Learning Disabled Services (LD)

Oak Ridge LD Instructors

Rhonda Bidjou
Rhonda.Bidjou@district196.org
651-683-6969 ext. 92776

Jean Buysse
Jean.Buysse@district196.org
651-683-6969 ext. 93704

Laura Ross
Laura.Ross@district196.org
651-683-6969 ext. 92737

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Oak Ridge provides services to students with a variety of different needs. Special education services are available to students who meet eligibility for:

Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)
Speech and/or Language (SPL)
Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD)
Developmental Delay (DD)
Developmental/Adaptive Physical Education (DAPE)
Occupational Therapy (OT)
Physical Therapy (PT)
Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHOH)
Vision and Mobility (VI)
Emotional/Behavioral Disability (EBD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Physically Impaired (PI)

Students may be referred to the Child Study Team by parents, classroom teachers, special education staff, or by an outside agency already serving the child. We use a comprehensive child study process to systematically screen, assess, and if appropriate, provide special education services to students.
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WHAT IS A LEARNING DISABILITY?
According to the federal government approximately five percent of school age children are labeled learning disabled and receive special education services. Students with learning disabilities are children who are of average to above average intelligence yet their performance in school is not anywhere near his/her potential. A specific learning disability is demonstrated by a significant discrepancy between a child's intellectual ability and their actual achievement or performance in one or more of the following areas:
-basic reading skills
-reading comprehension
-math calculation
-math reasoning
-written language
-listening comprehension and/or
-oral expression
Along with a severe discrepancy, a specific learning disability is also demonstrated by a history severe underachievement in the regular education classroom and information processing problems. A learning disability may manifest itself in a variety of ways. No two students with a learning disability display the same problems.

OAK RIDGE SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY SERVICES
Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) is an area of special education for children who have been identified through extensive assessment. Most of these students receive small group instruction for specified periods of time in the areas of reading, written language and/or math. The SLD teachers assist in modifying the mainstream curriculum and materials for students with disabilities and provide support for classroom teachers and specialists.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A LEARNING DISABILITY:
-can't sound out words, skips lines while reading, skips words
-reverses order of sounds in words
-confuses letters such as 'b' 'd' ‘p’ and ‘q’ after first grade
-writes letters and numbers backwards after first grade
-sequences words in an odd manner
-unusual spelling errors
-confuses mathematical symbols
-short attention span, easily distracted
-disorganized
-inconsistent performance
-significant differences between written and oral testing
-confused about direction and time
-poor condition
-poor memory
-appears to be restless and easily distracted
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DID YOU KNOW?
Many famous people had/have disabilities...and look at how successful they have become!
Agatha Christie – Author of novels, short stories and plays
Albert Einstein – Scientist
Alexander Braham Bell – Invented the telephone
Beethoven – German composer and pianist
Cher – Singer, songwriter, actor, director and record producer
Henry Ford – Founder of the American Ford Motor Company
Leonardo Da Vinci – Famous painter
Magic Johnson – Professional basketball player
Nolan Ryan – Major League Baseball pitcher
Patricia Polacco - Author and illustrator of children’s books
Thomas Edison – Inventor of the light bulb
Tom Cruise - Actor
Walt Disney – Animator, screenwriter, film producer, and director
Whoopi Goldberg - Actress
Woodrow Wilson – 28th president of the United States
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Any type of disability is complicated and difficult to define. If you have further questions or would like more information about this topic, please fell free to contact an Oak Ridge Special Education Teacher. If you have concerns regarding your own child's progress in school, please talk with his/her classroom teacher.