Identifying and Supporting Children with Specific Learning Difficulties

Dr Christine MacIntyre is a lecturer at the School of Education, University of Edinburgh. Dr Pamela Doponio is also a lecturer in Special Needs at the University of Edinburgh.

Many children experience difficulties which impact on their learning at home and school. Some have a specific learning difficulty, for example, dyslexia or dyspraxia, but others quite often display learning difficulties associated with more than one specific 'condition'. If teachers are to be able to support the diverse needs of children, they must have a repertoire of appropriate strategies to ensure a positive learning and teaching experience.This informative book will provide a broad knowledge base from which platform teachers can formulate planning and teaching strategies to facilitate their work in an inclusive environment. The authors comprehensively examine ways in which to: - pinpoint the overlap of difficulties within different named 'special needs' conditions and highlight ways in which children can be helped as a group, thus reducing the burden of planning and differentiation- consider the process of assessment- explain the implications of the children's difficulties- list tried and tested strategies to help the children and the teachers cope- show how ongoing research into children's difficulties is advising new ways of confronting their problemsTeachers at nursery and primary level, SEN co-ordinators and student teachers should all find this a refreshingly accessible and practical book, which takes a uniquely holistic angle on inclusive education.

1. Raising the issues: an overview 2. Assessment: communication, investigation and speculation 3. Understanding co-occurrent difficulties: sensory perception and integration 4. Understanding co-occurrent difficulties: cognition, literacy and social communication 5. Understanding co-occurrent difficulties: movement fluency, confused laterality, rhythm and timing 6. Inclusive approaches for children with specific learning difficulties