WE'RE OPEN! CALL NOW
Photo from Disability Empowerment Network. Read one mother's story here.
A passion and sub-specialty of mine is working with students of all ages with learning disabilities. I spent 3.5 years of my young life teaching in public schools, exclusively to students who had failed their standardized tests, most of whom were labeled "at-risk" (a term I'm not fond of) for one reason or another.
In this environment, I noticed a lot of students who had undiagnosed and/or untreated learning disabilities. Where many of my colleagues just tried to discipline these students, I decided to actually do something about solving the problem, at least for the children under my supervision. One day after work, I went out and bought the latest copy of the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual)--commonly known as the "Psychiatrist's Bible"--and decided to educate myself on the symptoms of each potential disability I ran across. ADHD, Autism, Auditory Processing Disorder, Dyscalculia, dyslexia, Oppositional Defiance Disorder: I saw all of these in just my first month of teaching 7th and 8th graders, not to mention the exceptionally common personality disorders present in my particular population of students--Generalized Anxiety Disorder, PTSD, and various forms of depression were commonplace.
The schools I worked in were known as the "worst of the worst," and many of my students grew up in dysfunctional families or otherwise surrounded by violence. At this point I'd like to make it clear that the personality disorders I saw were not *problems* with my students, they were simply the coping mechanisms they had developed naturally to deal with stress in their lives--and stress in these children's lives was abundant, at school and often times at home. To put an even finer point on it: there is stress in everyone's life, and we all must find ways to cope, and a personality disorder is simply an exaggerated version of normal, healthy coping mechanisms. Fortunately, many of these can be treated and essentially cured depending on context and severity. Learning disorders and personality disorders often go hand in hand, but learning disorders are thought to be more organic, and less influenced by the environment. At any rate, the nature/nurture argument is one for the professionals in the field to hash out another day. .Because if you suspect either a personality disorder or learning disability, both are recognized as impediments to success by public schools (and most private schools)--who are then legally obligated to help the student, regardless of which disorder may be present or its severity.
For the sake of simplicity in this piece, I'll be using "Learning Disability" to refer to any kind of disability (including personality disorders) that could effect academic performance. Here are the broad strokes of how to approach this complex issue, in 5 simple steps. Any one of these steps could warrant an entire article, but I'm here to give you the basics.
First, know that you are not alone. There are so many helpful resources, and discussing the issues honestly with your student is important. For young children, explain that a learning disability does not mean they are stupid--this is a common fear. The explanation I find works best is comparing it to any other medical condition. If your child broke his/her leg, you would seek treatment. Learning disabilities are similar in that they are a medical condition that respond well to a variety of therapies. In fact, during this discussion, remind your child that THEY are not alone.
I don't expect all of you to take the approach I took and immediately run out to purchase a DSM. Assessing whether a student may have a learning disability is very simple. The basic question you need to answer is this: Does the student have maladaptive patterns, habits, or behaviors that have persisted over time and may be causing confusion or other problems in school? A sudden slip in grades is one obvious warning sign, but so are sudden changes in the social life of the student, or behavioral issues that appear to have come out of nowhere. Simply observe out-of-the-ordinary behavior, and make a complete list of the apparent symptoms, frequency, and when they seem to occur. For instance, a student who cannot work on homework after school may not have a learning disability, but hypoglycemia--a medical condition that causes blood sugar drops accompanied by aggression, inability to concentrate, tremors/shaking, etc. This is why keeping a detailed list is so important.
If you do discover and confirm a learning disability, how you manage that is a private family matter. However, in my experience, the most conservative efforts possible are the best for not interfering with the student's life. My advice is to try talk therapy or occupational therapy for students at first, use in-home environmental changes to accommodate the disability, and always seek a second opinion if a psychiatrist wants to start medications of any kind immediately. While some students do need medications, many do not--and medications for common disorders like anxiety and ADD/ADHD are often narcotics. The long-range effects of these narcotic psycho-pharmaceuticals in children are unknown, and sadly, these substances are addictive. The wisest course of action is to exhaust conservative treatments before proceeding to medication, and research any medication that you or your child may take in advance to be aware of the side-effects. The student may require medication,, and if this is the case, you want to know what is being put into his or her body--specifically request non-narcotics initially.
The Americans with Disabilities Act mandates that all public schools make accommodations for students with learning disabilities, just as they would be legally obligated to for a student in a wheelchair or a blind student. However, depending on your geographic location and school, the accommodations are not always enforced well, if at all. I've had former clients who actually sued the school district over easily-remedied problems. To get an idea of what accommodations are available to students, I'll list a few of the most common options:
Older students, say, at the college level can self-advocate, but if you are the parent of a child with a learning disability, take the time to view the facilities. When you go to the school to submit 504 materials, take the time to ask questions. Some schools even have a disability office solely tasked with assisted students with learning disabilities, but this can vary widely even within a school district. Be aware of some common problems.
Even young children should be encouraged to self-advocate. Parents can't be in school with their children every day, and talking to teachers can be difficult. One common issue students face is the dreaded "pop quiz." If your disability qualifies you for extended time, then having only the last 15 minutes of class to complete a quiz presents a bit of a problem. One solution that I teach my youngsters to use is to simply walk up to the teacher and say "Excuse me, I have a 504 plan. Is there a way we can work this out?" This language is universally understood by instructors and absolutely appropriate.
I hope readers find this helpful. I've tried to break down a very complex process into very few words, but this, while not a substitute for medical advice, is a general guide that should get you pointed in the right direction to help you and your child find their "ability" through their learning disability.
1. Assess the Problem: Behavioral Issue or Learning Disability?
I don't expect all of you to take the approach I took and immediately run out to purchase a DSM. Assessing whether a student may have a learning disability is very simple. The basic question you need to answer is this: Does the student have maladaptive patterns, habits, or behaviors that have persisted over time and may be causing confusion or other problems in school? A sudden slip in grades is one obvious warning sign, but so are sudden changes in the social life of the student, or behavioral issues that appear to have come out of nowhere. Simply observe out-of-the-ordinary behavior, and make a complete list of the apparent symptoms, frequency, and when they seem to occur. For instance, a student who cannot work on homework after school may not have a learning disability, but hypoglycemia--a medical condition that causes blood sugar drops accompanied by aggression, inability to concentrate, tremors/shaking, etc. This is why keeping a detailed list is so important.
2. Research, Research, Research
Once you have your list of problems/symptoms, do some cursory research online or at your public library. I encourage using these resources because they are free, and it is wise to save any money you may spend for Step 3. While the internet is a wonderful resource, not all pages on this subject are created equal. The following is a list of reliable and accurate material:
If psychological testing reveals that you/your student have a learning disability, it's imperative that you get documentation of the test results from any and all doctors involved and go straight to your school's office to enlist you/your child in a 504 Plan. In the U.S., this is the mandate that legally protects a learning disabled student's right to a fair education, equal in every way to that of any other student.
- Common Learning Disabilities and Their Symptoms--broken down into age brackets
- Learning Disabilities Association of America Parents Guide: Good for this and all the remaining steps
3. Psychological Testing
If you do discover and confirm a learning disability, how you manage that is a private family matter. However, in my experience, the most conservative efforts possible are the best for not interfering with the student's life. My advice is to try talk therapy or occupational therapy for students at first, use in-home environmental changes to accommodate the disability, and always seek a second opinion if a psychiatrist wants to start medications of any kind immediately. While some students do need medications, many do not--and medications for common disorders like anxiety and ADD/ADHD are often narcotics. The long-range effects of these narcotic psycho-pharmaceuticals in children are unknown, and sadly, these substances are addictive. The wisest course of action is to exhaust conservative treatments before proceeding to medication, and research any medication that you or your child may take in advance to be aware of the side-effects. The student may require medication,, and if this is the case, you want to know what is being put into his or her body--specifically request non-narcotics initially.
4. 504 Accommodations: Getting them, Using Them, and Advocacy
- Extended time on tests (and sometimes projects, when appropriate): anything from "time and a half" to twice the usual length
- Classroom environment changes: this can include being seated closer to the teacher/board, seating student away from distractions, even the use of partitions during quizzes/tests
- Leniency with lateness/make-up work: I personally had this accommodation because of a mobility impairment in college. It saved me from failing a class on a technicality that I otherwise would have had an "A" in.
- Pairing written instructions with oral instructions (to clarify assignments)
- Assignment-level accommodations: Limiting total homework load to a certain number of minutes per night, permitting typewritten/printed work in lieu of handwriting, or even offering extra credit assignments
- *Testing in a quiet/separate room: generally this just means not taking the test with the entire class and a teacher breathing down your neck. Most schools have a "Testing Center" and proctor to keep things quiet--but these can vary.
5. Advocate, Advocate, Advocate
For instance: Any student or parent seeking testing accommodations should ask to tour the
Testing Center to ensure it isn't overflowing with students or noisy.
This is fairly common problem--but one that can be easily solved with a
little ingenuity. If the student needs a quiet room, sometimes a
hallway is just as fine a place as any other to take the test. If the Testing Center
is constantly packed and noisy, the school is not doing right by ANY of
its learning disabled students that require this very simple
accommodation. If there's a substandard issue, politely raise it and work WITH your school to come up with some possible alternatives. If a problem develops with a particular teacher, discuss what you can do to accommodate your child's disability without disrespecting that teacher's classroom rules. For more information on advocacy, see this helpful web site.
Even young children should be encouraged to self-advocate. Parents can't be in school with their children every day, and talking to teachers can be difficult. One common issue students face is the dreaded "pop quiz." If your disability qualifies you for extended time, then having only the last 15 minutes of class to complete a quiz presents a bit of a problem. One solution that I teach my youngsters to use is to simply walk up to the teacher and say "Excuse me, I have a 504 plan. Is there a way we can work this out?" This language is universally understood by instructors and absolutely appropriate.
I hope readers find this helpful. I've tried to break down a very complex process into very few words, but this, while not a substitute for medical advice, is a general guide that should get you pointed in the right direction to help you and your child find their "ability" through their learning disability.
