3. What Are Learning Disabilities?
Learning disabilities are
discrepancies
between general intelligence
and performance of specific learning
tasks
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4. Formerly known as:
Lack of intelligence
Lack of maturity
Laziness
Personality defects
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5. Adults with LDs Choose Real Estate
1. To make the most money possible without much
formal education
2. To find a fulfilling career outside academia
SURPRISE!
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6. (Often) Who Are They?
Adults with addiction problems (treated or untreated;
past or present)
Adult workers who have problems with working under
supervision
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7. Do We Have More Than Our Share?
Intake screening is practically non-existent
Most actual work time is unsupervised
Results count, but only favorable results are seen by
brokers
“Set your own hours”
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8. How the Brain Works
INPUTS BRAIN
OUTPUTS INTEGRATION
STORAGE/
RETRIEVAL
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9. Input Disabilities
Visual Auditory
Difficulty organizing position Difficulty distinguishing
and shape of what is seen (E sounds
= M or W) Difficulty picking one sound
Inability to focus on out of several
significant figure (skipping
lines, jumping over words)
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11. Abstraction Difficulties
Abstraction is the ability to convert sequenced
information into correct meaning.
1 apple + 1 apple = 2 apples
1 airplane + 2 airplanes = ????
Why did the golfer bring two pair of pants to the
game?
In case he got a hole in one.
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16. Language Disabilities
Spontaneous Language
Speaker initiates conversation
Speaker selects topic
Speaker has taken time to organize thoughts before
speaking
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17. Demand Language
Asking a direct question
Asking for in-depth explanations of specific wording
or parts of problems not thought out in advance
Coping behaviors: changing subject, making jokes,
leaving the room or conversation
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18. Muscle Disability
Lack of gross motor skills, usually seen as clumsiness
Lack of fine motor skills, usually seen as bad
handwriting
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19. Signs of Spontaneous Language
Disability
Unable to concentrate on topic
Unable to answer questions even when topic was
originated by speaker
Do not appear to understand the gravity of business
situations
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20. Emotional Difficulties of LR
Students
Shame
Fear
Environmental and Emotional Sensitivity
Emotional Regulation
Difficulty Adjusting to Change
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21. Part 2: Behavorial Problems of LD
Students
Poor Time Management
Poor Social Skills
Short Attention Span
Poor to No Organizational Skills
Slow Processing Speed
Memory Storage Problems
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22. Low Reading Level
Many times learning disabilities result in low reading
level
Very dangerous for real estate licensees
We can’t cure it
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23. But We CAN Help!
Simplify instructions
Use bulleted lists
Present verbally as well as in writing
Read materials out loud (instructor or students)
Leave instructions on screen
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25. Problem 1: Procedure
1. What solutions are being sought in the problem?
2. Is it necessary to separate the solutions sought into
separate parts?
3. Is it necessary to rank the solutions into steps?
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26. Problem 1: Low Reading Skills
Develop a list of instructions to solve this problem:
A building site has the dimensions:
162 ft. (side)
78.5 ft (front)
77 ft (back)
157 ft (side)
Write the dimensions in correct order and calculate the
square footage of the site.
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27. Poor Time Management
Inability to keep up with flow of information or class
activities
Asked about one problem, answer with information
from another problem
Late for class and/or returning from breaks
Electronic communications devices sound during class
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28. Managing Time Techniques
Prioritize tasks
Use watch
Use daily calendar
Use reminder software
Use screen timers
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29. Problem 2: Procedure
1. What solutions are being sought in the problem?
2. Is it necessary to separate the solutions sought into
separate parts?
3. Is it necessary to rank the solutions into steps?
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30. Problem 2: Time Management
Develop 3 techniques for prioritizing the tasks used in
this problem:
A building site has the dimensions:
162 ft. (side)
78.5 ft (front)
77 ft (back)
157 ft (side)
Write the dimensions in correct order and calculate the
square footage of the site.
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31. Poor Social Skills: Hostility + LD
1 member does all group work
Allow others to have all ideas and do all work
Refusal to engage in class
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32. Surviving Poor Social Skills
Let them work alone
Put them in “smallest” group
Don’t put all of them in same group
Give a “job” (that does not involve verbal
communication)
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33. Problem 3 Procedures
1. What solutions are being sought in the problem?
2. Is it necessary to separate the solutions sought into
separate parts?
3. Is it necessary to rank the solutions into steps?
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34. Problem 3: Social skills
Several students are consistently late returning from
breaks and feel they must explain why they are late.
Develop scripts for teaching these students to better
manage break time.
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35. Problem 4: Procedure
1. What solutions are being sought in the problem?
2. Is it necessary to separate the solutions sought into
separate parts?
3. Is it necessary to rank the solutions into steps?
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36. Problem 4: Social Skills
One student always shouts out answers, sometimes
before you have completed the question; this deprives
other students the opportunity to think out the
problem and give answers.
How can you defuse this student without further
disruption?
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37. Short Attention Span
Not accustomed to sitting for hours
Not interested in academic learning
Electronic conditioning to get most information in
least time
Require more than one source of stimulation
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38. Dealing with Short Attention Span
Assign more than one task to be completed
simultaneously
Keep the interactive learning experiences coming
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39. Problem 5: Procedures
1. What solutions are being sought in the problem?
2. Is it necessary to separate the solutions sought into
separate parts?
3. Is it necessary to rank the solutions into steps?
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40. Problem 5: Short Attention Span
Several students are using their electronic
communication devices while you are teaching.
Confronting them will be even more disruptive than
leaving them alone.
What techniques can you use to return their attention to
the class topic?
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41. Poor to No Organizational Skills
Students are unable to organize information and
experiences
Sometimes LDs are exacerbated by the medications to
control them
Trouble locating class materials and other tools
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42. Organizational Skills Aids
Printed material in the order in which it will be
presented
Printed materials explain concepts being taught
Extra copies of printed materials
Sufficient number of breaks
Supply of extra pens and other materials
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43. Problem 6: Procedure
1. What solutions are being sought in the problem?
2. Is it necessary to separate the solutions sought into
separate parts?
3. Is it necessary to rank the solutions into steps?
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44. Problem 6: Organizational Skills
Your course is based on state or federal law. A booklet
provided by the legal body has required information.
You also have several very good brochures and a
magazine article.
Design the best plan for presenting course information
to students who have poor organizational skills.
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45. Slow Processing Speed
Processing speed does not always relate to intelligence
LDs or meds may influence processing speed
Slower processing students must be considered when
course in being developed.
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46. Processing Speed Accommodations
Repeats of most important information
Comprehensive take-home materials
Visuals to reinforce important points
Repeat visuals each time point is made
Allow individual work
Never put on spot
Tie class information to known facts
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47. Problem 7: Procedures
1. What solutions are being sought in the problem?
2. Is it necessary to separate the solutions sought into
separate parts?
3. Is it necessary to rank the solutions into steps?
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48. Problem 7: Processing Speed
A student in real estate math class is not working as fast
as others. You have a lot of material to cover within
the class time.
What can you do in course development and classroom
to help this student?
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49. Memory Storage Problems
Do not remember what they have seen, heard or were
shown
Difficulty with memorization
Difficulty remembering sequences in directions or
instructions
Sight vocabulary is weak
Often have low reading skills
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50. Memory Aids
Rhyming
Mnemonics
Song Lyrics
Handout Sheets
Page-size “Posters”
Print important scripts on back of business cards
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51. Problem 8: Procedures
1. What solutions are being sought in the problem?
2. Is it necessary to separate the solutions sought into
separate parts?
3. Is it necessary to rank the solutions into steps?
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52. Problem 8: Memory Aids
You are teaching the differences between stick built
houses and manufactured homes.
What memory aids can you develo p to help students
with memory storage problems hold on to the learning
as long as possible?
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53. Summary
Almost all of our students will have some type of LD
We can’t cure the LDs, we can only deal with the
behaviors
We can offer learning aids built into our courses
during development and in the classroom
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54. The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the
book.
~Author Unknown
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