New parents today have much to be concerned with such as choosing the right schools, and providing good nutrition and healthcare, but most never consider the possibility that their child may have a learning disability (LD).
As part of Learning Disabilities Awareness month, you will learn about the commonly known learning disabilities, and the latest methodologies for treatment.
The term "learning disability" for some experts is difficult to define, and has been the subject of confusion among parents, teachers, and the general public.
A learning disability involves the inability to perform a specific task or skill such as, writing, reading, mathematics, listening, speaking, and reasoning. ADHD, although prevalent among individuals today, is not considered a learning disability, but may add to the difficulties associated with LD.
According to recent statistics 1 out of 5 Americans including 3 million children - has a learning disability, and there are no known "cures."
The Los Angeles Unified School District was reported to have 11.2 percent of its students receiving special education.
The causes of learning disabilities are still being researched, but recent findings indicate that some may be due to environmental toxins, while others claim genetic factors.
Learning disabilities associated with reasoning have to do with short term memory loss. Recent studies from the University of California, Los Angeles are focusing on the link between the genetic disease, neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and learning disability, because of its effects on "working memory." Researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, are currently conducting clinical trials with the drug Lovastatin, which acts to suppress the overproduction of a neurotransmitter in the brain responsible for NF1, and thus treat the learning disabilities associated with it.
Early indicators for learning problems in children are focused on skills taught in elementary schools because that is typically when learning disabilities are diagnosed.
However, important factors to remember are that a learning disability is not considered low intelligence, mental retardation, caused by laziness, or brain damage. On the contrary, those with LD typically have "average to high intelligence."
Experts believe that the way information is processed or organized in the brain for those suffering from an LD, is different and requires special treatment or education to assist the individual with learning tasks and skills. In many cases, individuals go on to live normal lives, and become achievers.
Some of the common signs for a learning disability have to do with:
- difficulty with reading comprehension, learning the alphabet,rhyming words and spelling
- delayed language skills as with speaking,written expression and learning vocabulary
- difficulty performing or remembering tasks
- difficulty reading and remembering numbers
- trouble recounting the events of a story in their proper order
- difficulty with conversational etiquette, as in listening and not interrupting, social boundaries
- not following or understanding directions, or responding to jokes or sarcasm
- physical difficulty with writing and has illegible writing or penmanship
- making many or repeated mistakes while reading, particularly in pronunciation or sounding out syllables
If you suspect that your child has a learning disability, you can request an evaluation from the child's school. Typically, the schools are the first to notice and will request permission from the parents to conduct an evaluation based on feedback from the child's teacher, principle, school psychologist, and any other staff experts qualified to make an observation.
More importantly, the child relies on the parent for support, encouragement and guidance to overcome any possible emotional and psychological effects from the learning disability.
For continuing updates on Learning Disabilities Awareness month, please click the subscribe button at the top of this page.
Copyright 2010 by Cynthia Lorene
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