Different Types of Learning Disabilities

A learning disability is a problem that the brain has in processing certain kinds of information.
This information may take the form of verbal, written, or numerical cues. While these problems can't be cured, they can be effectively dealt with through various strategies. People with learning problems often go on to live highly successful lives, but first they must identify what type of disability they have and how to work with it. The following is a listing of the most common learning disabilities and their symptoms.

Dyslexia: This is the most common and well-known learning disability in the United States. People with dyslexia have problems reading and/or understanding written language due to directional or sequencing problems. Symptoms of dyslexia may include: late talking, trouble learning the alphabet, poor spelling, and over reliance on memorization.

Dyscalculia: Those with dyscalculia find it hard to understand the basic principles and practices of mathematics. Some indicators of dyscalculia include: difficulty learning numbers, mixing up mathematical symbols, and having trouble with numerical order.

Dysgraphia: This learning disability is characterized by the inability to write within a set space, such as a lined piece of paper. The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) categorizes this disorder as an output problem, caused by lack of control of the small muscles that dictate fine motor skills. Possible symptoms of dysgraphia include: late development of fine motor skills, poor handling of writing tools, and illegible handwriting.

Auditory and Visual Perception Disabilities: People with these kinds of learning problems are able to see and hear without difficulty, but still find it trying to understand language. Thus, this is a problem with how the brain interprets language cues. Those with auditory perception disabilities have a hard time telling the difference between various sounds (or phonemes), especially when more than one sound occurs at a time. Those with visual processing problems may encounter one or more of the following obstacles: transposing letters, not knowing which letter or symbol to focus on first, skipping letters, sentences, or even paragraphs, rereading the same passage over and over again, and poor depth perception.

Memory Disabilities: People with memory problems have a hard time retaining or retrieving audio or visual information. They may be unable to recall a statement that someone has recently made to them or a passage that they have just finished reading. This inability to access one's short-term memory makes it difficult to input information into one's long-term memory. A person who has issues with integrating information may understand individual facts perfectly but has trouble incorporating them into larger systems of logic. These individuals might be criticized for being unable to "see the big picture."
 posted by Jane    0 comments

Is Your Student Struggling in School Because of a Vision Disorder?

Dear Abby:
Please help me get the word out about a common condition that severely affects children's ability to succeed in school because it inhibits reading, spelling and concentration.
My daughter, who was obviously bright, tested at first-grade level in fifth grade.
She had undergone all the school testing for learning disabilities plus two days of testing at a respected university hospital. None of these tests or specialists revealed what could be wrong with her.
My child's self-esteem suffered. Her confidence faltered; she began acting out in school.
At home she was a great kid, until it came time for schoolwork. Then the battles began. She thought she was dumb. When studying, she could read for only a very short time.
She often begged me to read things to her. When working on spelling and assigned to rewrite the words she missed five times, she often recopied them wrong.
We thought she just wasn't trying.
After much research on the Internet, I came across a disorder called 'convergence insufficiency disorder.' This visual condition is the leading cause of eyestrain.
Fortunately, we had the opportunity to have her tested at the Mayo Clinic, where her condition was confirmed, and she was successfully treated with vision therapy.
It was as though a miracle had occurred. After six months of treatment, my daughter is almost at her age-appropriate reading level. Her comprehension and retention have markedly increased, and her self-esteem and attitude about reading are much better.
Children with this condition will not benefit from tutoring, special education or extra help from teachers until the condition is diagnosed and treated. My child had 20/20 vision and still had this disorder. It's not routinely checked with eye exams and schools don't test for it.
I suspect that many children out there are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and going untreated.
The treatment for convergence insufficiency disorder is noninvasive, effective and much of it can be done at home.
Please help me get the word out so other families won't have to go through what we experienced.
Angie in Minnesota
Dear Angie:
I am pleased to help you get the word out to other families whose children are struggling to learn.
After reading your letter, I contacted my experts at the Mayo Clinic and was was informed that this problem, where the eyes drift too much inward (or outward) in attempting to focus, can also be present in adults.
The symptoms can include eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, sleepiness and trouble retaining information when reading.
Other symptoms associated with convergence insufficiency include a 'pulling' sensation around the eyes, the rubbing or closing of one eye when reading, words seeming to 'jump' or 'float' across the page, needing to reread the same line of words, frequent loss of place, general inability to concentrate and short attention span.
The good news is: Vision exercises can fix the problem in most cases, some done at home and some performed in-office with a vision therapist.
Prism glasses are another option; however they are more often prescribed for adults with this disorder than for children.
 posted by Jane    1 comments

Children's Books About Learning Disabilities

Nonfiction books can be of great help to parents and children dealing with learning disabilities. However, there is something to be said about the power of fiction to access people's emotions while at the same time getting important messages across to readers. With that in mind, a growing number of writers have decided to tackle the subject of scholastic difficulties in the storybook format, which allows young readers to be entertained and informed all at once. These books may also provide a source of relief to kids with learning problems, since they prove that they're not alone in their struggles.
Here is a sampling of some of the best fiction books available for children on the subject:

1. The Alphabet War: A Story About Dyslexia, written by Diane Burton Robb, illustrated by Gail Piazza, $15.95 (hardcover), available on Amazon.com
This book-which is suitable for children from age four through eight-deals with the learning difficulties of a little boy named Adam. As a very young child, Adam enjoys being read aloud to by his mother. However, once he enters school, reading becomes a source of major stress for him; he simply can't get the hang of it. He becomes increasingly frustrated and withdrawn until he is diagnosed with dyslexia and learns the strategies necessary to help him interpret written language. The well-paced narrative treats Adam's experiences with sympathy and respect, and the beautiful illustrations help readers to visualize the story's emotional arc.

2. The Don't-Give-Up Kid and Learning Differences, written by Jeanne Gehret, illustrated by Sandra Ann DePauw, $9.95 (paperback), available on Amazon.com
While most books that center around learning disabilities focus on one particular problem, this story-written for children from age six through ten-deals with other common scholastic difficulties. The protagonist is Alex, a bright kid who just so happens to have trouble learning how to read. Even though he faces ridicule from his classmates, he perseveres and gets the help that he needs. Along the way, he discovers that one of his heroes-Thomas Edison-also had to deal with learning issues, which provides him with plenty of personal inspiration.

3. Different Croaks for Different Folks: All About Children With Special Learning Needs, written by Midori Ochiai and Shinya Miyamoto, illustrated by Hiroko Fujiwara, translated by Esther Sanders, $17.95 (hardcover), available on Amazon.com
Originally written for a Japanese audience, this book has been lovingly translated for American readers. The authors put a playful spin on a potentially intimidating subject: Teacher Toad gives lessons to his frog students that help them to find solutions to their various learning problems. As this happens, these young frogs also discover the importance of accepting and valuing the differences in each other. The second half of the book is dedicated to a scientific breakdown of each scholastic difficulty, which makes it a great resource for both children and parents.
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Studying Tips

Here are some studying tips from Aim High Tutors....

• Choose an ideal study location in the house that offers plenty of space for books, has good lighting and is free from distractions such as the television.
• Keep school materials organized in a planner and use a calendar to mark important exams and project due dates.
• Make sure the child is well prepared with all the necessary resources they need, such as pencils, paper and a dictionary.
• Take breaks when frustrated. As much as parents may want to do the work for them, it's better if the student completes the work on their own.

 posted by Jane    0 comments

Learning Disability Related Careers

More information is being discovered about learning disabilities everyday, and with this growth in knowledge comes an increase in the number of people diagnosed with scholastic difficulties. Because of this, professionals trained in helping people to overcome their learning problems are needed now more than ever. This is a fascinating field and if you choose to take part in it, you can feel good about embarking on a career path that will enable you to help people in need improve the quality of their lives. There are a host of learning disability related jobs available, including:
1. Pediatrician
A child's doctor is often the primary line of defense against learning problems. Nowadays, pediatric tests are able to identify possible disabilities earlier than ever before. Still, if symptoms manage to keep themselves hidden for a while, as soon as they're discovered, the pediatrician will be the first person that a child's parent will contact. For example, if an 18-month-old child doesn't seem to understand or respond to his or her parent's speech, the parent may bring this up with their pediatrician, who will first test the child's hearing. If his or her hearing is fine, then the child will be referred by the pediatrician to a speech pathologist.
2. Speech Pathologist
These licensed professionals are trained to assess a child's speech development and point out any potential problems. When a child is sent to a speech pathologist, he or she will be tested for the ability to speak and to understand the speech of others. If a problem is identified, the speech pathologist will suggest that he or she begin speech therapy as soon as possible, since the sooner a learning disability is dealt with, the easier it will be for him or her to make the transition to school.
3. Teacher
The right instructor for your child will have the time and the training necessary to work with learning disabled students. This may be a general or special education teacher, depending on the severity of your child's scholastic problems. General education teachers may obtain the necessary training from workshops or classes offered by private schools, nonprofit organizations, or learning centers that specialize in working with students who have scholastic difficulties. Special education teachers are trained to work with students who may have one or more of a variety of disabilities, including cognitive, physical, and social disorders.
4. Tutor
Sometimes outside help is needed to assist your child in making the most of his or her educational opportunities. If this is the case, you may want to hire a specially trained tutor to teach your child the strategies that will allow them to interpret the information that is relayed to them in their schoolwork. Tutors may be independent contractors or work at learning centers. They might be former general or special education teachers, or they may have receive their training via workshops or classes.
 posted by Jane    0 comments

Limiting Homework?

Did you know that some schools are limiting homework to no more than 45 minuts a night? This is to ensure that kids have more time for such activities as sports and music. This also reduces the stress and conflict homework creates during the hours families spend together.

Denise Clark Pope, director, Stressed Out Students, a Stanford University School of Education support program, Palo Alto, California.
 posted by Jane    0 comments

Is Your Student Also an Athlete?

Many students are also athletes and sometimes there is a fine line between competition and fun. It is great to be successful in the sport of your choice and give your best effort but it becomes a negative effect when it becomes solely focused on success and the fun of the sport which is what initially drew you to it is gone.

Q. My students can get so upset after losing a game and I feel bad for them. Is there anything I can or should do?
A. We learn a lot about life in general and adversity in particular in sports. We learn about failure and how we can deal with it. Our students shouldn't be protected from their feelings and we should let them feel them. A couple of days later, it would be more appropriate to talk to them about how sports relates to life and how they can best deal with the inevitable ups and downs.

Q. Is there a way that I can help my student have more sportsmanship?
A. The best way to teach your student is always through your actions rather than words. Do you let little setbacks in life throw you into a tizzy? Or have you learned to 'roll' with the ups and downs of life more constructively? Remember that your kids are constantly observing how you react to things in life and learn more from what you do than what you say.

Q. How can I help my student keep sports in the proper perspective?
A. Parents can do this by showing their support and coming to watch their games. Be positive and don't dwell on who won or lost. Be a good role model and don't be the obnoxious parent in the stands. Remember, it's about them, not you and so you need to keep your perspective. Have fun and encourage your student to do the same. Chances are your student isn't the star, but they are making new friends, learning new skills and hopefully gaining attitudes that will help them throughout their lives.
 posted by Jane    0 comments