Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabilities

To many people, the term "learning disability" means a disorder affect ing school-age children - one that has been given a name reflecting classroom difficulties. For example, dyslexia is a term that has been loosely applied to a variety of reading problems, such as a tendency to see printed words reversed. The phrase dyscalculia defines trouble with math, such as the inability to understand its symbols.

But "learning disabled" is a broader term, which applies both to preschool children and to those in the classroom. It describes particular types of learning problems in which a child's achievement in one or more areas falls short of her overall intelligence or potential.

Some children, for instance, have above-average mental abilities, yet they cannot remember a simple nursery rhyme. Others excel at puzzles but have trouble understanding and following directions. There are preschoolers who can read but cannot button their clothing, Others cannot put words together into sentences, organize thoughts coherent ly, understand cause-and-effect relationships, coordinate some physical movements or grasp principles related to space and time.

Various attempts have been made to distinguish these sometimes mysterious conditions from other kinds of learning problems. It has been proposed that learning disabilities be defined as disorders in lis tening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities. Many rescarchers today are taking a functional approach in studying learning disabilities, attempting to determine whether a child has a disturbance at the level of input, integration, mesto or output - the steps that make up the learning process itself opposite).

However they are described, the symptoms of such problems are distressing for parents and children alike. But aid is available, both in diagnosing learning disorders and in coping with them.

Efforts continue to explore the causes of learning disabilities. Experts agree that there are probably many reasons for the malfunctioning of the brain's information-processing systems. Disturbances may have oc curred prenatally, during birth itself or in the early years. An expectant mother's poor diet or use of drugs, alcohol or cigarettes may restrict the blood supply and reduce oxygen to the fetal brain. Loss of oxygen can also result from a difficult delivery.

Some researchers have found a link between special learning prob lems and low birth weight, possibly resulting from insufficient prenatal development of portions of the brain. Malnutrition, disease or injury in the carly years are suspected causes, as well. It has been suggested, too, that a genetic predisposition to specific kinds of learning disabilities exists in some families. But often a disorder cannot be explained - a condition that results in the child's inability to process certain types of information as other children do. (For reasons still unknown, learning disabilities occur five times as often in boys as in girls). Seen as a total individual, a learning disabled child probably is a lot like others her age: She does not look any different, and in many respects, she acts the same way. She is as intelligent as other children, and she has cheerful days and tearful days just as her friends do. Like any other child, she can do some things more skillfully than others and needs encour agement and reassurance to develop as fully as possible. And yet the learning-disabled child whose problem goes unrecog

nized may become a lonely child if her behavior and reactions are misunderstood. She may put off potential playmates with aggressive ness or by withdrawal. Her difficulties in expressing herself may con fuse other children, or they may feel uncomfortable if she exhibits impulsiveness or extreme mood shifts. Her clumsiness may invite ridi cule from her peers. Moreover, having to continually face challenges beyond her capabilities may leave a learning disabled child frustrated and confused. As she tries to participate in activities, she may become bewildered at her inability to perform. These frustrations can intensify if she enters school with her learning disability still unidentified. At this later stage, she may wonder why certain skills that seem to come easily to other children are so hard for her, and she may conclude that some thing is wrong with her. Once her disability is identified and her school, play and home environments become better adapted to her needs, these emotional difficulties may be resolved.

Under federal law, a learning disability is a handicap, and a child whose learning problems fit the definition is eligible for federally financed

programs similar to those available for people with other handicaps, such as the mentally retarded or the visual or hearing impaired. Specialists stress, however, that a child who is not performing at the expected level may need further evaluation to determine whether the problem is a specific disability or simply a developmental delay that may disappear on its own in time. Because of the possibility of misdiag. nosis, there has been some controversy over whether children can be accurately diagnosed before they begin school. Yet many of today's learning disabled children can be identified by the age of five, and preschool programs for such youngsters are being established in state after state as experts realize that the greatest benefits come from the earliest possible detection

After a period of observing a child who is consistently demonstrating help symptoms of a learning problem (chart, pages 84-85), parents may be ready to turn to a professional for help. Many communities and school systems offer screening programs for preschoolers, and private consul tants are also available. A series of preliminary screening tests, some times coupled with parental interviews, can help determine whether additional tests are necessary.

Following the screening parents may be advised to have their child further evaluated at the school or at a diagnostic center specializing in learning disabilities. There, a team of educational and psychological professionals will administer several tests and consider the youngster's performance from different viewpoints to find out which learning skills he can perform and which he finds difficult. In addition to language tests, he should be asked to perform nonverbal tasks appropriate for his age, such as skipping, drawing or buttoning his clothes. The assessment should include a medical check for visual, hearing and other physical impairments. After the tests, the evaluators will discuss with parents the kinds of facilities and services that will best meet the child's needs. Some communities have special classes for preschool children with learning disabilities; in other places, professionals are available to work individually with parents and learning disabled children.

In many states, suspect a learning problem can obtain help from their local school system even before their child has reached school age. Under current federal law, public schools must provide an evaluation without charge to school-age children, and in some states this applies to preschool youngsters as well. Parents should keep in mind that a diagnosis is simply a tool used by professionals to determine an appropriate treatment, and it should not be used to label a child. Specialists stress the importance of regarding the learning disabled child as a total person and of looking at what he can do as well as the skills he lacks.

Following an assessment at a diagnostic center, public schools are required to draw up with parents an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), which should be reviewed every year. Depending on the nature of his disability, the child will either remain in a regular classroom and

receive individual help in a resource room, or he will join à class of

other children who need special help for various reasons. Under federal

Law, the child must be placed in the least restrictive environment that

serves his needs. The IEP designed for the child should be based on a

study of his individual learning style, so that he can learn to use his

strengths to make up for his weaknesses. When they first discover that their child has a learning disability, par ents may experience some of the same blows to self-esteem that the child herself feels. The immediate response is often shock, disbelief or anger, and sometimes the anger is directed toward the child. Her par ents may feel that she will be less successful in the world than they had hoped, and they may resent the fact that they must now lower their expectations.

Also haunting some parents is the sense that they are somehow re sponsible for their child's problem. They may convince themselves that they have not spent enough time teaching the child, or they may feel genetically responsible. These feelings of guilt are often increased by the inability of professionals to pinpoint a specific cause. Uncomfort able with the situation, parents may react by blaming one another, or perhaps by denying the handicap altogether.

In other cases, parents are relieved to see a problem they sensed — but did not understand -- finally diagnosed. Whatever the initial feel ings, most parents ultimately identify with the child and experience vicariously the rejections and frustrations that the child suffers. And they find that adjusting their attitude and behavior accommodate the child's difficulties is a continual process.

e No matter what their feelings, parents should remember that par ticipation of parents and siblings is crucial to making a learning program work for a child. Parents should stay in close contact with their child's teachers and other professionals working with him. Many parents also find it helpful to seek professional guidance in choosing toys and books or in determining levels of tasks and appropriate methods of teaching or discipline.

Structured activities can help a learning-disabled child understand what he should be doing at any given moment. For example, it is impor Sant to establish regular routines at bedtime or in getting ready for school in the morning and to stick to a consistent daily schedule for meals, play, homework or watching television. Procedures should be carefully explained with simple, brief and specific directions -- and in some cases, an outright demonstration of the task at hand.

Above all, the learning disabled child needs a supportive home atmo sphere to succeed. Praising his efforts, persistence and accomplish ments, however small, will keep him working toward his goals and encourage him to try harder. He needs all the extra reassurance he can get to build his confidence and self-esteem.