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Parents
may be baffled when their capable children have a great deal of
difficulty learning particular skills in school. Sometimes they
may suspect the difficulty is related to their children not working
hard enough, and of course, sometimes they are correct in those
observations. Children who are not learning well because of lack
of effort are underachieving. Children who struggle with particular
subjects despite good effort typically have learning disabilities.
The three most common learning disabilities are dyslexia, dysgraphia,
and discalculia; problems with reading and spelling, writing,
and arithmetic, in that order. (See Teacher Tips to help you determine
if your child is more likely learning disabled or a dependent
underachiever.)
If your children seem to be having
particular difficulties with a subject, ask their teacher
to arrange for a school evaluation. Private child psychologists
can also be consulted for evaluations. The school psychologist
usually conducts the evaluation, although learning disability
teachers may also participate. If testing indicates that children
have disabilities, schools are required to provide programs
to help them with their problem areas.
Ironically, although early intervention
is most effective, early diagnosis is difficult. Early diagnosis
is difficult because there are so many individual differences
in the way children learn. For example, some children may
learn to read later than others but may catch up to other
children very quickly. Also, in order to qualify for a specific
learning disabilities program in school, children must test
quite far below their abilities. Young children haven't learned
that much in their academic subject, so it is unlikely that
they will score far enough behind on their tests to qualify
for a program.
If your children are diagnosed
with learning disabilities, it's important for you to help
them feel confident in their intelligence despite their disability.
It is also important that you continue to encourage their
independent homework accomplishment because they are often
tempted to depend on their parents for help.
Parents who realize their children
have learning disabilities are frequently vulnerable to children's
petitions for more help than they really need. Children with
learning disabilities should receive additional tutoring from
a teacher particularly qualified to teach children with disabilities.
Tape recorders and computers can also aid children with some
learning disabilities. Special efforts may need to be made
to help learning disabled children maintain their intellectual
confidence and to avoid anxiety about their disability. It's
most important for parents and children to realize that many
children adjust to their learning disability with time and
assistance and are not permanently disadvantaged by their
disability.
Teacher
Tips: WAYS TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN DEPENDENCE AND DISABILITY
Some children who are learning disabled
have also become dependent. The key to distinguishing between
disability and dependence is the children's responses to adult
support. If children perform only with adult support, they are
too dependent whether or not they also have a learning disability.
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Disability
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Dependence
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Child asks for explanations in particular subjects that
are difficult.
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Child asks for explanations regularly despite differences
in subject matter.
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Child asks for explanations of instructions only when given
in one instruction style, either auditory or visual, but
not both.
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Child ask for explanation of instructions regardless of
style used, either auditory or visual.
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| Child's questions
are specific to materials, and once process is explained,
child works efficiently. |
Child's questions are not specific to material but appear
to be mainly to gain adult attention.
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| Child's disorganization
or slow pace continues despite motivating rewards. |
Child is disorganized or slow in assignments but is much
more efficient if reward is given.
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| Child works independently
once process is clearly explained. |
Child works only when an adult is nearby at school and/or
at home.
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| Although child
may learn faster in a one-to-one setting, he/she also learns
efficiently in a group setting provided the child's disability
is taken into consideration. |
Child learns
only when given one-to-one instruction but will not learn
in groups even when instructional modeling is varied. |
Source: Excerpts from
Learning Leads Q-Cards. Teacher Tips by Sylvia B. Rimm (Watertown,
WI: Apple Publishing Co., 1990)
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