Cognitive Processing and Learning

In addition to the subject matter causing a student academic difficulties, special education evaluations, their corresponding reports, and IEPs also need to consider the student's cognitive strengths and weaknesses, which impact on teaching and learning. As the following graphic indicates, learning requires students to attend to relevant stimuli, perceive it accurately, store it in their short term memory, move it to their long-term memory,  retrieve it and express this knowledge when needed. Therefore, when a student experiences difficulty in learning a particular subject &/or skill in that subject, special education reports and IEP PLAAFP statements need to identify where in this process the problem occurs. In addition, recommendations on special education reports, as well as the supplementary aids and services provided to a student with a disability should capitalize on cognitive strengths and address cognitive weaknesses.

As the following cognitive processing model reflects, a suspected memory, or learning problem may be attributable to the presentation of the stimuli (subject matter), sensory/perceptual difficulties, deficits in attention, verbal processing, storing &/or retrieving information, expressing retrieved information, etc. In the hyperlinked sections of the following cognitive processing and learning graphic representation, we provide guidance in identifying a student's cognitive strengths &/or weaknesses, which facilitate &/or impede teaching and learning, as well as recommendations that can be integrated into special education reports, school-based interventions, lesson plans, &/or IEPs: