Understanding Learning Disabilities

Understanding Learning Disabilities

Some disabilities are easy to see. You would notice if someone around you couldn't walk or hear or
see. Other disabilities are easy to miss. You can't see them just by looking at a person. But learning
disabilities are very real. You probably know someone who has one of these "invisible" disabilities.
Maybe you know--or worry--that you might have one.

And maybe, just maybe, you have a thousand questions about learning disabilities.

Ally's Story
From first grade on, Ally's teachers all said she was a great reader-usually way ahead of her grade
level. Her vocabulary was huge. But she struggled (and often failed) in math. In language arts
classes, Ally's skills should have made her a star. But she often forgot assignments. When she
remembered to do her homework, she often lost it or forgot to turn it in on time. By fifth grade, her
grades and self-esteem were both going downhill.

Ally's frustrated parents took her for tests. The tests indicated that Ally had a learning disability (LD).
Ally has a hard time understanding and using math ideas. Her other problems (being disorganized,
distracted, unable to finish work, and so forth) were linked to attention deficit disorder (ADD). Ally
needed help.

Different Abilities
A learning disability is often called an "unexpected" difficulty-because it is not connected to how smart
you are or how hard you work. But still, too many kids think having LD must mean "there's something
wrong with my brain!"

"When kids or teens are told they have a learning disability, almost 100 percent of the time they jump
straight to 'I'm not retarded,'" says Kathy Edwards. She is the head of the Fort Worth Child Study
Center, a private school in Texas that helps students with special learning problems.

"It's sad, but that's the terminology," she says. "There's no in-between. They think you're either
severely disabled...or you're fine. What kids need to hear is that they, like everybody else, have
strengths and weaknesses--things they're good at, and things that need work. And they need to hear
it's not the end of the world."

So let's start by saying what a learning disability... isn't. Having a learning disability does not mean
you are stupid, lazy, or unable to learn. It does not mean you won't be able to get a good job when
you grow up.

Most people who have LD have average to above-average intelligence. In fact, many people with LD
show special talent in some area. They may be terrific painters, dancers, athletes, or computer
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 Understanding Learning Disabilities

wizards. But because their brains are "wired" differently, they have trouble learning in school.

LD can affect a person's ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do math. Some students
with LD have difficulty with most or all of their classes. Others, like Ally, may be "A" students in one
class-but get F's in another. Some students with LD have trouble understanding how to make friends
or get along with other people. And many students with LD, like Ally, also have attention deficit
disorders that make it hard for them to learn.

A person who can't sit still, concentrate, pay attention, or organize is going to have trouble learning.

How common are learning disabilities? The U.S. Department of Education says as many as one out
of every five people in the United States has a learning disability. Somewhere between 3 and 4 million
children and young people (ages 6-21) are known to have some kind of LD. In fact, students with
learning disabilities make up about half of all students getting special services. That's a big change
from 25 or 30 years ago. In those days, much less was known about learning differences--and many
students were just told they were "not trying hard enough."

People Are Different

There are many ways to talk about learning disabilities. You have probably heard of dyslexia (dis-
LEX-ee-uh), which means a person has trouble with reading, writing, and spelling. But have you
heard of dysgraphia (dis-GRAF-ee-uh), which means problems with handwriting and written
expression, or dyscalculia (dis-KAL-kew-lee-uh), which means trouble with math?

Another way to talk about LD is to say that students have problems with one or more of the following:

Input: Getting information into the brain-from your eyes, ears, and other senses.

Process: Your brain needs to "make sense" of the information it receives.

Memory: Storing information so that you can call it up later when you need it.

Output: Being able to take what you know and use it in writing, speaking, or other ways of expressing
yourself.

Some Signs
It's important to notice there's a problem - and get help. What are the trouble signs? When someone
has a learning disability, says the Learning Disabilities Association of America, he or she:

· may have trouble connecting letters to their sounds

· may make many mistakes when reading out loud, and repeat and pause often
· may not understand what he or she reads
· may have real trouble with spelling
· may have very messy handwriting and hold a pencil awkwardly
· may struggle to express ideas in writing
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 Understanding Learning Disabilities

· may have a limited vocabulary

· may have trouble following directions
· may not know where to begin a task or how to follow the steps of a project
· may have a lot of trouble remembering what he or she has studied
· may have trouble keeping track of assignments, papers, books, etc.
· may not seem to understand the rules of social life: how close to stand to other people, how to
take turns, what's a joke (and what's not), and so forth.

It's a Who's Who!

Winston Churchill and Woodrow Wilson. Cher. Tom Cruise and Thomas Edison. Muhammad Ali and
Walt Disney. Albert Einstein and Whoopi Goldberg.

It's quite a list. All these celebrities (and many others, too) struggled in school with some form of
learning disability. Some current celebrities talked about their problems with educator Sally Smith in
her book Succeeding Against the Odds.

In a recent interview for People magazine, movie star Tom Cruise says he graduated from high
school almost unable to read. Because his family moved a lot and he was often "the new kid" in
school, he could hide his problems.

"I had different techniques for getting by in class," Cruise remembers. "I raised my hand a lot. I knew
that if I participated, I'd get extra points and could pass." Cruise was a success in sports and a star in
his high school musical productions - but always felt as if there were "a trapdoor" under him that
might open up at any moment.

Actress and singer Cher found out about her own LD when her daughter, Chastity, was diagnosed.
"When I was young, they used to say on my report card, 'She has the ability, but she isn't applying
herself.' And I was really working hard! Everything I learned in school was from spoken information
because I had such a hard time reading and writing."

How Ally Got Help

Ally's parents, teachers, and school staff went to work. They helped her learn to handle her learning
differences and do better in school. What did they--and Ally--do?

Ally bought color-coded pocket folders for each one of her classes, and kept them all together in a
binder. She kept all notes, papers, homework, study sheets, etc. inside the folders. Every Sunday
night before the next school week began, she cleaned out things she didn't need anymore. "The color
thing really helped - and I still do it!" Ally says.

Ally began really keeping an assignment notebook (instead of just saying she was!). Ally's teacher
assigned a "peer buddy" (who was also Ally's friend) to help her double-check that she had correctly
written down assignments and due dates every day.

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 Understanding Learning Disabilities

Ally began to tape-record parts of her classes--especially when the teacher was explaining
something. That way, she could play the tape at home. Her teachers also worked with her on
improving her note-taking skills. And a friend of Ally's also made copies of her own notes to share.

Ally was pulled out of her regular classroom into a smaller group for math in her school's resource
room. The teacher used computer programs and things Ally could touch, such as counters or rods, to
do math problems. These and other techniques helped her make progress. "I really liked learning in a
quiet place with just a few other students," Ally says.

"I'm still struggling with math," she adds. "I have to take one more course in college, and I'm not
looking forward to it. But overall, I'm a lot more organized and self-confident than I was back then."

Ally's LD and ADD didn't go away. But she knows how to work on her weak points-and she is proud of
her strengths. When she was in high school, acting was a big part of her life. In her senior year, she
wrote a play that won the regional Young Playwrights competition.

Now she makes A's and B's in her college classes. And she plans to study journalism. "I still don't
love numbers, but I'm not scared of them anymore," she says. "I love writing, and it feels just
awesome to be good at something!"

If you think you may have learning differences, ask your parents or a trusted teacher to help you find
some answers. If you have a friend who may need help, encourage him or her to reach out too.

Try getting involved in activities you really enjoy. Like Ally, look for your strengths and talents - and
put them to work for you.

Don't know where to start looking for help - for yourself or someone you know? These days, there is a
lot of information out there about LD.

We All Learn Differently

The odds are pretty good that you have kids with LD in some or all of your classes at school. You may
think it's none of my business - but what you do can make a big difference in someone's life.

Dr. Mel Levine is an expert in learning disabilities who believes that All Kinds of Minds (that's the title
of a book he wrote) can learn and succeed. He wrote recently that "students who struggle are not
soloists. They perform as part of a cast, as in an opera, play, or rock concert.... The supporting roles
include family, educators, mentors, adult friends, and peers."

You are a "supporting player" in the lives of your classmates and friends. You can be the helpful,
friendly classmate - willing to lend your notes or talk about an assignment-and not the person who
makes jokes about them or calls them names.

You don't have to become anybody's best friend - but you do have the opportunity to be a real human
being to the classmates around you who struggle with LD. We all have strengths and weaknesses.
And we all hope that when we need it, we'll see a friendly face or hear a kind word.

Anne Ford wrote Laughing Allegra, which tells the story of raising a daughter with many different
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 Understanding Learning Disabilities

learning disabilities. She says that children and adults with LD are some of the bravest people she
knows.

"Children with learning disabilities go to school day after day, knowing they are entering an arena
filled with language and numbers and abstract concepts they may not understand, but they do it
anyway," she writes. "For quiet bravery, the day-to-day bravery of living in a complex world, my vote
goes to people with learning disabilities."

How Are You Smart?

Howard Gardner, a professor at the Harvard School of Education, often writes about what he calls
multiple intelligences-eight different ways that everyone is smart.

Some of us are smarter in some areas than others-but Gardner says we are all smart in our own way.
In their book, The Survival Guide for Kids with LD, Gary Fisher and Rhoda Cummings list Gardner's
eight ways like this. You can be

Word smart: Good at writing, reading, spelling, and talking. You have an easy time using words.

Number smart: Good at math, using numbers, riddles, computers.

Picture smart: Good with images. You have an eye for detail, and may like to take pictures, paint, or
design and build things.

Music smart: Good at patterns, tempos, rhythms, and sounds. You are probably good at singing or
playing a musical instrument.

Body smart: Good at moving your body-in sports, dancing, martial arts, etc. You might also be good at
crafts such as knitting, sewing, carving, model building, etc.

People smart: Good at understanding other people and their feelings. You might be a natural leader,
or the one in your group who is everybody's counselor.

Self smart: Good at understanding your own feelings, ideas, and dreams really well. You probably
have lots of ideas about what you want to do with your life.

Nature smart: Good at enjoying the outdoors and "connecting" with animals, plants, etc. You might be
good at cooking, gardening, or be an enthusiastic hiker or camper.

So, how are you smart? Think about each of these eight ways of being intelligent. Then write some
sentences that describe your "smarts" in each area. You may have an easier time doing that with your
strongest areas--but try to find ways you are smart in every one of these eight categories. You may
surprise yourself if you think a bit! If you'd like to carry your thinking a little further, choose one area in
which you'd like to feel more comfortable. Talk to a trusted counselor, teacher, parent, or friend - and
see if you can come up with things to do that might help you do better.

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 Understanding Learning Disabilities - Comprehension Questions

Name: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

1. What is a learning disability often called?
A. the end of the world
B. an unexpected difficulty
C. a head start
D. an advantage

2. What does the author include a list of?

A. fun crafts such as knitting, sewing, carving, and model building
B. classes in school that a student with a learning disability should avoid
C. trouble signs that someone may have a learning disability
D. magazines that feature interviews of celebrities and movie stars

3. People with learning disabilities often have trouble learning in school. What evidence
in the text supports this conclusion?
A. The odds are pretty good that you have kids with learning disabilities in some or all of
your classes at school.
B. A learning disability can affect a person's ability to listen, think, speak, read, write,
spell, or do math.
C. Most people who have a learning disability have average to above-average
intelligence.
D. The U.S. Department of Education says as many as one out of every five people in
the United States has a learning disability.

4. Based on the information in the text, how might a student with a learning disability
feel in school if not given the help he or she needs?
A. cheerful
B. frustrated
C. unconcerned
D. confident

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 Understanding Learning Disabilities - Comprehension Questions

5. What is a main idea of this text?

A. Many students don't try hard enough in school.
B. All people learn differently with different strengths and weaknesses.
C. Tom Cruise was a star in his high school musical productions.
D. Ally wrote a play that won the regional Young Playwrights competition.

6. The story of Ally's learning disability is spread out throughout the text. Why might the
author have chosen to break up Ally's story this way?
A. to ensure that the reader forgets about Ally's story as he or she reads the text
B. to use Ally's story to illustrate the points the author is making in different parts of the
text
C. to downplay the importance of Ally's story to the text
D. to emphasize that Ally's story is not related to the rest of the text

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence:

__________ Ally's learning disability didn't go away, she learned how to work on her
weak points.

A. Although
B. Otherwise
C. However
D. Occasionally

8. Who helped Ally learn to handle her learning differences and do better in school?

9. Name two ways Ally learned to handle her learning differences and do better in
school.

10. Explain how you can help someone with a learning disability.

Include at least three pieces of information from the text in your answer.

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