Learning Disabilities
Few things are as gratifying or comforting as knowing our child enjoys and is successful in school. It's a much different experience if ours is the child who is struggling to learn to read, write or process information, the one who seems bright and motivated, but for some reason just isn't performing to expectations. It may be subtle at first, and our concerns may be met with Oh, he is probably just a little immature, or She can do the work when she wants to. Thus begins the journey of trying to uncover the cause of our childs discouragement, underachievement, frustration and eventually, the belief he or she is less intelligent than his or her peers.
In many cases, a specific learning disability may be responsible for the difficulty normally bright children have in school. This term encompasses many disorders: dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory processing, and visual-perceptual problems and ADD/ADHD are some of the more common ones. There may be great inconsistencies in performance, from subject to subject, or even day to day. To be diagnosed with a learning disability, a child must possess average or above-average intelligence, yet be unable to learn or perform academically at the level expected for his age and grade. Additional criteria are: the child 1) has the opportunity to learn, 2) has no sensory deficits such as vision, hearing, etc, and 3) has no emotional or behavioral disturbance that impedes learning.
Frustrated, worried parents may vacillate between blaming the child, the school and themselves, and feeling desperate above all. Consultation with the child's teacher(s) and school counselor can help determine if there is sufficient need for testing to diagnose or rule out a learning disability. Resources for school-provided testing are limited and there may be a lengthy wait; independent testing can be arranged but it usually rather expensive. If a learning disability is diagnosed, an IEP, (individualized educational plan) is developed for the child. The IEP outlines modifications that allow the child to learn and perform successfully and hopefully learn to compensate for areas of weakness. Some of the child's classes may be with a teacher specially trained in learning disabilities. By the time a child is diagnosed and getting help, a cycle of negative beliefs and self-fulfilling prophecy may have been established. Counseling and/or education is important for the child and parents to learn how to adapt to a learning disability. It is crucial that everyone understands a learning disability does NOT mean lack of intelligence!
Belinda Crosier, Masters of Education and Licensed Professional Counselor at Edmond Family Counseling. She can be reached at 351-3554.
