1. LEARNING DISABILITIES
AND FAMOUS PEOPLE

2. WHAT IS A LEARNING DISABILITY?
Learning problems affecting the following skills:
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Reasoning
Doing Math

3. TYPES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
Dyslexia
A language and reading disability
Dyscalculia
Problems with arithmetic and math concepts
Dysgraphia
A writing disorder resulting in illegible text
Dyspraxia (Sensory Integration Disorder)
Problems with motor coordination

4. TYPES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
Central Auditor y Processing Disorder
Difficulty processing and remembering language-related
tasks
Non-Verbal Lear ning Disorders
Trouble with nonverbal cues, e.g., body language; poor
coordination, clumsy
Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Deficit
Reverses letters; cannot copy accurately;
Language Disorders (Aphasia/Dysphasia)
Trouble understanding spoken language; poor reading
comprehension

5. WHAT ARE THE CAUSES ?
NO real causes
Might be caused by:
Hereditary
Teratogenic
Medical
Environmental

6. HOW COMMON ARE LEARNING
DISABILITIES?
1 out of every 5 people in United States
1 million children ages 6 – 21
One-third of all children receiving special education
have a learning disability

7. ADD AND ADHD SIGNS
Hyperactive Unreasonable
Impulsive emotional
Fidgety negativity
Inattentive Emotional
outbursts
Disorganized
Frustration over
minor issues
Bedwetting

8. DIAGNOSIS OF ADD AND ADHD
Evaluate student’s behavior
Continuous performance test (CPT)
Diagnosis should be based on multiple
pieces of information and observations

9. APPROACHES TO DIAGNOSE DYSLEXIA
Today, only after a student has reading
difficulties can dyslexia be diagnosed
Dyslexia may have “biological roots”
Psychological testing can determine if a
child has dyslexia

10. DYSLEXIA PARAGRAPH ACTIVIT Y
One nigth ther saw a firer in a builing one
man saw very injure he was rushed to
hositipal and theree day he diad for interle
njres.
One night there was a fire in a building.
One man was very (badly) injured. He was
rushed to the hospital and (after) three
days, he died from internal injuries.

11. SIGNS OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
Trouble learning alphabet or rhyming words
Not understanding text read
Trouble spelling
When reading aloud, repeats and pauses
often
Trouble following directions
Struggles to express ideas in writing

12. EMOTIONAL ISSUES
Students with learning disabilities may suffer from
emotional problems/depression, and/or low
self-esteem. This may cause students to withdraw
from social interaction.
These same students may turn to drugs or alcohol for relief
from feelings of low self-worth.
As many as 35% of students with learning disorders,
drop out of High School (Girod, 2001, p. 31).
“Teenagers with dyslexia …[are] more likely to…think about
and to attempt suicide than other young people their age”
(Landau, 2004, pp. 48-9).

13. FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH LEARNING
DISABILITIES
 At the age of 12 he was
still not able to read
 Remained deficient in
reading his whole life
 Memorized lectures to
get through school
 His disability never
stopped him from
George Patton marching ahead

14. FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH LEARNING
DISABILITIES
He was slow in school
Had a vivid imagination
which his teachers
considered a distraction
He was destined to
become head of one of
the largest theme parks
in the world
Walt Disney

15. FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Famous entertainer
Achieved success in
two major fields
Because of math
learning disability she
can not remember
phone numbers or
balance a checkbook
Cher

16. FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH LEARNING
DISABILITIES
 Has extreme difficulty in
reading
 At a young age he was
considered clumsy
 Became one of the most
famous divers in the
world
 Won gold medals in 84
Greg Luganis and 88 Olympics

17. FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH LEARNING
DISABILITIES
Famous statesman
Failed 8 th grade
Terrible in math and
disliked school
Famous Quote:
“A lie gets halfway
around the world before
the truth has a chance
to get its pants on”
Winston Churchill

18. FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH LEARNING
DISABILITIES
Could not talk until age 4
Could not read until age 9
His teachers considered
him mentally
slow, unsociable and a
dreamer
Failed college entrance
examinations
Albert Einstein Lost three teaching
positions

19. FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH LEARNING
DISABILITIES
Huge success in
entertainment field
Can only learn lines by
listening to a tape
He has been formally
diagnosed with dyslexia
Tom Cruise

20. FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH LEARNING
DISABILITIES
Was the 28 th President of
the United States
As a young boy, had great
difficulty reading
Unable to read well his
whole life
Was extremely successful
in politics
Woodrow Wilson

21. CELEBRITIES WITH DYSLEXIA
Jay Leno Henry “The Fonz”
Winkler
Whoopi Goldberg Magic Johnson

22. CELEBRITIES WITH ADD/ADHD
Ty Pennington Robin Williams
Will Smith Tracy Gold

23. RESOURCES
 Girod, C. M. (2001). Diseases and disorders: Learning
disabilities. San Diego: Lucent Books.
 Landau, E. (2004). Dyslexia. New York: Franklin Watts.
National Dissemination Center for Children with
Disabilities.
http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/ohi