By Dr. Benjamin Johnson
Clinical Psychologist
Does your child have a learning disability? Do you know if he or she does? Do you know someone who has a learning disability? Well, your focus has to be on getting help for your child or loved one and to begin planning his or her education. Approximately 5% of all school children in the United States of America have a learning disability. That means over 2.5 million children have a challenge to learn. Getting help for your child is so important that laws have been enacted that afford help for them and protect their rights to certain kinds of help. Understanding your child’s learning challenges and how you can advocate for them becomes your primary task when it comes to their education. Laws have been passed that gives them a right to a plan for services to improve their ability to get the best out of their public education.
What are learning disabilities you ask? Learning disabilities are a range of conditions that affects the child’s ability to process information. These information-processing disorders can gravely affect the course of your child’s life from completing school to getting a job, and even can affect their relationships with others. The disorders that constitute learning disabilities have complicated names but they actually describe the nature of the information processing issues. Auditory processing disorders, visual processing disorders, speech, language and communication disorders are among the learning disorders. If you suspect, but are not sure whether your child has a learning disorder, start by asking your child’s doctor. The doctor may have completed his or her assessment of your child’s age appropriate developmental progress. Ask your child’s teacher and other family members who might know.
Learning disabilities are neurological disorders that affect the brain’s ability to process, store, and communicate information. Dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, speech and communication, auditory and visual processing all have to do with the ability of the brain to receive, store, and process certain types of information. Some learning disabilities result from known environmental influences, like, fetal alcohol syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and developmental disorders. The disorders have to be identified and diagnosed before the school can provide the needed help and plan for them.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides legally protected rights that mandate that children receive special education. This federal law was passed in 1975 and updated in 2004. It stipulates that children identified as candidates for special education are entitled to a comprehensive evaluation (e.g., tests) of their needs, to receive an appropriate education based on their needs, to have an individualized education plan (IEP) written for them that is developed by a team, also that the IEP have measurable goals, provision of related services to help the child, that your child be appropriately placed, and that you are in agreement with the plan. Now that is a lot.
The a properly designed IEP provides for the appropriate placement of your child, have identified specific services needed; like speech therapy that is needed, and have educational components and methods identified. It doesn’t require the school district to provide the best possible, only an appropriate educational experience, meaning reasonable. This is where your advocacy and participation comes in. To advocate you need to understand your child’s specific needs, making sure they are established by evaluations then use this information to move into planning for reasonable and appropriate accommodations for your child’s education. Being informed and organized, participating and reviewing implementation and improvements, and staying in communication with the school are essential aspects of properly engaging in the educational experience of the child. The school will use assessments to gauge your child’s progress. The assessments are just tests used to measure performance. Consult with your school district and local school to understand the process and the clear procedures used to establish an Individualized Education Plan.
It is important that you know that independent evaluations of your child by a professional of your choosing may costs money. Under IDEA, you may have this completed at public expense if you disagree with the evaluations obtained by the school district. However, the district may go through procedures to establish that their evaluation of your child was appropriate. It is your responsibility to formally request in writing for the district to pay for your independent evaluation, indicating why you want this done. Any independent evaluator has to have the ability and qualifications to administer tests that properly gauge your child’s skills and deficiencies by using achievement, aptitude, and intellectual instruments appropriate for rendering a reliable diagnosis.
Emotional Disturbances, behavior disorders and mental illness all refer to difficulties that affect your child’s school adjustment and learning performance. They are often discussed as difficulties or deficiencies that affect the child’s ability to learn or adjust to the learning environment. Anxiety disorders, conduct disorders, eating disorders, and psychotic disorders are included among these. Some schools refer to these as behaviorally disordered students. Oppositional defiance, and obsessive compulsive disorders are examples of diagnoses the affect behavior performance and interfere with the child’s ability to conform to the requirements of the regular classroom environment. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is often discussed because of the specific symptoms of this disorder, particularly if hyperactivity is present.
Don’t get distracted worrying about whether the teacher is the problem or if the school is too insensitive. Don’t get too distracted about whether your child needs to be on medication. You can get back to those issues! You won’t solve most of these issues alone. Right now the time is to prepare for your child’s academic success. Research has shown that children with learning disabilities like other children benefit from structure, consistency, and repetition to improve their mastery. You can provide these as your own accommodations for your child. Now that the school year is beginning, get ready to immediately engage your school personnel and educators in proactive planning for your child’s success. Avoid allowing the child to fall behind. This is particularly frustrating and affects the child’s motivation. You can make this academic year productive and allow it to provide an opportunity for your child to grow and learn! Your action and commitment can go a long way.
