Here is too much confusion in he word ‘learning disabilities ‘ and is being used by general public and most of the medical fraternity alike.
Various terms such as Slow Learners, Differently abled, Learning Differences and Academically Challenged are used without really understanding these terms.
We forget that all of us have learning disability in some field but it does not hamper our living in any ways. There are many of us who cannot do fine tasks such as needlework or embroidery, others cannot put things together, some others cannot change a tyre or use a wrench or hammer with ease, others cannot cook. Most of us do not know how to handle the electronic gadgets. There are people who have no direction sense. Some of us on the other hand excel at these tasks. We all have different abilities and competencies. The bottom line is that in life we all learn to do some things well and with others we take help. Our life goes on unhampered.
It is the same with academics. Some perform better at certain tasks than we do at others. For instance, some people find mathematics very difficult. They are able to perform rudimentary mathematical processes, but cannot do higher algebra and geometry. It does not interfere with job functions as housewife, grandparent, special educator and education consultant.
Learning disability in a student can come in any form which hampers him from grasping or doing things that children of his age are expected to be doing. It may be more in some and to a lesser degree in some. It becomes important to treat this to preserve the self esteem and confidence in a child.
Remember, every child is different. Every child has different problems. Therefore, treatment will be different for each child. It will also differ in intensity and duration.
What is a Learning Disability?
A Learning Disability is the inborn lifelong inability by a person of Average or Above Average intelligence to perform effectively in one or more of the following academic areas;
- Listening Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Spelling
- Oral Expression
- Reading
- Reading Comprehension
- Mathematical Logic and Reasoning
Let us look at the key words in this basic definition.
A Learning Disability is inborn. Therefore, this means it is present at birth and it is not acquired later in life. It is something that is inherent. Though a learning disability may be noticed when a child goes to school, it does not mean that the learning disability has occurred at that point of time. The learning disability has been there since birth but may not have been noticed earlier.
A Learning Disability is lifelong. It will not go away with age or with maturity. It will remain. However, the good news is that a person having a Learning Disability can be helped by being taught compensatory techniques to overcome or cope with or circumvent these learning disabilities.
How does a Learning Disability Occur?
No one knows for sure, research is still going on to try and pinpoint what exactly causes a learning disability. Research has shown that learning disabilities run in the family and are probably hereditary.
Defining Learning Disabilities by Exclusion A Learning Disability is:
• NOT a Physical Disability; NOT a Hearing Impairment; NOT a Visual Impairment.
• NOT Mental Retardation; the IQ is average or above average for people with a Learning Disability.
• NOT a disease; there is no cure for it.
• NOT an Environmental Deficiency i.e. NOT due to a lack of exposure to academics or to learning situations.
• NOT due to low economic-status; it is found in all socio-economic classes.
• NOT an Emotional Disorder.
• NOT a Psychological Disorder.
• NOT laziness; efforts are being made.
• NOT because of trying hard enough; it is just that is difficult for the academic task to be performed.
Is a learning disability some kind of psychological disorder?
A person with a Learning Disability may have an emotional or psychological disorder but that is not the reason for the Learning Disability. It may exist side by side with the Learning Disability, but is not the cause for it. As said earlier, as yet there is no known reason as to why a Learning Disability occurs.
The profile for a person with a Learning Disability is scattered. This means that performance in one or more academic areas may be better than performance in other academic areas. For instance, a child may be very good at mathematics, but not be able to spell. Or a child may not be able to read but may be able to do science experiments very well. The way a child functions in different subjects is different.
Learning Disabilities vary in degree, intensity and areas of learning. No two individuals have the same variety and difficulty of Learning Disabilities. A person can have one Learning Disability, or maybe two or more Learning Disabilities running together. In each of these areas of learning problems, the intensity differs from child to child. No two children are alike in their types of Learning Disabilities and their intensity. This has to be remembered and at all costs comparisons should be avoided to other children with Learning Disabilities and also to children without Learning Disabilities.
What is dyslexia?
The most commonly known Learning Disability is Dyslexia; in this Learning Disability a child finds it difficult to read, to sequence sounds and letters together to construct meaningful words. Reading comprehension is also a problem, since the child has difficulty reading (decoding) the words.
What is dysgraphia?
Another form of Learning Disabilities is Dysgraphia. Dysgraphia means the child has difficulty in written expression. The handwriting is poor. The thoughts expressed are disjointed, sequencing of ideas is difficult, and sentences are short and simple and lack details. Words are misspelled and punctuation is not adhered to. The child does not enjoy any writing tasks and avoids doing written work.
What is dyscalculia?
Dyscalculia is another Learning Disability. In this, the child finds it difficult to understand numbers and to work with numbers. The ability to understand how numbers are related to each other is difficult for a child with dyscalculia. Mathematical concepts and principles are not easy to understand.
What are the behavioral characteristics associated with Learning Disabilities?
• Hyperactivity; this child is always restless and unable to keep still.
• Distractibility; this child is easily distracted by things.
• Short attention span; this child cannot concentrate for a long time and needs breaks.
• Impulsiveness; this child does not stop to think, but says things impulsively.
• Perseverance; this child finds it difficult to stop doing whatever is being done and start doing something else.
Some terms used to describe these behavioral characteristics are ADD and ADHD. ADD stand for Attention deficit Disorder. ADHD stand for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. This does not mean that every person with a Learning Disability has ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder).
Does it mean that every person with ADD or ADHD has a Learning Disability?
You will have to take your child to your doctor if you feel that any of these things are happening to him. The child needs to be assessed. A psycho-educational assessment is best. It gives a global picture of a child’s areas of strengths and areas of needs. It shows a child’s cognitive and academic functioning. However, this assessment must be done in conjunction with observation made by teachers and parents together. After assessment is done remediation needs to take place.
What is Remediation?
Remediation is finding out where the problem lies and addressing that particular problem. It uses a child’s interests and areas of strength to build up the areas of need.
Planned remediation can help in overcoming specific learning problems to enhance learning abilities to make successful people. Remediation is different from tuition. Remediation is NOT tuition. Tuition deals merely with coping with homework and does not address any specific learning problems such as sequencing problems.
If the assessment shows that a child has a Learning Disability, then it is up to you as parents to advocate for your child in school. Share the findings with the Principal and with the class teacher. Ask for their help. Some schools are becoming aware of what a Learning Disability is and are willing to help. Other schools are not. In that case, it is best to find schools that will help your child get what he needs.
Sensitivity on the part of administrators, teachers and caregivers is required when dealing with a learning Disability: A child with a learning Disability has the intelligence to know that s/he is not performing at par with his peers. The child should be constantly praised for his other talents and given encouragement always. Just because a child cannot perform to academic standards does not mean that the child does not have other qualities, which need to be acknowledged and appreciated. Many children who have a Learning Disability have other remarkable talents. Often they are good dancers, artists, sculptors, athletes and musicians.
Self-Esteem goes hand in hand with motivation. When a child is appreciated for what he is, when the effort put in is appreciated, when talents are acknowledged and encouraged, self-esteem is built. When self-esteem is built, a child is motivated to keep trying and to do challenging work. The relationship between self-esteem and motivation often goes unmissed.
One must remember that If a child is not learning, it is not because he is lazy, it is because he cannot.
The fault lies in our teaching, not in the child. Therefore, it is very important for parents and teachers to be aware of the learning style of a child. This learning style should be used in the teaching- learning situation. In fact, the more modalities and channels of sensory input that are used, the better will learning take place. Teaching should be multi-sensorial and hands-on experiential, using as many channels as can be used in a lesson.
Children need to be told about their Learning Disability in a very matter-of-fact manner. If a person can’t see, he needs glasses. If a person cannot walk, he needs a walking stick. Similarly, if a person has a Learning Disability, s/he needs remediation. It is nothing to be ashamed of and the family should treat the child with a Learning Disability the same as any other.
No differences should be made. Children also need to be informed of the many famous people, including Albert Einstein who have a Learning Disability and yet go on to do wonderful things in life.
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