Good morning!    I have been very interested in the conversation this week as 
I will be facilitating a preconference session at COABE for NAASLN (National 
Association for Adults with Special Learning Needs) on transition programs and 
the underlying issues re: long-term learning barriers that, if not 
acknowledged, identified, and addressed, will likely interfere with successful 
persistence and limited learning success.   

We would really like to have you participate in the preconference dialog and, 
what will no doubt, be a learning-filled day of meaningful conversations.   
The highly interactive session will model facilitation techniques that can be 
used to 'change-up' transition classes and move them to a learning community.   
Representatives (from state-level administrators to instructors to learning 
specialists) from 5-7 states will be presenting their experiences.

I am interested in finding out if:
- anyone is looking at brain-based and functional learning challenges are 
being looked as underlying barriers to persistence,
- how these challenges are being addressed,   
- other than universal design - how programs are engaging transition students 
and helping them become their own personal advocates so that they can know 
how to adapt college learning environments to meet their unique learning needs
-   how learning communities are being created and used in place of either 
the learning center or traditional instructor-led learning modalities?


I have been working with some programs to begin looking at transition 
students' learning challenges.   To date, our data base is small to date, but very 
interesting and more data is being collected every day.   

In our preliminary data on transition students, the demographics of the group 
looks like:   
average age about 27; 50% female; 80% high school graduates; 50% receiving 
public assistance; 64% were identified as LD in school); native English 
speakers. 

Our screenings found:
•   About a third of the group wears glasses.   
When screened for vision functions (normed, standardized screening), those 
who had glasses were asked to wear them during the screening, here is what we 
found:
-   33% had difficulties with distance vision (seeing a black/green board)
-   50% had difficulty with near vision (seeing written materials at reading 
distance), and 
-   50% had difficulty with binocular vision (using two eyes together for 
sustained reading, etc.)

When screened on a standardized and normed auditory function screening - 
using an audiometer, 
•   Nearly 80% had some hearing loss

•   On a standardized self-rating scale for attention challenges:
- 33% self identified having moderate to severe attention challenges 
(impulsivity, distractibility, hyperactivity, difficulty focusing to complete tasks, 
difficulty with taking feedback as personal criticism, etc.); 
- an additional 55% identified themselves with mild to moderate attention 
issues

•   On a standardized self-rating scale for Visual Stress Syndrome:
-   81% identified that they had moderate to severe visual stress syndrome - 
i.e., eyes want to close under bright lights, there is too much glare from 
white pages with black letters, words and numbers move and/or swirl on the page, 
can't stay focused on reading materials as longer lengths of time make the 
words being to go fuzzy, can't keep track of responses on bubble sheets for 
standardized testing, too much glare from 'normal' contrasts on computer screens, 
difficulty copying from a workbook or board to paper, etc.).

Interesting?   What are you finding?

Laura Weisel


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