As teachers, we are generally able to recognize the students who are having difficulty to learn or read because they have visual problems or hearing problems. However, there are times we have that niggling feeling that something is definitely wrong but are unable to identify what is really the problem. We hold discussions with our colleagues and even the student’s parents but there is still no answers to our questions. We say things like this child is ‘restless’, ‘ has lost interest’, ‘ slow’, ‘ inattentive’, ‘antisocial’, ‘ cannot pronounce words’, ‘can’t read’ and the list goes on. So what can we do? I see it as imperative as reading specialists that we familiarize ourselves with the problems or learning disabilities that affect the student’s ability to learn/read. Seek answers to questions such as; What are the signs and symptoms? What is it? How can we help this child? Who can we refer this child to? What programmes are in place to help facilitate the child’s learning development? In the USA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that guides how schools provide special education and related services to children with disabilities. This Act defines a Learning Disability as :
A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding
or using language, spoken or written, that manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen,
think, speak, read, write ,spell or do mathematical calculations including conditions such as
perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and development
aphasia.
Read more at: Http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/learning/learning_disabilities.htm
http://www.ncld.org/ld-basics
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