Learning+Disabilities

Interview with Families, Students, and Teachers. By: Nicole Tepper

Learning Disabilities Interviews Discovering that something may stand in the way of a child’s success in school life can be unsettling and difficult. Everyone faces obstacles in their life, but the most important thing you can show a child, apart from consistent love and support, is // how // to deal with their obstacles. A positive attitude will not solve the problem, but can give the child hope and confidence that things can improve. According to a teacher, “The best way to help is to get support from family and talk to them about what works at home and strengths of the child (NT/LD LD 10/12 3 F).” Having a learning disability diagnosis can be a daunting undertaking for all involved; especially for the child, parents, siblings, and teachers. This diagnosis will lead to a child needing more attention and support from parents and teachers in order to succeed. After interviewing families, students, and a teacher who either have a child with a learning disability, having a learning disability themselves, or working with a student with a learning disability, I learned that every student is different and no two people share the exact same problem or work in the exact same ways to try to help the child. “Learning Disabilities are special because it is normally only a school problem, a child can be normal in other aspects of life (NT/DL LD 10/12 3 M).” “All students learn in different ways, so we need to teach in different ways.” According to one teacher at Atchison Elementary School, “The best way to teach LD students is to teach the children to use strategies.” “You cannot take anything for granted and you have to work with each individual family and student to figure out how that child can learn best (NT/LD LD 10/23 3 G, H, N). One parent I interviewed gave birth to twins, one whom has a learning disability. “She was born five weeks premature and had congenital problems.” “She was born with one half of her face a lighter color, one eyebrow was darker and she had blond highlights in her dark hair.” “These characteristics soon led to the diagnosis of Horner’s Syndrome.” “Originally doctors thought she would just be developmentally delayed and a slow learner; we were told she would grow out of the problem.” “The doctors were never worried, they always told us she would catch up.” We were also told that math was going to be the biggest struggle because of how her brain was set up, but reading ended up being the hardest thing for her.” “In the long run it was easier to see a problem because she was born with it. However it was still frustrating to see her struggle with her sister excelling so much. (NT/LW LD 11/9 5 A, B, C, G, H, J, O, HH).” Another child was diagnosed with Auditory Process problems. Her mother described her problem as; “Information comes in, but takes a while to process (NT/BA LD 10/1 2 B).” One student that I talked to said, “I always had problems reading, but did not know why I as such a slow reader.” She continued to say, “I was very young, and while reading to my sister, she kept making fun of me saying you’re so dyslexic.” “It was then when my parents admitted to me I had a problem (NT/MM LD 10/23 4 A, D).” One concept I was very interested in learning more about was how the child themselves are affected by having a learning disability. Each person I talked to had a different answer and different reasons behind their answers. According to one teacher, “Having a LD does not bother the kids because they are getting the help they need (NT/DL LD 10/12 3 Q).” One parent responded, “She (daughter) loved getting pulled out until this year. Now she feels different and does not like being treated differently than the rest of the class. She knows she is slow, but does not like it (NT/LW LD 11/9 5 EE).” One college student responded, “It’s a sense of pride, you do not want to do stuff differently than your peers (NT/MM LD 10/23 4 V).” Another parent told me, “At first she (my daughter) did not like getting help, and she wanted to do things on her own even though she did not understand it.” “She has realized and accepted that she learns differently and currently is more willing to get help.” “She knows she will always struggle, but she knows she will suffer even more if she does not get the help she needs.” “She loves getting pulled out now because she is getting the attention she needs and is okay with it (NT/BA LD 10/1 2 FF, JJ, MM, NN, Y).” I believe the differences in these answers are because every child responds differently and has a different diagnosis. As a practicing teacher, we must understand that students are going to respond differently to every task and it is our job to find what works for each individual student and teach every student to the best of our ability. IEP’s and pull out times with special education teachers is a special treat for students with learning disabilities. The students are given extra time and more one-on-one assistance from teachers. “IEP’s depend on the family and student, no child is the same and no IEP is the same.” One responded, “I believe the best way to help the parents with the IEP process is to talk to them before and get their concerns for the child and put that into the IEP before the meeting.” (NT/DL LD 10/12 3 I, J).” One parent responded to the question about the first IEP meeting saying, “Meetings are tough for everybody. It is hard for people to see what my child needs until you work with her.” She also said, “It is hard to accept that your child has a problem and will be pulled out of the regular educational classroom (NT/BA 10/1 2 G, J).” Another parent responded differently, she said, “I was excited to see her getting help. I was happy to have it (IEP meeting).” She later said, “I don’t understand why some parents are unhappy with the help (NT/LW LD 11/9 5 AA).” One concept all of my interviewees agreed upon is the support programs available to help students with learning disabilities. One interesting notion I learned about was the various computer programs available to students with learning disabilities. It caught me off guard that every person I talked too used a different program to help increase the students ability to learn. One high school student with dyslexia said, “I moved to a special school where I was given one-on-one tutoring, practiced a lot more, did lots of discussion, and used special books (NT/RF LD 9/16 1 C).” I also talked to her sister who could not stop raving about all the good things that came from moving to a school designed especially to work with students with learning disabilities and the special programs used at the school. Another student with dyslexia said, “My mom got a program called //Wilson// which works on spelling and phonics.” “Wilson is very depth and breaks down words into syllables, which makes things easier to read and understand.” “This program taught me to spell, without it; I would still have spelling problems.” She later said, “I used (and still use today) a program called //Curswell// which has different resources such as spell check, reading a scanned book out loud, making corrections, and has a word predictor.” She said, “It was costly, but so much help (NT/MM LD 10/23 4 F, G. H, Z).” Another parent says the program to use in math is the //Alex Program//. “The //Alex Program// is an individual program that stays on a subject until you have mastered it; it moves at her (daughter’s) pace.” (NT/BA LD 10/1 2 V).” Another parent said, “I still think the thing that has helped her the most was the //Learning Factory// and //Letter Factory// frog videos, this was the true breaking point in helping her read.” This parent also commented briefly on the reading program called //Ed Mark// that her daughter uses (NT/LW LD 11/9 5 Z, DD). One concept all agreed upon was the help of teachers and aides. One parent could not stop raving about the teachers and the aides at her daughter’s school. “Aides are and will always be life-savors to my daughter and our family; they are such angels and help in so many ways.” “We totally trust them and love that fact that they love our daughter.” “The special education teachers have given my daughter a positive outlook on schooling.” “The aides at Sacred Heart are the reason she is doing so well; we even offered to pay their salary if they were not offered their jobs back.” “The regular teachers are great too. For the most part they really help her by modifying assignments and tests to her needs (NT/BA LD 10/1 2 N, Z, AA, KK, O).” Another parent at a private school was very grateful for the public school services. She first used these services when helping her daughter learn to walk. “At sixteen months we called Infant/Toddler services. They came to the house and helped her with fine motor skills and walking, and at the age of twenty months she was walking. “When her daughter was ready for school she says, “It felt really good to know that DeSoto comes in and helps with reading and speech skills; today she still struggles with her R’s.” She also commented on the teachers, “The teachers are really helpful. They appear to be doing a great job sticking to her IEP.” “She does most of the same stuff as the rest of the class, but has a smaller workload. She will shut down if the work it too hard or time consuming (NT/LW LD 11/9 5 K, L, BB, CC).” Everybody with a learning disability is at a different stage of his or her educational career. One parent says, “She (daughter) is not at grade level, but is improving which is all that matters.” “She is a very good reader, but hides it well, she only puts herself in certain types of situations where she know she will succeed.” “With her modifications it challenges her enough where it is hard, but she can do it.” “She will have no problems if things are to the point. She needs questions and answers to be right there, she will continue to struggle with inference questions.” “She is so excited for high school and college and we cannot wait to see what is in store for her”. One statement this parent continued to say over and over again was, “She is a normal girl she just needs more time to learn and remember things.” “She takes nothing for granted (NT/BA LD 10/1 2 I, M, R, S, W, X, HH, LL, OO).” “Today, I still fear reading in front of the class and messing up.” “Only about three years ago did I start enjoying reading.” “I have to read and take tests in quite places because I get distracted which messes me up (NT/MM LD 10/23 4 M, T Q).” “I still see some problems, but it’s not as bad anymore, I just have to spend more time on homework to fully understand things (NT/RF LD 9/16 1 G).” Another thing I noticed about learning disabilities by talking to my interviewees is what subject they struggled in. Everyone noted that spelling was the hardest thing. “The hardest concept to overcome was spelling, but by learning the phonics behind reading and writing I understood how to spell and sound out words (NT/RF LD 9/16 1 D).” Another parent said, “You could see her trying to focus to try and understand something, but by the time the information got to the brain she looses it.” “She can know something one day and totally forget it the next.” “The hardest part for her is reading and decoding words, and therefore it affects her spelling.” “She does a great job with sight words and the reading skills she does is based on memorization (NT/LW LD 11/9 5 U, V, W, X,).” “Some families don’t understand learning disabilities and just want to know when their child is getting out of services, whereas “Some families are really supportive of their child and want their children to get the help they need.” “The parents I work with are concerned with the move from one school to another.” One teacher said, “The hardest part for families is when a younger child reads better or reads to the child with the problem.” It is up to the kids how much they learn, “Some kids are really motivated, but others just mess around.” (NT/DL LD 10/12 3 A, B, D, L, P).” “Most families that have a child with a learning disability are very supportive (NT/LD LD 10/12 3C).” “My family was really supportive and all tried to help”, and now my younger sister also has dyslexia so I can help her (NT/RF LD 9/16 1 E, F).” “My parents knew I had a problem, but did not want me to blame my problems on having a disability; they did not seem to care that I had a learning disability.” “My parents also told me to always try my best and try not to get discharged (NT/MM LD 10/23 4 B, C, N).” One parent talked about how a sibling reacted to the problems, “My daughter is very helpful to her sister, but sometimes gets upset that her sister has less homework.” “My daughter’s classmates are very good about helping her especially when taking AR tests. She always allows others to help with the hard words (NT/LW LD 11/9 5 P, FF).” I asked for some advice from students who suffered from having a learning disability and one responded, student responded, “Embrace it. Admit to it and you will have more confidence (NT/MM LD 10/23 4 W).” Another student noted, “As far as reading is considered don’t study the night before, it will not get you very far, you need to start at least a week before and break it down into small pieces.” She also made the comment, “Practice, will make you better (NT/RF LD 9/16 1 H).” “I know that if I mess up, I have to stop and collect myself before moving on or I will continue to mess up.” After many years I have realized God made me this way for a reason and I accept it.” “People who mind don’t matter, and people who don’t mind matter (NT/MM LD 10/23 4 S, AA, BB).” Learning Disabilities

Nicole Tepper

Characteristics of Individuals with Exceptionalities Ed 226

Mr. Ramsey

September 28, 2009

Abstract

Today in schools there are many students from diverse backgrounds and diverse learning styles. Students may struggle with reading, but excel in writing, or may need more engorgement form teachers. Learning Disabilities effect students throughout there schooling careers. Knowing how to work with students and the laws that are enforced to protect these children are very important and essential part of teaching. When originally starting this topic I was interested in learning what strategies to use with students. However, I learned that the laws and problems are more important, because every student needs their own individual plan and one strategy may not work for all students. I also wanted to know more about where Learning Disabilities came from, how students were educated, and treated. Learning Disabilities are a broad topic that effect many children. The ideas behind IDEA are the reasons these students get help and succeed. In the future, I hope to learn more about learning disabilities and how the individual student feels because of having that learning disability.

All teachers dream of a classroom filled with students who sit quietly at their seats waiting for further instruction. Teachers hope to have an ideal classroom setting where everyone gets along and works at the same pace without any interruptions or distractions. The only problem with this picture is that it does not exist. Students are all different and learn in different ways at varying degrees. Learning disabilities can hinder a student’s learning ability and separate them from the rest of the class. Students that struggle in certain subjects such as reading or math are often made fun of, ignored, or not given enough individual parent/teacher attention, and therefore they can experience difficulty and frustration throughout their education career. A learning disability or LD is a neurological disorder that interferes with a child’s learning. In simple terms, a learning disability results from a difference in the way a person's brain is set-up (2008, //An Overview//). Students with LD often learn how to play instruments, sports, or build models at the same rate other student’s do, but have a tough time learning math, reading, or writing skills (Fisher & Cummings, p.4, 2002). Research says “there is a discrepancy between ability and achievement” (Pierangelo, 2004). Research has found many reasons students may experience having a learning disability, but it is hard to pinpoint one correct reason. Some researchers believe that disabilities run in the family while others believe a LD may be caused by a problem that occurred when the child was young (Fisher & Cummings, p. 7, 2002).

When education started to develop and schools were beginning, a student with a learning disability would not have been given the helped he/she needed to succeed. The teacher, other students, or parents might have believed the child was lazy or weird because the child was behind in school. That child probably dropped out of school to try to find a job because they could not catch-up to the class. It was not until the technological revolution of the 1950’s where people with learning disabilities started glimpsing hope for a better future because of job openings and new technology (Harwell & Jackson, p. 1, 2008).

In 1937 Samuel Orton gave the name “strephosymbolia” to describe a problem he saw in children with reading difficulties. He believed students would mix up letters and words such as //b// and //d// and //was// and //saw.// He thought this was caused when one hemisphere of the brain failed to establish dominance over the other, which resulted in mirror images of words and symbols. He believed there were both mild and severe reading disabilities among children with this disorder (Harwell & Jackson, p. 2, 2008).

The public believed these students were “slow learners” and were not given the attention they needed or deserved by educators. In the 1960’s research found that some students who were classified as retarded actually has normal intelligence when tested in nonverbal ways. Children that struggled in reading needed other methods to make reading easier because the normal way of reading left to right was not working for them. Orton, among others, came up with the idea of memorizing sight words (Harwell & Jackson, p. 2, 2008). Sight reading and memorizing words that do not sound out properly are still used in schools today.

In 1963 parents were starting to vocalize their concerns about their children. A meeting was held in Chicago to discuss the needs of these types of children. At this time doctors called children that were behind “minimally brain damaged.” Samuel Kirk, a concerned parent, suggested the term “learning disabled” and that name has forever been the term used for students who have difficulty in learning. During this meeting, parents also started demanding that public schools provide services for their children. They organized a group called the Association of Children with Learning Disabilities (ACLD.) Soon after, the International Council for Exceptional Children created a division to address the needs of these children. In the late 1960’s special education resource rooms were started (Harwell & Jackson, p. 2, 2008).

In the 1970’s a group of people began classifying learning disabilities into subtypes. In 1975 Congress passed the Public Law 94-142, the Education of All Handicapped Children Act. This law guaranteed that every handicapped child from ages three to twenty-one would receive a “free and appropriate” education in the least “restrictive environment” possible. Later this became known as “mainstreaming”. Learning disabled children were to be educated in the regular classroom unless their disability was so serve that the child could not learn in the regular classroom. Even though the law required there to be a special education teacher in every school, there was not enough money to adequately provide for every student with problems. At first only two percent of children were receiving services. By 1987, five percent qualified for services (Harwell & Jackson, p. 3, 2008).

In the late 1980’s educators were encouraged to allow students with disabilities to be taught in the regular classroom with their peers; inclusion came to be. In these classrooms there were often two teachers, one regular classroom teacher and the other teacher specialized in special education. It was believed that by working as a team, the students would succeed because there was more than one person consulting and collaborating on the child’s needs (Harwell & Jackson, p. 3, 2008).

In the 1900, Public Law 94-142 was renamed and expanded. It became know as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or Public Law 101-476 (Harwell & Jackson, p. 4, 2008). It is a federal law that secures special education services for children with disabilities from the time they are born until they graduate from high school. The law was reauthorized by Congress in 2004, prompting a series of changes in the way special education services are implemented. These changes are still in use today and they affect the delivery of special education and related services. IDEA has undergone several changes since it began as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), or Public Law 94-142, in 1975. This law originated as a way to insure that students with disabilities receive an appropriate public education. Several ideas have become part of the special education vocabulary because of this law, including FAPE (free appropriate public education), IEP (individualized education program) and LRE (least restrictive environment) (Harwell & Jackson, p. 5, 2008). These concepts have been built into the special education system to insure equal access to education for all students (2008, //LD Basics//)

“IDEA further redefined the definition of a learning disability as: //“Specific learning disability” means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. This term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia. The term does not include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage// (Harwell & Jackson, p. 48, 2008)//.//

The problem people have found with IDEA is that excluded children who had low IQ’s were not receiving the services they needed. However, Section 504, a civil rights act, was designed to help students who did not qualify under IDEA. There are seven conditions that helps make more children eligible for special education services. They are listed below: //1. A drug or alcohol dependency.// // 2. ADD / ADHD. // // 3. Health needs. // // 4. Communicable diseases. // // 5. Social maladjustment. // // 6. Learning disability but without a severe discrepancy. // //7. The student has a disability but has been released from special education.// (Harwell & Jackson, p. 49, 2008).

LD is a broad term that describes many types of disabilities. Learning disabilities are classified into two groups: verbal and nonverbal. Difficulty with basic reading and language skills are the most common learning disabilities. Roughly 80% of students with learning disabilities have reading problems and fifteen percent of the U.S. population, or one in seven Americans, has some type of learning disability. Learning disabilities should not be confused with other disabilities such as mental retardation, autism, deafness, blindness, children who are learning English and behavioral disorders. Students that have these exceptionalities may have a LD, but it is not the main factor in the child’s learning (2008, //What is a Learning Disability//).

Some people with verbal learning disabilities may be able to read or write without problems, but they have trouble with other aspects of language. For example, they may be able to sound out a sentence or paragraph perfectly, making them good readers, but they cannot infer the words in ways that will allow them to make sense of what they're reading. Others have trouble with writing because their brains struggle to control the many things that go into it such as moving their hand to form letter shapes to remembering the correct grammar rules involved in writing down a sentence. People with nonverbal learning disabilities may have difficulty processing what they see. They may have trouble making sense of visual details like numbers on a blackboard. Someone with a nonverbal learning disability may confuse the plus sign with the sign for division. Some abstract concepts like fractions may be difficult to master for people with nonverbal learning disabilities (Fisher & Cummings, p. 11, 2002).

 Dyslexia, Dyscalculia , and Dysgraphia are three common types of learning disabilities. Dyslexia is the most common type of verbal learning disabilities. It is defined as a disorder in which someone has difficulty reading, which is not caused from a physical handicap, or emotional disorder. Many people with dyslexia have poor handwriting and have a tendency to read letters backwards. Those who have a high or even normal IQ, but have a reading level lower than it is supposed to be, may have dyslexia. They might need to be taught in a different manner (2008, //What is a Learning Disability//).

Dyscalculia is a mathematical disability in which a person has a difficult time solving arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts. Arithmetic involves recognizing numbers and symbols, memorizing facts, aligning numbers, and understanding abstract concepts like place value and fractions. Any of these may be difficult for children with developmental arithmetic disorders. Problems with number or basic concepts are likely to show up early in primary grades. Disabilities that appear in later grades are more often linked to problems in reasoning (2008, //An Overview//).

Dysgraphia is a writing disability in which a person finds it hard to form letters or write within a defined space (2008, //What is a Learning Disability//). Writing involves several brain areas and functions. The brain networks for vocabulary, grammar, hand movement, and memory must all be in good working order. A developmental writing disorder may result from problems in any of these areas. For example, a child with a writing disability, particularly an expressive language disorder, might be unable to compose complete and grammatically correct sentences. (2008, A//n Overview//).

Students that have LD may also have other conditions that coincide with that disability. The three common types of this are ADHD, CD, and TS. They are believed to co-occur because they are believed to be caused by biochemical irregularities. A behavioral condition called (ADHD) is often associated with learning disabilities because people with ADHD may also have a hard time focusing enough to learn and study. It is believed that one out of every three individuals with ADHD also have been identified with a LD. Students with ADHD are often easily distracted and have trouble concentrating. They may also be excessively active or have trouble controlling their impulses. There are medications such as Ritalin that are used to help sustain attention over periods of time to help the child in school (Harwell & Jackson, p. 8, 2008). Children with Conduct Disorder (CD) normally have symptoms of inattention and impulsivity, but also show of lack to respect of other students. These students may treat others, animals, and material goods poorly and overall do not act responsible. It is common for CD children to have been raised in an area where this type of behavior is acceptable. These children might have also come from an abusive or neglected home setting (Harwell & Jackson, p. 10, 2008).

Tourette Syndrome (TS) is an inherited neurological disorder. To be diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, a person must have several different types of tics; specifically, multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic (Harwell & Jackson, p. 10, 2008). This can be distracting to other students learning environment and be hard to concentrate.

Determining if a child has a LD can be a challenging task. Usually a parent or teacher will notice a child falling behind in school. The first step in diagnosing a learning disability is ruling out vision or hearing problems. A person may then work with a psychologist or learning specialist who will use specific tests to help diagnose the disability. In a school setting where a teacher wants to test a child, a parent must give written consent before testing may begin. If the student does not have speech or hearing problems they are given intellectual and achievement tests. Often, those specialists can help pinpoint that person's learning strengths and weaknesses in addition to revealing a particular learning disability (Harwell & Jackson, p. 11, 2008). After the tests are done and the results are in, the parents, a regular education teacher, special education teacher, a representative of the local education agency, and a person who can interpret instructional implications of evaluation results all meet together in a meeting and create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to get the help the child needs (Fisher & Cummings, p. 22, 2002).

An IEP is a plan for a student that tells what type of learner that particular child is, how they learn, and list goals of where they want the child to be. The team determines the amount and type of service the child needs to make academic progress. An IEP is the teacher’s guide to proceeding with the best educational course of action for the student. Some examples of what the IEP team can decide for the child are as follows: //Special education personal could come into the regular room to assist the child. Special educators could meet with the regular teacher in a collaborative or consultative mode to plan the child’s program. The child could go to a resource room for help for part of the day. The child could be placed in an LD special day class for all or part of the day// (Harwell & Jackson, p. 44, 2008). Other modifications can include: using recourses such as a laptop or math pieces, take tests in a quiet environment without time restraints, given oral tests, and have questions read to the student during the test. Technology is always changing and scientists are always coming up with new ideas and inventions to help students with LD.

During the IEP meeting, the group also discusses if the child qualifies to receive help from a speech therapist, physical therapist, or occupational therapist. Every year that group of people meet to discuss the progress of the student and set new goals for the next year. The law requires that every three years, the child be retested to see if they still qualify for special education services (Fisher & Cummings, p. 23, 2002). Once a child is receiving help, they may start to like school more. The Survival Guide listed ten ways to help students enjoy school more. They are as follows: //1. When things are tough, have a chat.// // 2. Keep your head up” // // 3. Become an expert. // // 4. Take part in school activities. // // 5. Learn more about LD. // // 6. Make friends. // // 7. Be a helper. // // 8. Stay out of trouble. // // 9. Know how to relax and cool off. // //10. Do not use LD as an excuse// (Fisher & Cummings, p. 60, 2002)//.//

Many people find it hard to cope with having a learning disability. On the other hand, some find it a great way to get the help they need. There are several famous people that have overcome difficulties in schooling because of learning disabilities. Nelson Rockefeller, Vice President of the United States and governor of New York suffered from a severe reading disability. Tom Cruise, a movie actor had a reading disability. Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States did not learn to read until age eleven. Erin Brockovich, a legal assistant suffered from dyslexia. Whoopi Goldberg, an actress and comic, had reading problems in school (Fisher & Cummings, p. 35, 2002). Sir Isaac Newton, a scientist, was believed to have had a learning disability because of his poor performance in elementary school (Harwell & Jackson, p. 58, 2008). All of these people fought through the tough times in school and became famous people in history,

The history and field of learning disabilities has changed incredibly over the years. New ideas and programs are constantly being designed to help students with learning disabilities. IDEA is a great way to help students with mild learning disabilities. It has accomplished many great things, such as helping students with learning disabilities become apart of the regular classroom and interacting with their peers. Schools now are willing to help every child succeed even if a particular child learns at a slower rate than others. The environment theses children grow up in is very important in how they will live their lives.

References (2008), L. O. (n.d.). //LD OnLine :: Learning Disabilities: An Overview//. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from http://www.ldonline.org/article/Learning_Disabilities%3A_An_Overview.

Fisher, G., & Cummings, R. (2002). //The Survival Guide for Kids with Learning Differences//. Minneapolis: Free Spirit.

Harwell, J., & Jackson, R. (2008). //The Complete Learning Disabilities Handbook Ready-to-use Strategies & Activities for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities//. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Teacher.

//LD OnLine :: LD Basics//. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2009, from http://www.ldonline.org/features.

//LD OnLine :: What is a Learning Disability?//. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2009, from http://www.ldonline.org/ldbasics/whatisld.

Pierangelo, R. (2004). //The Special Educator's Survival Guide//. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Teacher.

Bridgette Mantia Characteristics of Individuals With Exceptionalities Prof. Ramsey September 30, 2009 Learning Disabilities There is growing awareness about Learning Disabilities as they are being better understood through research. Students who, in the past, would have been considered or thought of themselves as mentally retarded or stupid, are being diagnosed. This not only causes them to receive help in the academic area, but they also tend to refrain from blaming their difficulty in school as their fault. There remain many challenges, such as whether or not schools are too quick to label students, how best teachers should help their students, and if it is better or worse for students to be placed in an inclusive environment. Schools are offering more and more help to children with learning disabilities as research, advocates, and laws are being changed to ensure better education for all students. However, there are still many challenges that face educators and families alike to ensure that each child receives the proper education from preschool through adulthood. One of the biggest struggles educators and researchers have alike is not having a standard definition for learning disabilities. Other disabilities have set definitions and characteristics, making it easier to notice and diagnose. The worse the disability is and the clearer the characteristics to look for are, the easier it is to spot. Thus, those children who are struggling are more likely to receive assistance. However, experts still argue and disagree over what the definition of Learning Disability should be. In the 1960s, learning disabilities were looked at, for the first time, as “not the result of mental retardation, sensory deprivation, or cultural and instructional factors” (McNamara, B. E. ), but merely as having underdeveloped “processes that affect learning” (McNamara, B. E. ). Still, the characteristics states choose to define learning disabilities by vary so much that “a student. . . [may be] classified as having a specific learning disability in one state and not in the other” (McNamara, B. E. ). This does, of course, pose a problem, as some states may be misdiagnosing while others may not be giving students the help they need. As a result of not having a set definition, the many ones that do exist vary a great deal. For example, one definition excludes adults, implying that learning disabilities disappear after school or do not trouble graduates. Another problem is if whether or not a child already diagnosed with another disability, such as Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder (ADHD), can have an accompanying diagnosis of a learning disability. Usually, if it does not seem as if the difficulty in learning comes about because of a direct correlation to existing disability, the child may also receive the diagnosis of a learning disability. Along those lines, research has shown that “[l]earning disabilities may precede ADHD, ADHD may precede learning disabilities, or they may co-exist” (McNamara, B. E. ). In learning disabilities there are several discrepancies among students diagnosed. Educators are trying to figure out why these exist and if they are valid numbers or occur because of bias. One discrepancy is that 70% of all children diagnosed with a learning disability are male, more than twice than the number of diagnosed females. This could be for several reasons. One is the slower maturation level in males compared to that of females. Perhaps more interesting is that “because teachers expect males to exhibit more learning problems than females, bias in referring males for assessment and identification results” (McNamara, B. E. ). Being aware of the latter may help ensure that the frequency of the mistake lessens. Additionally, the majority of students diagnosed are in minority groups. In order to close the gap, changes in lesson plans to incorporate more relevant topics to their culture improve relationships between educators and parents must occur (McNamara, B. E. ). Some parents are often frustrated with the resources offered to them. For example, one school offered an excellent, but often controversial, program for students with learning disabilities called the Arrowsmith Program. Widely acclaimed by parents, it has not been proven by research, and many governments are leary of paying for it. However, many parents feel as if it is the only program that has worked for their child, and the only thing that has made them successful. Parents have claimed that, even though the program may not have been proven by research, it was helping their children reach their fullest potential. When funding for it was discontinued, many schools did not offer any other assistance, letting kids lag behind. This led to angry parents who decided to enter a lawsuit in order to get assistance back into the schools for their children. (Andrea, G.) Another parent is taken aback by “the astounding lack of awareness about the ramifications of having a learning disability” (Cassidy, E.). She is frustrated by band-aids placed on the problem, such as allowing students to work longer on a project, that she feels do nothing long-term. In a nutshell, she believes that teachers are not being well-educated about learning disabilities and how to help those students who need extra assistance. Although this is only one person's opinion, based on the evidence that perhaps discrepancies occur so often in part on the teacher's fault, this is something that is worth looking into. Parents have been a leading advocate for their children with disabilities for a long time, very notably so in the field of learning disabilities. In 1963, the Association for Children with Learning Disabilities (later changed to the Learning Disabilities Association of America) was formed by “parents. . . energized by the concept of learning disabilities” (McNamara, B. E. ). There are many advocate groups for children with disabilities, usually led by parents wanting to improve the education system for their children; for example, the Arrowsmith case as mentioned earlier. Parents want the education system to improve for their children, and they are not afraid of speaking out and making the change happen. Parents are also frustrated with the attempt to give every child a label before offering any extra assistance. Oftentimes, students lag behind for years until they are “behind” enough to qualify for testing and receiving a label. This does not make sense, for if students receive the help they need immediately, they are less likely to continue falling behind. However, schools wait until students are so far behind that their scores are quickly dropping, and frustration sets in. Instead, students should be given help immediately when it appears that they are confused or lacking in skills, whether primarily academic or something like motor skill. Instead, schools use the “wait to fail” tactic before administering help (Mcmillin, S. ). At the same time, when help is given, it is often in the form of a specialized teacher in a different classroom. This means students who are already falling behind are losing valuable study time in the transition period from room to room. So although extra assistance is supposed to help students and often does, it has the potential to hinder them as well. Additionally, if the specialized and homeroom teachers do not communicate, neither know what is expected from them and do not know what to help the student with and how to go about doing it ( McClanahan, B. ). Sometimes, all that the special education classrooms do is to “add to their short-term knowledge long enough to [help the student] pass a test” ( McClanahan, B. ). Learning schoolwork short-term does nothing other than put another band-aid on the problem. Another problem is that often only the students diagnosed with reading disabilities receive assistance. The students on the low end of average who struggle with grades do not qualify for that extra assistance and are allowed to struggle along with only their homeroom teacher to try and help them ( McClanahan, B. <span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">). One concern among parents and educators is the level of self-esteem in students who have learning disabilities. Surprisingly enough, <span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">“individuals with LD are able to maintain a positive sense of global self-worth despite lower perceptions in the academic domain” (LaBarbera, R.). They are somehow able to separate their school performance from the rest of their lives, leading to feeling frustrated in school but content socially. However, what is vital to a sense of self-worth is having encouragement from adults and being in a positive learning environment. <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; text-align: justify;">There are very different struggles and difficulties people with learning disabilities have through preschool, adulthood, and in-between. Many of the struggles, especially the ones in elementary school, have already been mentioned. That is what most of the research focuses on, and when the most help is given. This is unfortunate, for a person with a learning disability may need assistance almost from birth through adulthood. Because learning disabilities are considered to be an academic issue, preschoolers are rarely diagnosed. As mentioned earlier, students must usually wait to receive help until they receive a diagnosis. However, with some children it is obvious that they need help even though they are not old enough to test. Usually, educators simply identify young children as being at risk for developing a learning disability. Children are then able to receive some extra assistance that will either stop them from falling too far behind until they are older and diagnosed, or will help them catch up to the rest of their classmates. One big problem that usually deters educators from diagnosing preschoolers is that there is a wide-range scale of what is normal for young children. It is difficult to decide whether or not a child is truly having difficulties learning or simply not developing as quickly as his or her peers. Usually, instead of diagnosing a child in preschool as having a learning disability, they are referred to as having a developmental delay. Probably simply because it is easier to spot, children who have a more severe disability are more likely to be diagnosed compared to those with minor disabilities (McNamara, B. E.) As mentioned earlier, there again the problem of not letting students fall through the cracks occurs. Preschoolers who are on the low end of average are not given help, which may mean that they since they were not given help early on, when they begin elementary school they are diagnosed as having a learning disability (McNamara, B. E.). However, “studies. . . have demonstrated the importance of early identification and intervention for reducing the reading gap between students with reading difficulties and their grade-level peers” (Graham, L.<span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">) <span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">. So, even though it is difficult to diagnose preschoolers, young children should at least be given any extra help they need in order to stay up with the rest of the class. In part because of these issues raised, programs are being developed help curb possibilities of preschoolers developing learning disabilities as they grow older. They are designed with care as to ensure that they are “culturally and developmentally appropriate, linguistically sensitive, and based on scientific evidence” (2007). Other factors, such as relationships with the family, are important in these programs. Striving to decide who might actually develop a disability and who might just be a little delayed is impossible at this time so all possible at-risk children are treated as having potential for developing a learning disability. Another difficulty in the life of a child with a learning disability occurs when entering high school. All through elementary, and even middle school, students are given assistance. Teachers are familiar with the students, and know who needs help with what. Students lose that familiarity with teachers in the transition to highschool. This is a worry that all students have, but it is strongest in those with disabilities. They worry about if they are going to be given the help they need, especially because, for the most part, students in highschool are put in inclusive classrooms meaning that often, no specific aide is there to help them. This is much different from elementary school where aides are often available, as well as having the student spend time in an exclusive setting. Also, some states have strict rules upon graduation. If students are not able to get a specific score on the state test, then they are not able to graduate high school. This causes them great stress and anxiety, for as well as keeping up with friends, they well know that how successful they are in their future in part hinges on their success in highschool. This is a well-reasoned stress, for “the gap between their [students with learning disabilities] performance and that of their peers without disabilities widens and becomes more obvious” (McNamara, B. E.) with each passing year. Nevertheless, research has been done to develop strategies to help these students learn. They take self-discipline and participation from the teacher, but with diligence and hard work, the tests should become less daunting. There are several factors why, but adolescents with learning disabilities have a much higher chance of becoming a juvenile delinquent than their peers of average intelligence. Although “learning disabilities do not cause delinquency. . . 30 – 50% of students with learning disabilities become delinquent” (McNamara, B. E.). Several hypotheses exist on this subject. One is that the low self-esteem children with learning disabilities frequently have, which in part causes them to drop out of school, allows them to fall in with the wrong crowd. Another is that difficulties with acting socially correct, along with their often slow or reflective thought processes, prevents them from making good decisions. Additionally, children with learning disabilities can be “likely victims” (McNamara, B. E.) for bullies. One way children react to being bullied is to become aggressive to others as well and, in turn, becomes a bully. A similar reason to the previous ones listed is that the consequences of having a learning disability makes it more likely that they are caught after being bad; however, researchers are at odds as to whether or not there is a connection between having a learning disability and being a juvenile delinquent. After all, there are so many factors involved, that “when one controls for gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, there is no direct relationship between them” (McNamara, B. E.). In the past, when there was little or none at all information on learning disabilities, children unnecessarily struggled in school, and dropped out when it became too difficult. One victim of this problem “ wanted an evaluation. . . 'to find out if I'm mentally retarded or just stupid'” (McNamara, B. E.). Students in the mid-1900s struggled very much not only through their formative years, but, as this quote demonstrates one man's low self-esteem, also continued to struggle in adulthood. This is something that educators must ensure never occurs again. With special education services improving with each decade, there are fewer children who will grow up without the knowledge that they have a learning disability. Still, students with learning disabilities have fewer options upon graduating highschool than their peers with average intelligence. Options include searching for a job with a highschool diploma, vocational programs, or, of course, college. There are several problems with this. One is that these days there are limited job options with only highschool diplomas. The problem with going to college is that, although there is assistance offered to college students with disabilities, there is even less than in highschool. Colleges do not have to change entrance standards, but they must supply extra testing time and the like. <span style="-moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous; -moz-background-origin: padding; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; text-align: justify;">Learning disabilities encompass a wide range of children with varying levels of abilities. Although schools are still struggling with how to properly diagnose and help students who struggle with learning, they are trying different strategies discovered by research. Though progress is slow, surely a way to properly diagnose and care for children will soon become evident. Then, it will open new avenues for children with learning disabilities as they are allowed to learn and grow more than ever before.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; text-align: center;">Works Cited <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman,serif; text-align: justify;">Andrea, G. (n.d). Arrowsmith seen as 'last hope'. //Toronto Star (Canada)//, http://search.ebscohost.com Cassidy, E. (2009). Few Teachers Know Enough About Learning Disabilities. //Education Week//, //28//(37), 31. http://search.ebscohost.com Graham, L., Bellert, A., Thomas, J., & Pegg, J. (2007). QuickSmart: A Basic Academic Skills Intervention for Middle School Students with Learning Difficulties. //Journal of Learning Disabilities//, //40//(5), 410-419. http://search.ebscohost.com LaBarbera, R. (2008). Perceived Social Support and Self-Esteem in Adolescents with Learning Disabilities at a Private School. //Learning Disabilities -- A Contemporary Journal//, //6//(1), 33-44. http://search.ebscohost.com (2007). Learning Disabilities and Young Children: Identification and Intervention. //Learning Disability Quarterly//, //30//(1), 63-72. http://search.ebscohost.com McClanahan, B. (2009). Help! I Have Kids Who Can't Read in My World History Class!. //Preventing School Failure//, //53//(2), 105-112. [|http://search.ebscohost.com] McNamara, B. E. (2007). //Learning disabilities: bridging the gap between research and classroom practice.// Upper Saddle River, NJ: PE Inc. Mcmillin, S. (2009, August 29). New programs aim to help struggling students early on. //Gazette, The (Colorado Springs, CO)//, http://search.ebscohost.com

Learning Disabilities: Interviews Interviews with people who have been affected by a learning disability are decidedly insightful on all aspects. Learning disabilities are most evident in a classroom environment. Still, how students are treated and helped at school carries over to the other parts of their lives. Whether or not they receive assistance at school, and how others treat them in the classroom environment, affects interactions and feelings of students and their families.

As mentioned, learning disabilities are usually first noticed in the school setting; sometimes, that is even the only setting that they are noticed at all and are barely discernible in other situations. For one student, all the problems she has developed today started when her reading issues came to light. Until then, life had been perfectly normal; however, when her peers were learning their alphabet and reading, it was clear that something was wrong when she was not picking up on the same information (4G); she was well aware that she could not read like the others in her class (4B). Pam Scott, the elementary teacher interviewed, concisely mentioned how students with learning disabilities must concentrate more than others (1A). This was clear when a college student explained her life with a learning disability in school: Her “mind wanders” (5E) and she “cannot concentrate” (5F). All in all, she said that she was street smart, but not book smart (5B). Schools giving assistance early on, as soon as possible issues are evident, is vital for children. One college student, who has struggled her whole life, admitted that help is nice (3K), no matter what the form – anything that made the schoolwork doable was welcomed. Often, problems rely in the difficulties of “getting stuff from [their] heads onto the paper” (3A). Simply “getting things done” can be a problem as well (1F). As children with LD cannot handle distractions, sometimes the classroom becomes much too stimulating for them to be able to concentrate. Sometimes, merely slowing down explanations helps the student with LD (5A).

In grade school, a plethora of assistance is usually offered. For example, one college student went to summer school, mainly for mathematics (5C), and another explained how she received extra help during the day, such as working with her peers (3C). Although much less help is offered in college, the transition from high school to college was not as difficult as the same student thought it would be (3G). Accommodations are offered as-needed. They include extended test time, notecards during exams, copies of notes, access to powerpoints, extra time on assignments (3H), tests in the library, and tutors (5D). She tries, however, to avoid using them to prevent them from becoming crutches, showing the resilience of children with disabilities (3H).

Schools are responsible for giving the best education possible and in many cases, they do their best to live up to that goal. One student is given exercises (4Z) to do at home to improve her academic performance and meets with the Occupational Therapist at school. The ones who are solely responsible for making accommodations occur, especially in the classroom, are the teachers. One did just that by moving the student’s desk next to her own on the child’s suggestion; allowing the student to go into the cloak closet with a water bottle if stimulated or frustrated until calm; communicating with her parents; finding ways for the child to socialize; and most importantly, encouraging the child to continue doing her best (4L). Additionally, if there is any sort of teasing going on at all, she puts an end to it by going to the children or even to their parents (4K). This is not always the case, however. One interviewee complained that “schools belittle or label” (2A). Homeschooling was certainly a “benefit” (2B) in this case, which saved the student the pain of enduring non-acceptance and unnecessary struggles. As a result of this, she was able to learn better with the one-on-one attention received at home. Another young student actually asked to be homeschooled, stating matter-of-factly “I’m stupid.” She did not want to play during recess; instead, she sat by the teacher, even though after school she would arrive home sobbing and saying that the teacher did not like her (4D). One school actually refused to test a child who had some very obvious difficulties in the classroom; the parents decided to have it done privately (4R). Still, the school’s reaction was “mind-numbing,” as the parent said, and claimed that the child was “just spoiled” (4T). In fact, receiving help for the child from the school system was refused until after the parents threatened to bring in a lawyer (4S).

One thing common to all families who have a member with learning disabilities is the Individualized Education Plan. As one college student admitted, IEP meetings were very intimidating, especially at first. Having teachers talking about your problems “suck” and she was confused as to what was going on much of the time (3I). In high school, however, she became much more involved in the meetings. She made her own decisions about what sort of assistance she needed (3J) and the like.

Interactions between students with learning disabilities and others proved to be various, often in the same interview. Many of the negative ones seem to come about from good intentions. For example, Ms. Scott, speaking back on her own schooling years, said “I felt babied with teachers” by having too much unwanted and unneeded attention poured on her (1J). From her now adult perspective, though, she realizes that having students with LD in the classroom simply “wears you out” (1E). With peers, one parent said, although it seems to be a common scenario, the child is unsure; she likes people but is not comfortable around them (4F). She is teased and made fun of by her peers (4E) and this happens even when not done purposefully. It is simply talking about basics – grades, for example – that made one child feel left out (2J). Although social, a young child refuses to play with people other than one friend because she is afraid of being teased (4H); she sometimes comes home from school to tell her mother that she did not play at recess because her friend, Glory, “played with someone else.” Within the home environment, sibling interactions could at times be negative. For example, an interviewee sees her adult daughter having a twin as being “mostly helpful, except when [the twin] was ready for college” (2H). At this point, seeing the twin move ahead while she found it impossible to graduate from a community college was difficult and frustrating.

On a much more positive note, Ms. Scott mentioned how children with an LD are eager for attention from the teacher, thus always wanting to chat (1I). Similarly, one student’s relationships with Special Education professionals were ideal – they knew and cared about her personal life, especially as she grew older. She said that they were very supportive, and it was easy to talk about life problems with them (3F). Concerning peers, one of the students with an LD in Ms. Scott’s classroom has grown to become one of the greatest leaders, partially by keeping other students focused and on task (1D). He has been able to rise above the teasing that often plagues children with disabilities to be an example to them. An interviewee claimed that were few problems with peers for her daughter. The only issue might appear with insensitive friends who did not realize she had a disability, for her “LD was not obvious in day-to-day life” (2F). As mentioned above, some negativity exists within sibling interactions; good intentions, however, seem to prevail and the interactions themselves as the same as any other family (2G). Younger siblings are not affected (3E), and most likely oblivious to any problems their older counterparts may have. Ms. Scott noted that at school siblings are there for each other, but at home they “still fight” (1L) like any other sibling relationship. One child of an interviewee has three brothers much older than her who have three unique reactions: The oldest is concerned and checks up on how she is doing, the second seems oblivious, and the third, like any brother, teases. A slight difference is that his insulting comment that she was dumb affected her much more deeply than the average sister would have been; after realizing the pain he was causing her, he changed his insult to an equally typical statement: “You’re adopted!” (4W). Perhaps even more important than sibling interactions is the relationship of the child and parents. One interviewee praised her parents because they “never said I was different;” this encouraged her to think of herself as normal instead of a person with a disability (3D). As a teacher, Ms. Scott noticed that parents, even those divorced, always communicate for their children, especially those with learning disabilities to ensure that they receive the most help possible (1M). One family even has support from relatives because a cousin has similar issues (4AA). Thus, interactions between family members are seemingly vital to how the child reacts to his or her disability.

The overlying feeling from the interviewees seemed to be frustration all the way around (2C and 4N). Some parents try to hide their frustration (4O) but in the end, break down into tears (4CC). After all, as one parent stated so calmly and serenely, “the hardest thing is watching your kid struggle when no one’s watching” or trying to help (4A). A hole for parents to fall into through frustration and struggles is to only dwell on bad things, such as the low grades; refusing to admit their child has a problem, parents may wait for obvious “red flags” to allow their child to receive help (1K). Along the same vein, students know the rest of the class is above them (1H) and “want to be 100% right. . . [this] wears on them” (1B), causing more frustration. At the same time, one student admitted to having felt great confusion, especially during the IEP meetings. Only in 3rd grade, she “didn’t know what was going on” (3B). This would cause her great stress, exhibited by how she would begin “sweating hard-core” (3L) during such situations. Similarly, another student suffers from so much anxiety at school that she suffers from meltdowns in the classroom (4M).

Self-esteem is also “incredibly” affected (4C). Ms. Scott sees that in her classroom, children with learning disabilities often have lower self-esteem (1G). One young child, having been held back a year, explains why she is in the grade that she is when meeting people (4J). A young adult, her mother explains, had fine self-esteem until late high school or college (2I). It was at that time that she “realized she’s not gonna be able to. . . fulfill what her peers are doing” (2K).

One child had similar problems. He suffered from very low self-confidence and did not trust himself, a very common theme Ms. Scott sees in her classroom among those with learning disabilities. However, he rose above his struggles and turned into a leader. This is because he takes time to check and make sure he’s doing things right instead of continuing and getting it wrong. He is ahead of the other students his age because he has already figured out that to accomplish more, it is best to work at a steady pace (1C).

There seems to be a trio of important elements for children with learning disabilities: assistance offered at school, positive social interactions, and support to encourage positive feelings and a healthy amount of self-esteem. How students feel about themselves and their disabilities seems to rest on how they are treated by the school, peers, and adults. If schools can offer aid and if adults can encourage positivity and discourage teasing, then children with disabilities will be able to let go of their anxiety and frustration. When that happens, students with learning disabilities, much like the child mentioned previously, will be able to discover themselves while striving to reach their fullest potential.