What is a Learning Disability?
Contents:
What is a Learning Disability?
What Can I Do at Home to Help My Child?
How Can I Answer My Child's Questions?
What is a Learning Disability?
There are many types of learning disabilities and many ways they may affect learning. It is important to look at a child's individual strengths and weaknesses when deciding how to teach that child.
Learning disabilities are identified when a child has a significant difference, or discrepancy, between test scores in academic or language areas and in his or her overall intelligence. To qualify for assistance in the state of Ohio, a child needs a two point discrepancy, or a 30 point difference between an ability score and an achievement score. For example, if the child's standard score on the Test of Written Language was a 75 and the child's IQ score was 105, there would be a two-point discrepancy. The child's intelligence score must also be in the average or above-average range and the child must have had continuing significant difficulty in the classroom, to the extent that typical modifications have not been effective. This difficulty must not be the result of vision, hearing, emotional or cultural influences.
If you suspect that your child has a learning disability, please contact the classroom teacher. He or she will be able to best observe the child and gather work samples to show if the child is - or is not - working to his ability level.
What Can I Do at Home to Help My Child?
If your child does have a learning disability, or is experiencing difficulty in the classroom, the following suggestions may be helpful:
* Identify and capitalize on your child's strengths. If your child is a talented artist, for example, have him draw pictures to go with assigned vocabulary words. The child may be able to remember the picture when defining the word on a test. This visualization skill is useful for many areas of study, including spelling words, math facts and planning ideas for creative writing.
* Help your child to be organized. Check to make sure his planbook has been filled out completely and legibly. Check to see if papers have been put into correct folders. If a student spends ten minutes looking for his homework, he has just lost ten minutes of learning! Plan a schedule for long term assignments to avoid the night-before marathon sessions! Teaching - and expecting- these behaviors will take time and effort - but will result in skills that last a lifetime.
* Be informed! Read about learning disabilities - what they are and what they are not. Be ready to answer your child's questions and alleviate his anxiety. Know your rights and your responsibilities concerning your child's educational needs. Contact your child's teacher, the special education staff or the sources below for more information.
How Can I Answer My Child's Questions?
Students with LD are unique - they are intelligent and they know there is "something wrong." This can lead to extreme frustration. Hopefully, the child will feel comfortable discussing his concerns and anxiety with you. Listed below are some common questions and possible answers you could give to your child, inspired by the book The Survival Guide for Kids With LD by Gary Fisher.
What does LD mean?
A learning disability is a learning difference. Some kids are great in math - but have trouble reading. Some kids are talented in art or athletics, but have to work very hard in school. LD kids do learn, but maybe in a different ways. LD kids are not dumb or lazy.
Why are kids LD?
No one knows for sure. Everyone is different. Everyone is good at some things and not good at other things. No one is good at everything. LD kids have trouble with reading, writing, math, or with understanding things they hear. Because you do these things often in a school day, school is hard for LD kids.
How do you find out if you are LD?
If a student is having a lot of trouble in school, the teacher may talk to the child's parents. If the parents agree, the child might be tested. A few people who work at the school will give the child some tests. The tests will check to see what kind of learner the student is and how he is doing in reading, writing, math, speaking and listening. The school psychologist will give an IQ test, which shows how well the child can learn. If there is a big difference between what the child has learned and what he could learn, that child might be LD. People with LD are not retarded. They are as smart - or smarter than other people. They just learn differently.
Who helps the LD kids?
If a child has LD, his teachers and parents write a plan that lists the things he needs to learn and the best ways for this child to learn them. This plan is called an IEP, or Individualized Education Plan. Some LD kids go to a resource room and work on special assignments with the LD teacher. Some LD kids stay in their classroom and the LD teacher comes in to help. Each LD kids has a different plan on their IEP - because each LD kids is different! LD kids are lucky because they will get the help they need to learn. There are other kids who do not do well in school, but cannot get special help because they are not LD.
What do I do about teasing?
Kids tease other kids. You cannot control that. But - you can control how you react to it. Teasers are looking for kids who will get upset. So - don't fight, don't tease back or don't cry. It will only make the problem worse. Instead, stand up for yourself. Show the teaser that you are strong. Say, "Do not talk to me like that," and walk away. It may take a few times - but the teaser will see that you are not upset by his teasing. If the problem does continue, talk to your teacher.
How can LD kids do better in school?
1. Talk to someone. Talk to a parent, a teacher, a counselor, a friend. Don't keep feelings bottled up inside. Some kids who are sad or angry stop doing work, get into fights, or talk back to teachers - which will only make things worse.
2. Keep doing what you are good at. If you are a god soccer player, don't give up soccer for extra homework time. You need to have something that makes you proud, relieves stress and is fun!
3. Make friends. The best way to make a friend is to be a friend. Ask people to play games with you. Say nice things to others. Ask other kids questions about themselves. Do not tease. Do not show off to impress people. When you have friends, school is more fun.
4. Don't get into trouble. Sometimes. when school work is hard or boring, kids start to goof-off. That is not a good idea. Teachers get mad and may not want to do extra work to help you. Parents may get mad, too. Ignore kids who are goofing off.
5. Relax and keep your cool. Find ways to calm down when you are upset. Take some deep breaths. count to ten. Write down a list of what has made you mad, and then rip it up and throw it away. Draw a doodle. Stop working for awhile and take a break. After you have calmed down, you can go back to your work with a clear head and a positive attitude.
6. Don't make excuses. Take responsibility for your own learning. Don't be quick to say, "I don't get it." Instead, ask specific questions about your work. Don't whine, "This is too hard," - just do the best that you can. Don't put off homework until it is late at night. You will be too tired to think clearly. You have control over what and how you learn!
Web Sites:
LD Online - information from experts and parent bulleting board
The National Center for Learning Disabilities
The National Center for Learning Disabilities
Books:
The Misunderstood Child - A Guide for Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities
Educational Care by Mel Levine
The Survival Guide for Kids With LD by Gary Fisher and Rhoda Cummings
Special Education Services/ When My Child is Having Difficulty/ When My Child is Tested/
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