ABSTRACTS

9.00 am- Inauguration
9.45 am to 10.30 a.m Jo Todd Dyspraxia (W1)
Students with Dyspraxia are often hardworking, determined and have unique skills associated with pattern. Through case studies, Jo will share his tones of concept successful dyspraxic students and clients which will confirm the concept of “different ability” rather than “disability”

11.00 am to 3.30 pm - Jo Todd : Dyspraxia (W2)
Dyspraxia or Development Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) is generally considered to be an impairment of immaturity of movement. Associated with this may be problems with language. Perception and thought. During this workshop we will explore the effects of Dyspraxia on the student and the strategies for management that can be introduced and embedded in school life so that the student has self management techniques for higher education and in the workplace

11.00 am to 12.30 pm Usha Ramakrishnan : Enabling Potential  (W3)
Children with learning  disabilities require that their development is understood historically (Strengths, Weaknesses and inter connections between areas of development before focusing on difficulties in learning. The unique profile thus obtained enables the use of strategies best suited to the child’s self esteem, learning style, level and pace. This presentation forcases on understanding total potential, demystifying learning disabilities and the  learning process.

12.30 pm to 1.30 pm - V. Balakrishnan : Theatre and LD (W4)                                                                       Theatre unbinds the customary boundaries and allows children to express and explore beyond their ordinary boundaries. Artistic expression through drama creates self confidence. Strong personally and positive body language. The task before us is to liberate the students imagination and creative expression. Better social Skills, communication and improvement in their ability to work as a group are some of the goals for the children.

2.30 pm to 3.30 pm Gwendolyn D. Gibson : Using Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) to Integrate Cognitive Instruction with Academic Content in an inclusive Learning Environment (W5)
This presentation will demonstrate how educators can use MLE as the medium by which highly effective teaching and learning can occur. It will also outline strategies that analyse the cognitive aspects of content and develop instructional plans that foster an inclusive learning environment.

4.00 pm to 5.00 pm Dr. 5 Mohan Raj : Emotional Aspects of LD (W6)
A substantial number of children with LD have emotional problems like anxiety depression, low self esteem anger and passive aggression. Emotional problems can be prevented by raising the awareness about LD, early recognition, remedial education an dparental counseling. Protective factors like improving the child’s self esteem, nurturing a confiding relationship with parents and unconditional positive regard are vital.

9.00 am to 9.45 am – Kristin H Barbour : Language Difficulties and the Learning Disabled Student (T1)
Language processing is an area of concern for many students with learning disabilities. Difficulties with syntax, semantic morphology and pragmatics have a tremendous effect on student’s self confidence, motivation to learn and become successful in school and in life . Essential language processing skills must be in place. This session will teach language processing skills and the resulting impact on student performance.

9.45 am to 10.30 am – Polly Bayrd : Reading Fluency and Comprehension (T2)
11.00 am to 3.30 am – Polly Bayrd : Megawords (T3)
Polly Bayrd will demonstrate and discuss a systematic phonics approach using “Megawords”. The audience will learn multi sensory teaching strategies, task analysis and monitoring techniques with demonstration of ways to customize the program to meet the needs of variety of learners. There will be an emphasis on strategies to build reading fluency through a variety of games, activities, timed readings and other techniques for review, repetition  and practice of  skills.

11.00 am to 3.30 pm – Kristin H Barbour : Tactics to enhance language skills in the classroom (T4)
Is it possible to teach “How to learn in a “What” to learn culture? This session will demonstrate how to enhance language skills through research based best practices in the classroom. Participants will engage in interactive activities through the Socratic method within the context of Bloom’s taxonomy, reciprocal teaching and mediated learning. Emphasis will be given to the building blocks necessary for decoding and reading comprehension including strategies in developing these skills in the classroom.

4.00 pm to 5.00 pm – Dr. Veena Katra : Neurological Perspective (T5)

Learning disability implies inability to learn  at the appropriate level despite optimal environment and stimulus. LD may have co- morbidities, the factors of which may lie in the family and home environment. A holistic evaluation with peri-natal and early development is essential. Team approach for management, pharmacotherapy, innovative methods of teaching, special curriculum and innovative learning resource material and multimedia tools are important.

9.00 am to 9.45 am – Dr. James Theodore Kinard, Sr. : maths & Science through MLE (F1)
9.45 am to 10.30 am – Kathy R. hapkins : The Struggle to learn (F2)              
Teaching a student who struggles to learn requires knowledge, insight, perseverance and a high level of training. Both the art and the science of teaching , should be combined in any training program. We know what works best through good research and practices. The good news is that we can change our expectations for students and our own ingrained thinking about our practice. The general session is intended to challenge our pre – suppositions about teaching  the struggling learner.

11.00 am to 3.30 pm. – Kathy R Hopkins : ABC’s of Reading (F3)
The five essential components of the “Reading First initiative” will be presented in an interactive session. These include phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency vocabulary and comprehension. Tools will be demonstrated that teachers can use in classrooms or individual sessions.

11.00 am to 3.30 pm – Dr. James Thedore Kinard, Sr.: The Role of Rigorous Mathematical Thinking a Scientific and Technological Society (F4)
Mathematical thinking is essential in all effective scientific  and technological learning and applications. The paradigm for creating Rigorous Mathematical Thinking (RMT) consists of cognitive development, appropriation of mathematically specific psychological tools and deep mathematical conceptual understanding with ongoing persistence and vigilance. This paper will describe the paradigm for creating RMT and discuss its role in India’s growing scientific and technological society.

4.00 pm to 5.00 pm – Poonam Natarajan : Inclusion (F5)

The value of  inclusive Education is well documented now. It is about addressing diversity in the classroom. How can this be made possible, within the limitation of the Indian school settings of large numbers and poor resources? Case studies and many positive experiences point to a large number of strategies   teachers can adopt in the classroom. This session will attempt to put together some strategies and good practices.

9.00 am to 9.45 pm – Dr. Louis H.Falik : Using Mediacted Learning Experience (MLE) to integrate Cognitive Instruction with Academic Content. (S1)
This presentation will demonstrate how educators can use MLE as the medium by which highly effective teaching and learning can occur. It will also outline strategies that analyze the cognitive aspects of content and develop instructional plans that foster an inclusive learning environment.

9.45 am to 10.30 am – Dr. Neelam Sinha : NIOS Facilities Management of Open Schooling for the Disadvantaged (S2)
Millions of children in India have some form of disability and need special education. NIOS offers Secondary and Sr.Secondary education through distance learning. Modification of study- materials, provisions during examinations, innovative seating arrangements, ensuring the use of media technologies and setting up of mobile learning centres can enhance the reach and widen the horizon for distance education.

11.00 am to 3.30 pm – Dr.Louis H. Falik : Successful Integration inclusion of Special Needs Students into the Educational Mainstream (S3)
With widespread recognition of the potential and necessity for inclusion of students with special needs into the mainstream, it has been observed that there is insufficient thought and planning regarding the necessary elements to make this inclusion a successful experience. Using the concepts of cognitive modifiability and mediated learning experience and identifying critical elements in the social and educational system, we can identify critical conditions and necessary action to take.

11.00 am to 12.30 pm – Soniya Philip : Learning matters (S4)
The hallmark of quality teaching is the teacher’s ability to analyze what students are being asked to do and to foresee and be responsive to student’s  learning needs.

1.30 pm to 2.30 pm – Sheela Jose : Relief for children with learning disability through Ayurveda (S5)
Learning disability is a disorder that affects people’s ability to either interpret what they see and hear or to link information from different parts of the brain. These limitations can show up as difficulties with spoken and written language., coordination, self control, perceptual skills, memory or attention. This can attend to school work and can impede learning to read or write or to do maths. This session will create awareness among the parents and professionals the importance of Ayurveda in treating many of the above mentioned problems.
                                         
2.30 pm to 3.30 pm Dr. Emma R. Gonsalve : Parental Stress (56)
One of the persistent challenges facing the parents is coping with rapid changes in the environment. The stress factors range from the personal to the interpersonal, situational and the unexpected. The more effectively they cope with the threats facing them, the greater the positive effects on themselves and the members of the family. This session will discuss the common stress factors of parents  and children and the mutual impact on the their quality of life.

4.00 pm to 5.00 pm - Dr. V. Viswanathan : Dyslexia
A Software Dysfunction (S7)
Ione of the most common yet difficult questions faced by a neurologist is “Why does a child have learning problems when he or she appears normal in all other spheres? The simple answer would be to identify a structural on a hardware problem in the brain but invariably there is no structural pathology in the brain. It would also be due to a net working issue in the brain (software). The question of how and why the network malfunctions battles everyone. Lastly the issue of familial  predisposition for learning disability brings in the question of genetic susceptibility.