K12 Educational Learning Disabilities

There is a preconception involved when discussing specific learning disabilities or learning disabilities in general.  A generalized learning disability can be the result of many things such as a neurological condition, environmental disadvantage, mental retardation or a physical diagnosis (i.e. blindness, or deafness).
Specific learning disabilities are categorized by their individual characteristics.  The inability to organize thoughts or actions, not being able to control motor functions in a way that impedes the ability to handle a pencil or crayon and even listening skills are all specific learning disabilities.
Language based learning disabilities are when a child cannot express his or herself, have difficulty reading and understanding the words, or cannot make the connection to the words being spoken and their meaning.  In these cases the parents and the educators must find alternative means in which to get across their message and for the child to express his or herself.
A test for learning disabilities will illuminate what areas the child is having problems with and then a program can be tailored to the individual needs.  The solution might be as simple as issuing clear, concise directions that are step by step.  This eliminates any confusion on the child’s behalf when there is one direction issued at a time.
A great example of this would occur when a parent or teacher instructed the child to clean up an area after playtime.  Telling a child to stop what they are doing, go wash their hands, and then pick up all the play things, all at once might generate some confusion.  The child might do the first item on the list and the last item but forget the things that were said between.
Specific learning disabilities can also be discovered later in life.  Adults with learning disabilities often go years not knowing why they have difficulty reading or understanding complex orders.  By breaking down the individual tasks, it can make the overall concept a bit more manageable.
All methods in instructing students or adults with specific learning disabilities include one commonality: consistency.  There always needs to be the same rules and same guidelines.  Change, while not always bad, is something that may be upsetting when it comes to basic functions and learning.  This is why professionals advocate strongly that a consistent method and discipline always be maintained.
There is no such thing as someone that cannot be taught.  It may just mean that there must be an alternative method or technique used.  Time and patience is incredibly important to understanding that specific learning disabilities do not mean that it is a lost cause.  It may just require more understanding and knowledge.
To find out more about specific learning disabilities go to the local school or healthcare system or the Learning Disabilities Association of America.  The LDA offers information for parents, adults with learning disabilities, educators and students.

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To have to watch a child struggle through school and homework can be a difficult burden yet millions of parents have students with learning disabilities. They see test after test, report card after report card and tons of teachers’ notes detailing how the child is struggling with school and or life in general.
It is frustrating for a child to not quite grasp a problem as easy has his or her schoolmates. Students with learning disabilities often act out if they are experiencing these academic and life frustrations and the problem begins to escalate.
There are specific learning disabilities that many adults, parents and school officials are familiar with courtesy to a movement by health officials. One of these specific learning disabilities is dyslexia.
A common misconception regarding dyslexia is that the person reads “upside down” or “backwards”. Dyslexia is actually quite complex and can have a wide range of symptoms. Doctors usually look for at least three of the signs or symptoms before diagnosing a child. The actual symptoms also vary according to age group and can be difficult to isolate if the child has problems such as Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD.
Health officials and school officials perform learning disability assessments in order to determine what the child is specifically having trouble with. It could range from emotional to physical.
It is important to remember that sometimes there might not be an actual learning disability. Far too often there are misdiagnoses for students with learning disabilities when in actuality the child might develop or learn at a slower rate than his or her classmates. It is not a clear indication if the child is disabled in any way.
Teachers are now being trained on observing to see if there are students with learning disabilities in their classrooms and what steps need to be taken in order to ensure that the federally mandated laws such as “No Child Left Behind” are enacted.
It is important that each child be given every possible help needed in order to learn and grow in a healthy environment. If there is a possibility that a learning condition exists then the child is tested. In most cases there are three areas that professionals look that help determine the extent of the specific learning disability.
The first is within speech and communication. Does the child have trouble with reading and communicating thoughts? The second is how the child does in the academic setting. Is the child struggling to pay attention? Or is there a specific subject that the child is having problems with? And the third is any physical disorder or behavior problem that might indicate a learning disability.
Students with learning disabilities no longer have to be simply “passed” through until they reach the proper age to graduate. There is help available for students, teachers and parents alike.

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Teaching children with learning disabilities has never been an easy task for educators.  Many school had a simple philosophy of “passing kids along” until they reached the age to graduate or quit to obtain their general education diploma (G.E.D.).  It meant that many kids affected by a learning disability were forgotten and parents had to fend for themselves or tolerate failing grades and outburst of behavior from frustration.
In 1992, President Bush changed how elementary and secondary education institutes could handle children and teaching children with learning disabilities became a real issue within the public school system.  The new legislation meant that all children were given equal opportunity and any help they needed to learn the skills and knowledge to succeed in life.
This new law is known as the “No Child Left Behind Act” and makes all public school educators accountable for their education program.  Testing ensures that each grade is acquiring the knowledge they should have based on a guideline determined by the federal government and state government.
The first step before the first book or program is initiated is to test for learning disabilities.  This testing procedure allows educators and parents to know the exact nature of their child’s learning difficulties.
Once the particular area of learning disability has been assessed then the educators, working together with parents and family members, can work out an education plan that everyone can implement.
Teaching children with learning disabilities requires different techniques and methods than in the regular classroom.  There is usually more one-on-one time and there also may be the use of assistive technology equipment in the form of computer software programs, electronic media and hand held items to supplement the learning plan.
Teaching children with learning disabilities does not end with the classroom.  It is important for parents to realize that they must take an active role in their child’s life.  There are after school programs that are designed to help any student.  It is not just about catching a child up and keeping them at the basic level they should be on.  Many programs help children, even those with learning disabilities, get a head start on subjects.
With the “NCLBA” the federal government has set up guidelines to ensure that schools, professionals and teachers are held accountable for each child.  No longer will it be tolerated that a child is simply passed through.  Each and every child deserves a quality education and a chance to learn to the best of their abilities.  Teaching children with learning disabilities is no different and is held under the same rules and regulations as any other child.
Children are the future.  The time and education invested in them today becomes the rewards of the future.  No matter the race, age, ethnic group or sex, everyone deserves a quality education.

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This learning disabilities blog is designed to help parents with children who have learning disabilities, whether those be stemming from physical problems, emotional problems, mental challenges, or any other reason that may cause their child to not do well in school.

We hope you find this site useful and ask that you give us as much feedback as possible so that we may continuously improve to provide a better service to those in need.

If you have a child with an individualized education program or an individualized learning plan and feel like your school is not giving you the support you need, we would like to offer this IEP e-book as a place to start to get the answers you need so that your child may get back on track educationally.

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