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Welcome to Learning Difficulties Australia

Learning Difficulties Australia is an association of teachers and other professionals dedicated to assisting students with learning difficulties through effective teaching practices based on scientific research, both in the classroom and through individualised instruction.
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The Science of Effective Reading Instruction: Theory and Practice

Perth | Saturday 31 July 2021   Not sure how a comprehensive reading approach taught explicitly looks like? Join Associate Professor Lorraine Hammond, Jared Bussell, Jordan O’Sullivan and Brooke Wardana for a day that focuses on both the Science of Reading and how to teach it.
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Join a community of professionals committed to effective teaching.

By becoming a member of LDA, you will have an opportunity to meet fellow teachers, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, researchers and other professionals working in the field of education who have a passion for improving student outcomes through effective instruction based on scientific research.

Members receive regular LDA publications via post, including the LDA Bulletin and the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties as well as member discounts for participation in workshops, seminars and conferences.

You will also have access to the ‘Members Only’ areas of our website where you can obtain past issues of our publications as well as conference and seminar notes.

Latest Publication

Bulletin | Volume 55| No 3, December 2023

In the spotlight: Best Practice in Mathematics Instruction and Intervention
In this issue of the Bulletin we review the AGM and RTI Conference and are introduced to Geoff Ongley,…
In this issue of the Bulletin we review the AGM and RTI Conference and are introduced to Geoff Ongley, the new President of LDA. We also cover mathematics intervention, adjustments and the power of diagnostic assessments for maths.
In this issue of the Bulletin we review the AGM and RTI Conference and are introduced to Geoff Ongley, the new President of LDA. We also cover mathematics intervention, adjustments and the power of diagnostic assessments for maths.
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Events

Think it, Say it, Write it! The Fundamentals of Written Expression

Dates The course will run on the following dates: (please note that the times for each session may vary. Final…
Dates The course will run on the following dates: (please note that the times for each session may vary. Final times will be confirmed closer to the dates). Tuesday 20th Feb – 7:30 pm – 9 pm AEDT Tuesday 27th Feb 7:30…
Dates The course will run on the following dates: (please note that the times for each session may vary. Final times will be confirmed closer to the dates). Tuesday 20th Feb – 7:30 pm – 9 pm AEDT Tuesday 27th Feb 7:30 pm – 9pm AEDT Tuesday 5th March 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm AEDT Tuesday 12th March 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm AEDT Tuesday 19th March 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm AEDT Tuesday 26th March 7:30 – 9 pm AEDT All presentations will be recorded and available for one month. The Think it, Say it, Write it! The Fundamentals of Written Expression course will be run over 6 sessions. The course will be based on The Writing Rope (Sedita, 2019) and will cover aspects from each strand of the Writing Rope. The multiple components of the writing rope are necessary for skilled writing and the course will provide practical methods to support your students to become fluent writers. The course will focus on primary-aged students. Speakers Our presenters include: Laura Glisson (Speech Pathologist) Peta Collins (Educational and Developmental Psychologist) Jenny Baker (Speech Pathologist) Jacinta Conway (Literacy Intervention Specialist) Toni Lang (Primary Teacher/Literacy Lead) Dr Alison Madelaine (Senior Research Fellow) Mel Micallef (Occupational Therapist) More details on speakers will be available soon. Ticket Pricing Early Bird (This price will be available until 14th November) LDA Member $265 Non-Member $330 Student Member $185 Normal Price LDA Member $300 Non-Member $390 Student Member $245 Sponsors    
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Syntax for Success: Playing around with words and phrases in high school

In this webinar, Dawn Grant-Skiba will explore why syntax – the arrangement of words and phrases – matters in…
In this webinar, Dawn Grant-Skiba will explore why syntax – the arrangement of words and phrases – matters in high school. She will discuss practical ways of embedding theory into your teaching, such as how to identify issues with…
In this webinar, Dawn Grant-Skiba will explore why syntax – the arrangement of words and phrases – matters in high school. She will discuss practical ways of embedding theory into your teaching, such as how to identify issues with syntax in your students' work and give useful feedback, ways to inspire students to use the strategies, and what areas are most useful for focusing on in high school. **This webinar will be recorded and available for two weeks after the event** Date: Thursday 21st March 2024 Time: 7:30 pm – 9: 00 pm AEDT (Melbourne Time) Cost: LDA Member: $40 LDA Student Member – $30 Non-Member – $60 About Dawn Grant-Skiba Dawn is an accomplished educator with over two decades of experience, having taught in international settings and across two states in Australia. Her passion lies in literacy, particularly in secondary education. Her insights have played a pivotal role in shaping literacy teaching methodologies and promoting disciplinary literacy across various curriculum areas in the schools where she has worked. Moreover, Dawn's adaptability and commitment were evident during the Covid-19 pandemic where she authored a self-published literacy workbook tailored to secondary students with low literacy abilities, addressing the challenges posed by remote learning. She has also made scholarly contributions through journal articles and active participation in national conferences on literacy education. Dawn's career is defined by her dedication to fostering a culture of literacy, as evidenced by her current PhD research in instructional coaching in literacy as a professional development option in Australian schools.
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LDA Blog

Insurance Info for Private Practitioners

It has been brought to our attention by a consultant member that LDA consultants and members operating a business…
It has been brought to our attention by a consultant member that LDA consultants and members operating a business from the home might not be aware of their disclosure obligations and coverage with regards to their home building and…
It has been brought to our attention by a consultant member that LDA consultants and members operating a business from the home might not be aware of their disclosure obligations and coverage with regards to their home building and contents insurance. We strongly encourage you to make your own enquiries of your broker or insurance provider. Please see additional information here.
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CodeRead Competition

Below is a link to a national Dyslexia Awareness campaign via Code Read Dyslexia Support Network. It is a…
Below is a link to a national Dyslexia Awareness campaign via Code Read Dyslexia Support Network. It is a creative response activity about Special Agent Sam McGregor. Please feel free to share it with your networks. https://codereadnetwork.org/october-2022-dyslexia-awareness-month-ideas-for-schools-organisations/
Below is a link to a national Dyslexia Awareness campaign via Code Read Dyslexia Support Network. It is a creative response activity about Special Agent Sam McGregor. Please feel free to share it with your networks. https://codereadnetwork.org/october-2022-dyslexia-awareness-month-ideas-for-schools-organisations/
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Effective Instruction

Teachers are a major force for improving society. To be successful, the teaching profession must base its instructional practices on the results of good quality empirical research, and this involves keeping abreast of scientific developments. One of LDA’s main goals is to keep bridging the gaps between evolving scientific knowledge and members of the teaching profession, including educational policy makers, teacher education faculties, and teachers at the chalkface. Visit the skill areas below to learn about initiatives, approaches and programs that are being used effectively in each area.

Reading
Reading is a complex skill and it is a relatively recent invention, as far as human timelines go. Unlike speaking and listening, humans aren’t predisposed to develop reading skills naturally.
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Spelling
Reading and spelling are closely linked, but also draw on different skills and processes. At the most basic level, spelling is a production task while reading is one of recognition.
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Writing
As with reading, writing is not a natural skill and therefore must be taught. Unfortunately, many teachers do not feel well prepared to teach writing.
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Numeracy
Numeracy is a concept that is referred to as the ability to make use of mathematical concepts adeptly in our daily lives.
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