How the Special Needs Brain Learns

′This is a well-written and practical guide for parents and practitioners working with children with additional needs, providing a comprehensive overview of the field and rooted in a desire to facilitate effective support and to enable children to fulfill their potential′ - SEN Magazine Since the publication of the first edition, there have been major developments in our understanding of how the human brain develops and functions. New technologies, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, have emerged to investigate cerebral processes. Researchers in genetics have found new links to physical, psychological, and learning disorders. The discovery of mirror neurons may explain why certain learning problems arise and yield clues as to how they can be treated. All of the chapters in this second edition have undergone major revisions to include these developments and the findings of new studies. In addition, the author has: · Expanded and updated the chapters on attention disorders and autism spectrum disorders, illustrating the increased interest in these conditions · Revised the chapters on reading disabilities and emotional and behavioral disorders to reflect new research discoveries and treatments · Recast the final chapter to include a practical framework for identifying, accommodating, and motivating students with learning difficulties · Included references to more than 230 new scientific studies for those who wish to read the original research · Eliminated the chapter on sleep disorders because they do not identify a special learning need Researchers and clinicians have made considerable progress in recent years understanding the genetic and environmental triggers that result in learning problems in children and adolescents. Nonetheless, arriving at a specific diagnosis can be tricky. Teachers and parents often cannot tell the difference between a normally rambunctious child and one who may have a developmental disorder. The information here will provide educators and parents with some of the strategies they need to help their students and children lead happy and successful lives.

Table of Contents:
List of Strategies to Consider About the Author Preface to the Second Edition Acknowledgements Introduction Who Are Special Needs Students? Can Brain Research Help? What Is in This Book? A Word of Caution 1. The Brain and Learning Some Exterior Parts of the Brain Lobes of the Brain Motor Cortex and Somatosensory Cortex Cerebellum Some Interior Parts of the Brain Brainstem Limbic Area Cerebrum Brain Cells Learning and Retention Implications for Students With Learning Disabilities Rehearsal Learning Motor Skills How Different Are the Brains of Today′s Students? The Search for Novelty Have Schools Changed to Deal With This Different Brain? 2. When Learning Difficulties Arise Research Examines Learning Disabilities Possible Causes of Learning Disabilities Gender Differences What Forms of Instruction Are Most Effective? Misconceptions About Learning Disabilities Gifted Children With Learning Disabilities Responsiveness to Intervention Key Elements of Responsiveness to Intervention Helping Students Become Strategic Learners What Is Learning? Learning Difficulties of Students With Learning Disabilities What Are Learning Strategies? How Important Is Self-Esteem? 3. Attention Disorders Research Findings What Is Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? What Causes ADHD? Is ADHD Inherited? IS ADHD on the Increase? Is it Possible to Have ADHD-Like Behavior and Not Have ADHD? The Future of ADHD Research and Treatment What Educators Need to Consider 4. Speech Disabilities Learning Spoken Language Is Language Prewired in the Brain? Speech and Language Patterns by Age Putting the Language Components Together Problems in Learning Spoken Language Language Problems With Children and Adolescents Language Deficits and Learning a Second Language The Future of Speech-Language Disorders Research What Educators Need to Consider 5. Reading Disabilities Learning to Read Is Reading a Natural Ability? Spoken Language and Reading Decoding and Comprehension Difficulties in Learning to Read Social and Cultural Causes of Reading Problems Physical Causes of Reading Problems Is Dyslexia Present in Readers of Other Languages? Brain Imaging Studies and Dyslexia Detecting Reading Problems Spoken Language Difficulties Early Indicators of Reading Problems What Educators Need to Consider What Teachers Should Know About Teaching Reading What Beginning Readers Need to Learn Some Effective Reading Intervention Programs 6. Writing Disabilities Learning to Write Difficulties in Writing Environmental Causes Neurological Causes Dysgraphia What Educators Need to Consider Characterisitics of Good Writing Helping Students With Dysgraphia 7. Mathematical Disabilities Learning to Calculate Numerical Reasoning Independent of Language Gender Differences in Mathematics Difficulties in Mathematics Dyscalculia The Future of Research in Mathematics Disorders What Educators Need to Consider Determining the Source of the Problem Diagnostic Tools for Assessing Learning Difficulties in Mathematics Other Considerations 8. Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Emotions, Behavior, and Learning Pathways of Emotional Signals Different Brain Areas for Different Emotions First Survival and Emotions, Then the Textbook Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Anxiety Disorders Depressive Disorders Other Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Impact of Childhood Abuse The Future of Research in Emotional and Behavioral Disorders What Educators Need to Consider 9. Autism Spectrum Disorders Pervasive Developmental Disorders Autism Spectrum Disorders The Future of Research on Autism Spectrum Disorders What Educators Need to Consider 10. Putting It All Together Helping Students With Learning Difficulties Identifying Students With Learning Difficulties Accommodating Students With Learning Difficulties Motivating Students With Learning Difficulties Communicating With Parents Glossary References Resources Index

About the Author :
DR. David A. Sousa is an international consultant in educational neuroscience and author of more than twenty books that suggest ways educators and parents can translate current brain research into strategies for improving learning. A member of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, he has conducted workshops in hundreds of school districts on brain research, instructional skills, and science education at the preK–12 and university levels. He has made presentations to more than two hundred thousand educators at national conventions of educational organizations and to regional and local school districts across the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Dr. Sousa has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, a master of arts in teaching degree in science from Harvard University, and a doctorate from Rutgers University. His teaching experience covers all levels. He has taught senior high school science and served as a K–12 director of science, supervisor of instruction, and district superintendent in New Jersey schools. He was an adjunct professor of education at Seton Hall University for ten years and a visiting lecturer at Rutgers University. Prior to his career in New Jersey, Dr. Sousa taught at the American School of Paris (France) and served for five years as a foreign service officer and science advisor at the US diplomatic missions in Geneva (Switzerland) and Vienna (Austria). Dr. Sousa has edited science books and published dozens of articles in leading journals on professional development, science education, and educational research. His most popular books for educators include How the Brain Learns, now in its sixth edition; How the Special Needs Brain Learns, second edition; How the Gifted Brain Learns; How the Brain Learns to Read, second edition; How the Brain Influences Behavior; How the ELL Brain Learns; Differentiation and the Brain, second edition (with Carol Tomlinson); and How the Brain Learns Mathematics, second edition, which was selected by the Independent Book Publishers Association as one of the best professional development books. The Leadership Brain suggests ways for educators to lead today’s schools more effectively. Dr. Sousa’s books have been published in French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Korean, Russian, and several other languages. His book Brainwork: The Neuroscience Behind How We Lead Others is written for business and organizational leaders. Dr. Sousa is past president of the National Staff Development Council (now called Learning Forward). He has received numerous awards from professional associations, school districts, and educational foundations for his commitment to research, staff development, and science education. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award and an honorary doctorate from Bridgewater State University and an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Gratz College in Philadelphia. Dr. Sousa has been interviewed on the NBC Today show, by other television programs, and by National Public Radio about his work with schools using brain research. He makes his home in south Florida.

Review :
"Given current inclusive practices and our emphasis on reaching all students, Sousa arms us with current brain research to support the kinds of instruction and accommodations that we need to provide students in schools today." "Presents a highly readable overview of a variety of special needs accompanied by practical information about how to address those needs. Makes the relationship between the special need and the brain clear and understandable for the lay reader." "A well-written, practical guide for parents and practitioners working with children with additional needs, providing a comprehensive overview of the field and rooted in a desire to facilitate effective support and to enable children to fulfill their potential."