Reinforcement lessons for DSA students

 
As part of its student support services, RUFA has dedicated particular attention to students who face the so-called “Specific Learning Disorders”, commonly referred to by the acronym SLD.

Students with SLD present a heterogeneous set of disorders that can affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding, and use of both verbal and non-verbal information. Acknowledging that students with SLD often simply need more time to organize study materials, take notes, read, or produce a text, RUFA has implemented certain measures that allow the use of tools and aids to effectively support their educational journey.

Specifically, the following accommodations are available:
– clear, concise, and well-organized study materials;
– additional time to consolidate knowledge;
– advance knowledge of the study program, bibliography, schedule, and deadlines;
– use of compensatory tools and exemption measures as provided by law;
– awareness of the format for exams (both midterm and final);
– consistent communication with professors/tutors.

The “Guidelines for the Right to Study for Students with Specific Learning Disorders” adopted by RUFA are a continuously evolving document, updated based on contributions and feedback from the students involved.

Starting from May 2023, RUFA has established a “supplementary lessons” service limited to so-called “theoretical” subjects, in which students with SLD or ADHD face the most difficulties. Students with an SLD diagnosis submitted to the SLD Office, as well as students with disabilities per Law 104/92 that result in an SLD and who have consented to share this information with professors, may access this service.

These students will have the opportunity to attend supplementary lessons, either individually or in groups (based on demand), by appointment with the Coordinator Dr. Paola Lancellotti, both in preparation for exams and throughout the Academic Year.

The content of these lessons aims to:
– enable each participating student to develop a method for identifying the parts that compose the study program and to break it down into smaller sections;
– identify essential parts of the material by using highlighters, writing keywords in the margins, and simplifying certain terms for easier retention;
– create concept maps, written summaries, visual schemas, etc., from their study materials (textbooks, handouts, notes) that can be used for exams;
– engage in oral review with the maps to exercise memory using these tools.

It is now well-established that a specific learning disorder, such as a working memory disorder, a difficulty in text comprehension, or attention challenges, can make learning particularly difficult without adequate visual/conceptual support.

The goal of the supplementary lessons is to provide study strategies that allow students to work independently without relying on external support, and to apply an autonomous study method in both theoretical and practical subjects.

The process will undoubtedly start by focusing on each student’s strengths, such as verbal comprehension level (indicated by the ICV index in the diagnosis), to assess listening and information retrieval abilities, as well as oral expression skills. This also includes an evaluation of the level of visual-perceptual reasoning (the IRP index in the diagnosis).
The methodology used for each student will therefore be based on the content of their diagnosis, which highlights their specific challenges.

These particularities help us understand the student’s ability to work with visual content, organize information, and exercise reasoning skills. For some students, it is necessary to set “deadlines” and “study rhythms,” as they often struggle to organize their time in preparation for exams (especially students with ADHD).
Students who request it will be supported in both their exam preparation and in individual sessions that may be needed for further explanations suited to their learning difficulties.