Foreword

Learning disabilities affect the way an individual learner acquires knowledge and skills during their lifetime. The various factors affecting their knowledge acquisition include; the teaching and learning process, the instructional strategy, the learner’s self-efficacy, the teacher’s qualifications, competence including self-efficacy, the assessment method, the curricula and subject topic.

When I received the invitation to edit this book, I quickly accepted as a mark of honour to my late lovely sister-in-law Dr Clara Kikelomo Adeyemi, for her contribution to the education of special needs students with disabilities both in Nigeria and internationally. She would have contributed a chapter to this Book.

The Book “Learning Disabilities in the 21^st Century” comprises six chapters written by academics from different parts of the world on methods of improving knowledge and skills acquisition for students with learning disabilities. The learning environment is geared towards the increasing use of technology, and this requires an all-inclusive educational system involving educators and policy makers using a multi-tiered system of support that will enable students with learning disabilities to improve their critical thinking, self-efficacy and problem-solving skills.

Chapter 1 starts with Wendy Strickler, Amy Murdoch, Julie Morrison and Melissa Mayrer from the USA. discuss dyslexia in relation to reading difficulties associated with speech-sound skills and decoding of words. Wendy and colleagues in their write up titled Dyslexia: Meeting the Needs of Struggling Readers through Multi-tiered Evidence-Based Support stated that dyslexia is often associated with various comorbidities such as language impairment, mathematics impairment and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Wendy and colleagues then considered the science of reading and identified methods that could be used for developing phonological awareness during early childhood education such as the Big 5 components of reading. They discussed the change in the way dyslexia assessment was effected by using response to evidence-based instruction approach instead of an ability-achievement discrepancy approach. They descried the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and how it was implemented through collaboration of three different departments involved in the PARTNERS project. They concluded that using MTSS enabled immediate identification of students struggling to read and timely intervention support provision.

In chapter 2, Stella Wai-Won Choy, Conor Mc Guckin and Miriam Towmey from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland described their research on the use of early intervention to reduce anxiety disorders in children with learning disabilities. In their study on “Effectiveness of Peer-mediated Lego® Play for Reducing Anxiety in Children Aged 4 to 6 Years with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder: A scoping Review” they considered shifting the emphasis from the widely used medical model of disability to a social model of disability.

Stella and colleagues highlighted the benefits of group intervention and the use of the 7 principles of universal design which emphasises the use of technology to maximise learning opportunities for students. Finally, they reviewed literature on the use of peer-mediated and Lego-based interventions.

Next comes Turid Helland from University of Bergen, Norway in a review on the effect of linguistic language disorders in relation to studying mathematics. In this chapter “Mathematics difficulties and frequent comorbidities” she discussed definitions, development. comorbidities and the 4 different levels of mathematics difficulties which are attributed to problems in the cognitive domain. She emphasised the need for early detection through evidence-based assessments and qualitative testing methods to determine each students’ mathematics difficulties to enable the application of early intervention.

In chapter 4, Eylem Ezgi Ahiskali from Balikesir University, Turkey discussed “Evaluation of Self-Directed Learning Readiness, Academic Self-Efficacy Perception, and Awareness of Metacognitive Writing Strategies on Student Achievement”. She emphasised the relationship between the self-directed learning readiness levels of students and their perceptions of academic self-efficacy and awareness of metacognitive writing strategies in a period of distance education caused by the Covid 19 pandemic She stated that the important factors for students learning development are; self-directed learning, academic self-efficacy perceptions and use of metacognition awareness strategies to enable them achieve their goals.

Investigating assessment tools of English as a second language for students and those with disabilities in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, Rehab Al Awad, considered the perceived and ease of use of online assessment tools by EFL teachers. In his chapter 5, “Enhancing 21st Century Assessment Tools for EFL Learners with Disabilities” Rehab explored theoretical background relating to eLearning assessment tools and then surveyed EFL teachers attitudes towards their use. He found that though the teachers reported the usefulness of the assessment tools, adopting them for use to enable students to develop higher order thinking skills and reading skills would depend on teacher’s intention, competence and self-efficacy.

Finally, Heba Mohamed from Egypt confirmed the importance of selecting appropriate textbooks in the teaching and learning process to help students develop their language skills. Mohamed investigated the suitability of a primary school textbook for teaching English language. Chapter 6 titled “An Evaluative Study for Egyptian Primary School Textbooks. (Connect 1: A case study)”, Heba surveyed EFL teachers and found the textbook’s lack of correlation between the alleged educational purpose and the teachers and learners needs. He concluded by recommending either the adaptation of the textbook to meet the needs of the learners or finding an alternative textbook.

This Book is designed to provide quality information for those involved in the education of students with disabilities and learners of English as a second language.

Sincerely,

Segun Adeyemi