Articles

“Straight Talk about Adult Ed Funding”
Laura Weisel, PhD, CEO of The TLP Group, NAASLN Past President
Special Learning Needs must be a topic of every conversation and decision about adult basic education policies and funding.

• 40–90% of adults enrolled in basic education have special learning needs that impede progress toward their goals.

• If you can’t see, hear, process auditory information, process visual information under bright florescent lighting, manage the task of writing (visual motor integration), or sit still and do passive learning….success will be very challenging.

• Significant gains are made when adults receive interventions that address their Special Learning Needs, i.e., attention issues, visual stress, undiagnosed learning disabilities/differences, visual motor integration challenges, auditory comprehension challenges.

 

“GED Powers “Second Chance”
Pat Walsh, M.Ed., NAASLN Board Member
Emphasizing the message that the GED offers “a powerful second chance,” Sylvia E. Robinson, assistant vice president and executive director of the General Educational Development Testing Service (GEDTS), and Bob MacGillivray, deputy executive director, presented a update of its history and current profile at a recent meeting of the National Coalition for Literacy, of which NAASLN is a member.

Although the first GED tests were developed in 1942 by the American Council on Education (ACE) to help returning World War II veterans finish their studies and re-enter civilian life, GEDTS is still an ACE program whose primary mission to provide a reliable vehicle through which adults can certify that they possess the major and lasting outcomes of a traditional high school education.

Since its inception, this “powerful second chance,” has recognized 16,810,708 graduates. In 2007 alone, 728,930 persons took the test and 451,759 passed. It is now recognized throughout North America, as a bridge to education and employment. According to the 2007 College Board Annual Survey of Colleges 98 percent of colleges and universities that require a high school diploma accept the GED credential. Other studies indicate that 96 percent of companies accept applicants with a GED credential for jobs requiring a high school diploma.

 

“TABE Testing Issues for Adults with Special Learning Needs”
Laura P. Weisel, Ph.D., Clinical Director, The TLP Group, Columbus, OH
NAASLN Board Member, Conference Committee Chair, Partnership Committee Chair, and Past-President
The TLP Group has been collecting data on the special learning needs of literacy, basic skills, at-risk youth, and TANF students/clients since 2003. This data has specific implications for the use of the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) in programs serving these populations. The TABE is used to measure entry skills and knowledge and post-instruction skills and knowledge. The special learning needs data is specific to key aspects of information processing that are critical to learning. These same key aspects are critical to the demonstration of academic skills and knowledge that are being tested by TABE.

 

“Dyslexia, Hyperlexia and Beyond”
Ann Farris, Author of “The Other Side of Dyslexia”
Twenty plus years ago I was diagnosed as being heavily dyslexic and told there was nothing to be done to help me. How could this be? I was enjoying a very successful career as a producer/manager in opera and World Expositions and not willing to accept the testing officer’s opinion. At the time I was Director of the Opera-Musical Theater Program at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, DC and needed to feel competent and comfortable while reading. This article describes what I’ve discovered over these last two decades about my particular condition, my process for healing and the successes I continue to have.

 

“An In-depth Discussion of Special Learning Needs of Individuals in Adult Education, At-Risk Youth Programs, and One-Stop Centers, Part 1: Inadequacies of LD-Only Diagnosis”
Laura P. Weisel, Ph.D., Clinical Director, The TLP Group, Columbus, OH
NAASLN Board Member, Conference Committee Chair, Partnership Committee Chair, and Past-President
This is the first in a series of educator-driven articles that summarize the current status of struggling learners who have left the K-12 system and have come to adult basic education, literacy, and workforce development services. Dr. Weisel conducted the study on which these this article is based. Data related to the study: “Special Learning

 

Needs of individuals in Adult Basic and Literacy Education, At-Risk Youth Programs, and One-Stop Centers”

 

“An In-depth Discussion of Special Learning Needs of Individuals in Adult Education, At-Risk Youth Programs, and One-Stop Centers, Part 2: The Impact of Visual Stress Syndrome”
Laura P. Weisel, Ph.D., Clinical Director, The TLP Group, Columbus, OH
NAASLN Board Member, Conference Committee Chair, Partnership Committee Chair, and Past-President
This is the second in a series of educator-driven articles that summarize the current status of struggling learners who have left the K-12 system and have come to adult basic education, literacy, and workforce development services. Nearly 45% of the 4,567 individuals surveyed by the TLP Group were found to have visual function challenges. This article focuses on these individuals and the impact of Visual Stress Syndrome (VSS).

 

“The Fluorescent Lighting Crisis, Part 1: Background, Overview and Action”
Joan Hudson-Miller, M.S., LRS Large Print, Los Angeles, CA
NAASLN Board Member, Communications Committee Chair, and Past-President
Research has shown that nearly one-quarter of the world’s population will suffer negative physical effects from fluorescent lighting. Now a coalition of industrialists, environmentalists, and energy specialists is banding together to try to eliminate the incandescent light bulb. Legislation, which has been proposed in California, Canada, and Australia, focuses solely on energy and environmental concerns.

 

“The Fluorescent Lighting Crisis, Part 2: Properties and Environment Impact”
Joan Hudson-Miller, M.S., LRS Large Print, Los Angeles, CA
NAASLN Board Member, Communications Committee Chair, and Past-President
This is the second of a two-part article focusing on the fluorescent light controversy. As with so much in life that sustains us, light is a complex phenomenon. Artificial lighting is no different. As professionals working with adult learners, appropriate lighting is essential to success. We personally must have an in depth understanding of the properties and the physiological effects and environment impact of all types of lighting, including incandescent and fluorescent.

 

“The NAASLN Website – A Part of Our Vision and Principles”
Julie Wetzel, M.Ed., Teacher Advisor, Los Angeles Unified School District, Division of Adult & Career Education,
Disability Support Program, DSP Training Director, Los Angeles, CA
NAASLN Board Member
The 2006 redesign of the current NAASLN website represents the vision and principles of our association and is a major step in better serving our membership. As an association committed to ensuring and expanding opportunities for adults with special learning needs, our new website has been developed and will be maintained by the students attending the Project New Hope Learning Center for computer training, a class of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Disability Support Program.

“Guidelines for Working with Students with Special Learning Needs – Solving the Dilemma of Working with Students with Special Learning Needs in Illinois Adult Education Programs”
Bevan Gibson, M.S.Sp.Ed., Director, Southern Illinois Professional Development Center, Edwardsville, IL
NAASLN Board Member
The dilemma of effectively addressing the ever-increasing population of special learning needs is one that has touched adult education programs in Illinois as well as the entire country.

“Enhancing Our Lives Through Experiences of Others”
Robyn Rennick, M.S., Program Director, Dyslexia Research Institute, Tallahassee, FL
NAASLN Board Member and President
Editor’s Note; Have you read a good book lately that might be of interest to other professionals who work with adults with special learning needs? Send us your review and we’ll include it in the newsletter. Remember, reading is an important adventure — Don’t do it alone!

“Premier Assistive Technology Breaks Down Barriers with Grants”
Frances A. Holthaus, M.S., English Education, ABLE Director, Upper Valley JVS, Piqua, OH
NAASLN Board Member
Premier Assistive established this grant program in 2002 to bridge the gap between education budgets and the need for educational organizations to serve the needs and requirements of special education programs as well as broader based literacy initiatives. This program grants access to Premier Assistive Technology’s full suite of software products. There are no current or future obligations for an organization.

“Meeting the Needs of Students with LD in Higher Education, Part 1”
Melissa Arnott-Cox, Ed.D., L.P.C., C.A.C., Director, Academic Success Center, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ
NAASLN Board Member
The first in a series about the Rowan University Mentoring/Coaching Program, which encourages students to become more self-reliant, self-motivated, and autonomous, as well as assist students in making a smooth transition from high school to college. The program aspires to increase the individual’s self-esteem as a result of academic and social success.

“Meeting the Needs of Students with LD in Higher Education, Part 2”
Melissa Arnott-Cox, Ed.D., L.P.C., C.A.C., Director, Academic Success Center, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ
NAASLN Board Member
The second in a series about the Rowan University Mentoring/Coaching Program, which encourages students to become more self-reliant, self-motivated, and autonomous, as well as assist students in making a smooth transition from high school to college. The program aspires to increase the individual’s self-esteem as a result of academic and social success.

“What Is Self-Advocacy in Transition Planning?”
Patricia Walsh, M.S. Ed., Director, Project ACCESS Educational Talent Search, University of New Orleans, LA
NAASLN Board Member and Membership Committee Chair
Effective self-advocates must learn to understand their particular type of disability, their academic strengths and weaknesses, their individual learning styles, and the laws that govern equal access to education. In this first part of an on-going series, we will address a student’s need to become comfortable with understanding his or her disability, as well as the importance of describing to others both the disability and related academic accommodations.

“The Reluctant Writer”
Richard Cooper, Ph.D., Director, Center of Alternative Learning, Havertown, PA
NAASLN Board Member, Treasurer, and Past-President
Many adults, who have language-based learning problems, are reluctant writers. They do not write much, if at all, because when they write, they expose weaknesses, such as poor spelling or grammar, awkward sentence structure, and/or illegible handwriting. What can you do to motivate these adults and at the same time help them to improve their skills? In this article, you will learn some simple and therefore manageable exercises that will do just this.

“A Difficult Puzzle To Solve: Adult ESOL Students with Learning Disabilities”
Robin Lovrien Schwarz, M.Sp.Ed:LD, Consultant in Adult ESOL/Education and LD, Wausau, WI
NAASLN Board Member
Adult ESOL learners with special learning needs pose unusually tough challenges for the field of adult education. This article delineates these challenges through reference to a real case study of Helene, a 44 year-old student in an adult learning center in Massachusetts, who has been trying most of her life to learn to write and spell so that she could take the GED. The author provides an insightful review of characteristics the ESOL population; an evaluation of teacher training, professional development and materials; diagnostic quandaries of LD; and suggestions on how to meet these challenges.

“Science Informs Our Work: Research Based Adult Literacy Instruction”
Anne Murr, M.S., Coordinator, Drake University Adult Literacy Center, Des Moines, IA
NAASLN Board Member, Secretary, and Legislative Committee Chair
As a practitioner-researcher who has been in the adult literacy field for seven years, my consistent question has been: How can we improve instruction for adults for whom previous literacy instruction and learning efforts have failed. After just a year of tutoring adults who struggle to learn to read, I discovered that adults were not making hoped-for progress when tutors used authentic text which required word recognition through memorization, guessing and guided phonics instruction. Instruction in word structure while writing letters to pen pals was very “hit and miss.”

“ADD Suggestions Before You Snap!”
Patricia Walsh, M.S.Ed, Associate Director, Project Access, Fairfax, VA
NAASLN Board Member and Membership Committee Chair
Attention Deficit disorder is a chronic, neurobiological disorder that affects 3 to 5% of school-age children and 2 to 4% of adults. It directly influences a person’s ability to attend to stimuli that are important (Attention Span), ability to determine which external stimuli are relevant (Distractibility), ability to reflect before acting (Impulsivity), and sometimes ability to control motor activity. ADD seldom occurs by itself. Many persons with ADD are also dyslexic; 10 – 33% have learning disabilities. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is characterized by developmentally inappropriate impulsivity, attention, and in some cases, hyperactivity.

“Universal Design In Education: Teaching Non-Traditional Students”
Frank G. Bowe, Ph.D., LL.D., Professor Hofstra University, Hempsted, NY
Dr. Bowe well known for his extensive experience and insightful and practical perspective on teaching in today’s multicultural, multilingual and broadly diverse classrooms at all levels from K-12 through post-secondary, adult, and continuing education. He is the author of several well-read books in this field. This article is an excerpt from his 2002 book of the same title.

“What’s In A Label?”
Robin Lovrien Schwarz, M.Sp.Ed:LD, Consultant in Adult ESOL/Education and LD, Wausau, WI
NAASLN Board Member
What do YOU call the people in your program whose first language is not English or who are culturally different or both? Labels can make a big difference to the learners and the kind of instruction or materials they receive as well as to the programs they are in, whose success rates and other statistics may be impacted by labels.

“Lessons Learned: Montana’s LD Initiative”
Becky Bird, State Director Adult Basic & Literacy Education, Helena, MT
In the fall of 1998 I started as Montana’s state director of Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE). Right off the bat I was approached by local program staff concerned about the new kind of adult education student they were seeing in their programs. This new student was more challenging, encountered more barriers, and was suspect of being learning disabled. The field was genuinely concerned about how to offer services to students whose ability to learn seemed to be in some way compromised. Money, time, liability issues, and other significant questions entered the conversation. It was overwhelming and needed to be addressed.

“Understanding the Complexities of Offenders’ Special Learning Needs”
Laura P. Weisel, Ph.D., CEO, The TLP Group, Columbus, OH
NAASLN Board Member, Conference Committee Chair, Partnership Committee Chair, and Past-President
Robin Lovrien Schwarz, M.Sp.Ed:LD, Consultant in Adult ESOL/Education and LD, Wausau, WI
NAASLN Board Member
Alan Toops, Executive Director, Ohio Literacy Network, Correction Education Specialist , TLP Group, Columbus, OH
When compared to the general population, the offender population is known to have lower-than-average academic skills, with the vast majority not having completed high school. Worse, the offender population has a significantly higher incidence of disabilities, including learning disabilities (LD). Estimates of those in corrections facilities needing special education hover near 40% of juveniles and at least 50% of adult prisoners. Added to these challenges are high incidences of mental illness, poverty, and substance abuse.