dyslexia and dysgraphia.
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a specific learning disability is "a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia" (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2018). Given the scope of specific learning disabilities as well as the varied ways disabilities can present across grade levels, it is important that educators and caregivers have the respective knowledge they need to identify learning disabilities, provide effective instruction, advocate for students' needs, and provide accommodations to best support learning. The IRRC's Learning Disability Hub covers all of this and more.
On the "Understanding and Recognition" section of the hub, users can find eLearning modules for both educators and caregivers, covering foundational information about dyslexia as well as information on how caregivers can advocate for their student if they think their child may have a learning disability. The section also features several blog posts that provide insights into dysgraphia, the foundational reading skills associated with dyslexia, and misconceptions about dyslexia.
The "Instruction and Intervention" section of the hub answers the question, "What do effective instruction and intervention look like for students with learning disabilities?" It features IRRC blog posts for both educators and caregivers as well as instructional guides and tip sheets from the Institute of Education Sciences. This section also links to IRRC applications and resources that provide support to handwriting instruction, morphology instruction (i.e., instruction on the smallest units of meaning in a word such as prefixes, roots, and suffixes), and early literacy skills such as letter-sound correspondence knowledge.
From there, the "Support and Advocacy" section of the hub provides parent-teacher communication resources to aid both parties in collaborating to best understand and support a student's learning needs. The page also includes blog posts that dive into the socio-emotional impacts of learning disabilities and share lived experiences of people with learning disabilities.
On the "Accommodations" section of the hub, educators and caregivers can learn about accommodations for learning disabilities. Accommodations change how a student learns classroom materials without modifying what the student is expected to learn. Resources in this section include an eLearning module, printable worksheets, and blog posts on assistive technology. Assistive technology refers to devices, software, or equipment that help children with disabilities complete academic and everyday tasks. In addition to information on assistive technology, the section also includes reading graphic organizers and strategies for accommodating note-taking.
Resources and policies around learning disabilities vary by state. The IRRC's Learning Disability Hub also includes a section with resources that are specific to Iowa. These resources can provide further insight into dyslexia identification in Iowa, explanations of Iowa educational supports, and more.
The IRRC's Learning Disability Hub weaves together foundational information, practice-based tools, flexible applications, insights from lived experiences, and more—all to support educators and caregivers in ensuring that all students' learning needs are met. Start learning by visiting the hub on the IRRC website today.
References
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 34 C.F.R. § 300.8(c)(10) (2018). https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8/c/10