Education

Is Your Child Learning Disabled? You’re Not Alone If You’re Confused

Posted: 1/21/2011

Students with learning disabilities may benefit from adaptive educational technology.

(NAPSI) - Parents and educators are so confused about the nature of learning disabilities that this may be preventing students from getting the early help they need to keep from falling permanently behind in school.

A new GfK Roper poll found that seven out of 10 parents, teachers and school administrators incorrectly linked learning disabilities with mental retardation. In fact, experts say the condition causes the brain to process information differently-thus leading even those of above-average intelligence to have difficulty learning to read, write and do math.

“This poll shows dangerous misconceptions, and a lack of knowledge by parents and educators, that threaten our children’s futures while undermining efforts to improve educational outcomes for all,” said Stewart J. Hudson, president of the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, which commissioned the poll and awards grants to innovative early intervention projects.

Roughly 2.6 million U.S. students-or one in eight-have been diagnosed as being learning disabled. And if estimates are correct, many more than that go undiagnosed or unremediated. The poll suggested at least two reasons why: parents’ fear of the attached stigma; and teachers wrongly considering learning disabilities to be “the product of the home environment” or the result of laziness.

What to do if you suspect your child is learning disabled? Here are some tips:

• Don’t wait for them to “grow out of it.” Currently, most students with learning disabilities aren’t identified until after they’ve reached the seventh grade, which James H. Wendorf, executive director of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, calls “too late for many.”

Warning signs, though, can be detected as early as ages 2 to 4. So consult a professional if your child exhibits symptoms like appearing awkward and clumsy (i.e., dropping, spilling or knocking things over), early delays in learning to speak, and failing to pick up on others’ moods or feelings.

• Don’t underestimate what’s at stake. Education is more important to future success than ever. And yet the high school dropout rate for those with learning disabilities is 25 percent and only 61 percent of those who complete high school receive a regular diploma. Alarmingly, students with learning disabilities are vastly overrepresented in the juvenile justice system.

• Don’t lose heart. Programs like Response to Intervention (RTI) seek to help students with their reading skills before they’re classified as learning disabled. And the very latest adaptive technology, including computer apps, helps them compensate for their disabilities while still demonstrating their intelligence and knowledge.

For more information, visit www.LD.org.