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About Learning
Disabilities
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Learning disabilities are present
in at least 10 percent of the population. By following the links on this page
you will discover many interesting facts about learning disabilities as well as
uncover some of the myths. You will also be provided with practical
solutions to help children and adolescents with learning disabilities greatly
improve their academic achievement as well as their self-esteem.
Major Topics:
Interestingly, there is no clear and widely accepted definition of
"learning disabilities." Because of the multidisciplinary nature of
the field, there is ongoing debate on the issue of definition, and there are
currently at least 12 definitions that appear in the professional literature.
These disparate definitions do agree on certain factors:
- The learning disabled have difficulties with academic achievement and
progress. Discrepancies exist between a person's potential for learning and
what he actually learns.
- The learning disabled show an uneven pattern of development (language
development, physical development, academic development and/or perceptual
development).
- Learning problems are not due to environmental disadvantage.
- Learning problems are not due to mental retardation or emotional
disturbance.
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Experts estimate that 6 to 10 percent of the school-aged population in the
United States is learning disabled. Nearly 40 percent of the children enrolled
in the nation's special education classes suffer from a learning disability. The
Foundation for Children With Learning Disabilities estimates that there are
6 million adults with learning disabilities as well.
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Little is currently known about the causes of learning disabilities. However,
some general observations can be made:
- Some children develop and mature at a slower rate than others in the same
age group. As a result, they may not be able to do the expected school work.
This kind of learning disability is called "maturational lag."
- Some children with normal vision and hearing may misinterpret everyday
sights and sounds because of some unexplained disorder of the nervous
system.
- Injuries before birth or in early childhood probably account for some
later learning problems.
- Children born prematurely and children who had medical problems soon after
birth sometimes have learning disabilities.
- Learning disabilities tend to run in families, so some learning
disabilities may be inherited.
- Learning disabilities are more common in boys than girls, possibly because
boys tend to mature more slowly.
- Some learning disabilities appear to be linked to the irregular spelling,
pronunciation, and structure of the English language. The incidence of
learning disabilities is lower in Spanish or Italian speaking countries.
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Children with learning disabilities exhibit a wide range of symptoms. These
include problems with reading, mathematics, comprehension, writing, spoken
language, or reasoning abilities. Hyperactivity, inattention and perceptual
coordination may also be associated with learning disabilities but are not
learning disabilities themselves. The primary characteristic of a learning
disability is a significant difference between a child's achievement in some
areas and his or her overall intelligence. Learning disabilities typically
affect five general areas:
- Spoken language: delays, disorders, and deviations in listening and
speaking.
- Written language: difficulties with reading, writing and spelling.
- Arithmetic: difficulty in performing arithmetic operations or in
understanding basic concepts.
- Reasoning: difficulty in organizing and integrating thoughts.
- Memory: difficulty in remembering information and instructions.
Among the symptoms commonly related to learning disabilities are:
- poor performance on group tests
- difficulty discriminating size, shape, color
- difficulty with temporal (time) concepts
- distorted concept of body image
- reversals in writing and reading
- general awkwardness
- poor visual-motor coordination
- hyperactivity
- difficulty copying accurately from a model
- slowness in completing work
- poor organizational skills
- easily confused by instructions
- difficulty with abstract reasoning and/or problem solving
- disorganized thinking
- often obsesses on one topic or idea
- poor short-term or long-term memory
- impulsive behavior; lack of reflective thought prior to action
- low tolerance for frustration
- excessive movement during sleep
- poor peer relationships
- overly excitable during group play
- poor social judgment
- inappropriate, unselective, and often excessive display of affection
- lags in developmental milestones (e.g. motor, language)
- behavior often inappropriate for situation
- failure to see consequences for his actions
- overly gullible; easily led by peers
- excessive variation in mood and responsiveness
- poor adjustment to environmental changes
- overly distractible; difficulty concentrating
- difficulty making decisions
- lack of hand preference or mixed dominance
- difficulty with tasks requiring sequencing
When considering these symptoms, it is important to remain mindful of the
following:
- No one will have all these symptoms.
- Among LD populations, some symptoms are more common than others.
- All people have at least two or three of these problems to some degree.
- The number of symptoms seen in a particular child does not give an
indication as whether the disability is mild or severe. It is important to
consider if the behaviors are chronic and appear in clusters.
Some of these symptoms may indicate dyslexia. For more information go to
ABOUT DYSLEXIA.
Some of these symptoms may indicate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
For more information go to ABOUT
ADHD.
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What should a
parent do if it is suspected that a child has a learning disability?
The parent should contact the child's school and arrange for testing and
evaluation. Federal law requires that public school districts provide special
education and related services to children who need them. If these tests
indicate that the child requires special educational services, the school
evaluation team (planning and placement team) will meet to develop an individual
educational plan (IEP) geared to the child's needs. The IEP describes in detail
an educational plan designed to remediate and compensate for the child's
difficulties.
Simultaneously, the parent should take the child to the family pediatrician
for a complete physical examination. The child should be examined for
correctable problems (e.g. poor vision or hearing loss) that may cause
difficulty in school.
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Research indicates that parental reaction to the diagnosis of learning
disability is more pronounced than in any other area of exceptionality.
Consider: if a child is severely retarded or physically handicapped, the parent
becomes aware of the problem in the first few weeks of the child's life.
However, the pre-school development of the learning disabled child is often
uneventful and the parent does not suspect that a problem exists. When informed
of the problem by elementary school personnel, a parent's first reaction is
generally to deny the existence of a disability. This denial is, of course,
unproductive. The father tends to remain in this stage for a prolonged period
because he is not exposed to the child's day-to-day frustrations and failures.
Research conducted by Eleanor Whitehead suggests that the parent of an LD
child goes through a series of emotions before truly accepting the child and his
problem. These "stages" are totally unpredictable. A parent may move
from stage-to-stage in random. Some parents skip over stages while others remain
in one stage for an extended period. These stages are as follows:
DENIAL: "There is really nothing wrong!" "That's the way I was
as a child--not to worry!" "He'll grow out of it!"
BLAME: "You baby him!" "You expect too much of him."
"It's not from my side of the family."
FEAR: "Maybe they're not telling me the real problem!" "Is it
worse than they say?" "Will he ever marry? go to college?
graduate?"
ENVY: "Why can't he be like his sister or his cousins?"
MOURNING: "He could have been such a success, if not for the learning
disability!"
BARGAINING: "Wait 'till next year!" "Maybe the problem will
improve if we move! (or he goes to camp, etc.)."
ANGER: "The teachers don't know anything." "I hate this
neighborhood, this school...this teacher."
GUILT: "My mother was right; I should have used cloth diapers when he
was a baby." "I shouldn't have worked during his first year."
"I am being punished for something and my child is suffering as a
result."
ISOLATION: "Nobody else knows or cares about my child." "You
and I against the world. No one else understands."
FLIGHT: "Let's try this new therapy--Donahue says it works!"
"We are going to go from clinic to clinic until somebody tells me what I
want to hear.!"
Again, the pattern of these reactions is totally unpredictable. This
situation is worsened by the fact that frequently the mother and father may be
involved in different and conflicting stages at the same time (e.g., blame vs.
denial; anger vs. guilt). This can make communication very difficult.
The good news is that with proper help, most LD children can make excellent
progress. There are many successful adults such as attorneys, business
executives, physicians, teachers, etc. who had learning disabilities but
overcame them and became successful. Now with special education and many special
materials, LD children can be helped early. Check out the CDI
Resource Center for possible helps for your child.
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- Take the time to listen to your children as much as you can (really try to
get their "Message").
- Love them by touching them, hugging them, tickling them, wrestling with
them (they need lots of physical contact).
- Look for and encourage their strengths, interests, and abilities. Help
them to use these as compensations for any limitations or disabilities.
- Reward them with praise, good words, smiles, and pat on the back as often
as you can.
- Accept them for what they are and for their human potential for growth and
development. Be realistic in your expectations and demands.
- Involve them in establishing rules and regulations, schedules, and family
activities.
- Tell them when they misbehave and explain how you feel about their
behavior; then have them propose other more acceptable ways of behaving.
- Help them to correct their errors and mistakes by showing or demonstrating
what they should do. Don't nag!
- Give them reasonable chores and a regular family work responsibility
whenever possible.
- Give them an allowance as early as possible and then help them plan to
spend within it.
- Provide toys, games, motor activities and opportunities that will
stimulate them in their development.
- Read enjoyable stories to them and with them. Encourage them to ask
questions, discuss stories, tell the story, and to reread stories.
- Further their ability to concentrate by reducing distracting aspects of
their environment as much as possible (provide them with a place to work,
study and play).
- Don't get hung up on traditional school grades! It is important that they
progress at their own rates and be rewarded for doing so.
- Take them to libraries and encourage them to select and check out books of
interest. Have them share their books with you. Provide stimulating books
and reading material around the house.
- Help them to develop self-esteem and to compete with self rather than with
others.
- Insist that they cooperate socially by playing, helping, and serving
others in the family and the community.
- Serve as a model to them by reading and discussing material of personal
interest. Share with them some of the things you are reading and doing.
- Don't hesitate to consult with teachers or other specialists whenever you
feel it to be necessary in order to better understand what might be done to
help your child learn.
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