This list is certainly not exhaustive. They are simply some of the questions that I
asked when my we first thought that there was something more to our sons
academic difficulties than meets the eye.
I certainly don’t want to claim to be an expert on LDs but I want to
shed light and share information where I can.
There are many reputable websites that I have found helpful and I will
list them at the end of this post.
Please feel free to comment on any other nuggets of info you might have
come across in your journey with LD!
What is a learning disability?
According to the Learning Disability Association of Ontario,
“LDs – which is short
for learning disabilities – affect one or more of the ways that a person takes
in, stores, or uses information. LDs come in many forms and affect people with
varying levels of severity. Between 5 and 10 percent of Canadians have LDs.”
Can LD’s be cured?
Learning disabilities are considered life long. Typically, people are taught to cope and
compensate for their disabilities. There
are a number of ways to do this from instructional strategies to technological
support. Neuroscience is breaking ground
in ways to treat LDs. Instead of
imposing a sentence of compensation, the work of people like Barabara
Arrowsmith Young are showing people how to change their brain structure so that
their brains can take in, store and use information much like their typical
counterparts. Programs such as
Arrowsmith are not for everyone but they can help many students overcome many
learning difficulties. Many students
find success with more traditional, remedial methods in addition to curriculum
modifications or accommodations.
“LDs
and their effects are different from person to person, so a person’s pattern of
learning abilities need to be understood in order to find good, effective strategies
for compensation.”
Are there
different Types of Learning Disabilities?
Yes. There are many different forms of learning
disabilities. Remember, an LD affects
how a person receives information, stores information and then uses that
information. Consequently LDs can affect
organization, focus, decision making skills, social interaction, interaction
with a person’s physical environment, academics including reading, writing,
mathematics and speech.
For a
comprehensive overview of the various forms of learning Disabilities, you can
visit:
My child is
having trouble reading. Is it a learning
disability?
First of
all, remember that all students develop at different rates, even between
siblings. At the same time, trust your
instincts. I know my DD has trouble
getting some mathematics concepts the first time through. However, with some practice or additional
explanation she gets it. What clinched
the deal with my DS is when his grade 1 teacher finally agreed that “it
shouldn’t be THIS hard.”
In our case
my son was receiving an intense amount of support to bring up his reading level
in grade 1. Up until this point, his lack
of interest had been excused by his high energy. I had my suspicions since he entered
kindergarten that something wasn’t quite right but I trusted the teachers and
we just kept an eye on things. After
such intense amounts of energy were put into my son’s reading skills and he
wasn’t responding, the school finally agreed with me that there was possibly
something else going on and that we should look into some academic testing for
him. Thus, our start down the LD path.
Every child
is different and LD affects everyone differently. Have discussions with your child’s teacher
and your school’s Special Education Resource Teacher (SERT). Discuss your concerns with them and don’t be
afraid to voice your fears. It never hurts
to take a second look. Keep in mind
though, that reading is not everyone’s area of strength. It can be the same thing with math. Some people just need extra support in certain
areas. Things become questionable when
the level of support exceeds the improvements being made.
Here is a
list of some common signs of learning disabilities at different ages and
stages:
Some
additional sights that will help answer some FAQs:
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