2 Day Skills Practice Intensive: Brain-Based Strategies and Interventions to Help Children and Adolescents with Reading and Writing Disorders

EXPERT: Steven G. Feifer, D.Ed., ABSNP

The fundamental aim of this 2-day course will be to utilize cognitive neuroscience to better understand language-based learning disorders in children and adolescents.  Each lecture has been designed to examine reading and written language disorders from a brain-based educational perspective. The primary learning objectives will be to classify learning disabilities into distinct subtypes based upon neural pathways in the brain.  There will be a detailed discussion linking each learning disability subtype with scores of evidenced based interventions.  Lastly, all participants will have a “hands on” opportunity to meet in small groups and review case studies in order to develop additional recommendations for struggling learners.

Day 1 Reading:  This lecture will begin by discussing the current state of literacy in Canada, as well as to differentiate dyslexia from other reading disorders.   There will be an emphasis on examining reading from a brain-based educational perspective, with the goal being to classify developmental reading disorders into four distinct subtypes.   Specific cognitive constructs will include phonemic awareness and phonological processing, working memory, executive functioning, and orthographical processing skills.  A brief review of the  Feifer Assessment of Reading (FAR) battery will be shared, as well as other key instruments used to screen and diagnose children with reading disorders consistent with dyslexia.   Lastly, specific case studies will be presented to participants working in small groups in order to develop a “hands on” opportunity to generate targeted intervention strategies for struggling learners.

Day 2 Writing:  This lecture will examine the cognitive underpinnings inherent within the writing process.  There will be a discussion on national trends in written language, as well as gender differences in achieving proficient writing skills.  In addition, three specific subtypes of writing disorders will be outlined, with particular emphasis on how “frontal lobe”processes such as attention, working memory, and executive functioning impact each subtype.  In addition, five essential steps for effective written language instruction will be reviewed, as well as key assessment tools to evaluate written language disorders in children.  A brief review of the  Feifer Assessment of Writing (FAW) battery will be shared, as well as other key instruments to diagnose children with written language disorders consistent with dysgraphia.   Lastly, specific case studies will be presented to participants working in small groups in order to develop a “hands on” opportunity to generate targeted intervention strategies for struggling learners.

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