A common misconception present in society is that people with learning disabilities are perceived to have less potential to succeed in an academic setting than those without them. However, this statement simply is not true. They just need further accommodations or assistance to maximize their chances for success than the average student. Furthermore, no one should ever have to face the indignity of being thought of as unintelligent, lazy, or inferior by anyone because he or she was diagnosed with a learning disability.
In the summer of 2011 I was diagnosed with Attention Deficient Hyperactive Disorder (A.D.H.D.). Prior to my diagnosis, I had always struggled in school, even as early as first or second grade, and my standardized test scores
Cheryl Jorgensen, the work of a scientist-philosopher named Thomas Kuhn in 1962 is referenced regarding disability and competence where Kuhn stated that, “intelligence … can be reliably measured… mental retardation is defined as low levels of intelligence… [these students] … can’t learn much general education content… we aren’t sure that students know, understand, can learn, or have something to say, we presume that they don’t, can’t, and probably never will” (2005, p. 5). Dr. Jorgensen refutes this theory and goes on to support it by citing other works on research suggesting that students with disabilities have shown greater progress when they are challenged with high expectations and good, supportive, nurturing instruction. “Children learn best when they feel valued, when people hold high expectations for them, and when they are taught and supported well” (2005, p.
In the past most of the people with learning disabilities suffered regularly from discrimination. All to often people with learning disabilities aren't considered worth living and they are the subject of
According to “Learning Disabilities Fast Facts” by the National Center for Learning Disabilities, “Close to half of secondary students with learning disabilities perform more than three grade levels below their enrolled grade in essential academic skills (45% in reading, 44% in math).” This fact proves that when disabled students are in a classroom that contains both disabled students as well as nondisabled students, disabled students are not learning to their full potential or may not be learning at all (Learning Disability Fast
Attention Deficit hyperactive disorder is a prevalent and ever rising affliction in modern societies. “According to the American Psychiatric Association (2009), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders in school-aged children(Saemi 179)”.While the initial response to handling the syndrome is to medicate it and continually medicate to stem the Simpsons. This is not a temporary instance to cure the disease just a never ending cycle. It is my belief that not only is the medication over prescribed, but the alternative methods are to quickly overlooked. To clarify, I do not argue that the medication is uncalled for and should be removed. Only that everyone who has the condition should be
A learning disability is a general term that refers to a heterogenous group of disorders that influence a student’s ability to perform tasks. Persons with learning disabilities may often have difficulties in understanding or using spoken or written language. This condition may manifest itself as a difficulty in listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling or performing mathematical calculations (IDEAI, 2004). Learning disability has an impact on the students academic and work performance . Research has documented challenges faced by both Latino with learning disability and other disabilities in both education and in their capacity to remain employed and complete college..
On the other study conducted by Waldron, the results show that children with learning disabilities did poor on math compared to children without learning disabilities. Programs to help children with learning disabilities improve in math should be enforce in every school to help these children succeed. The dropout rate on children with learning disabilities was 14.1 percent on a longitudinal study conducted by Doren. The reason for dropouts was that children with learning disabilities felt they were not compatible academically as children without learning disabilities. They felt disadvantaged compared to the other children. This shows that children with learning disabilities are in greater danger to dropping out of school. Programs designated for children with learning disabilities to help them on their reading, math, and writing would drop the rate and help those students graduate
I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was around ten years old, but I was not informed of this until the end eleventh grade, when I accidentally stumbled upon the information. I have trouble controlling my focus and completing work in a timely manner, particularly with essays and I occasionally have trouble following along during class lessons, especially with math. I have always had high expectations for myself in school, but had difficulty producing work that displayed my mindset. This was frustrating because I spent twice as much time on homework than my classmates, but still found myself behind on assignments. I always completed my homework, however, the late penalties I often received greatly impacted my grades each year. My parents told the
His aunt reported that he did not like to take his medications, was always in trouble, refused therapy and did not like therapists. Because of his inappropriate behavior, he could not keep friendships; “he could not even participate in the Big Brother program” because he did not like to be told “no.” He assumed others were laughing at him and “furniture goes flying and he needs to get restrained for his safety and for others.” He had “been Baker-Acted numerous times,” the police visited the home on a regular basis, he was sent home from school also on a
When some people think of someone with a learning disability they often think of someone who is not able to contribute to society. It is often assumed people with learning disabilities are people who have low intelligence, work the school systems, and are socially awkward. As someone who has a learning disability these misconceptions have made it difficult for me to be open about it and prove these stereotypes wrong. Most of these misconceptions stem from people not understanding what alearning disabilities are, a learning disability “results from a difference in the way a person's brain is wired. Children with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways” (idonline.org).
Growing, developing and learning are the facts of life for all children. Each day children are faced with many new concepts and various challenges. Can you imagine how it feels for a child to face not only new challenges life has, but to face these challenges while living with a learning disability? These challenges are met not just when they begin school either. Students suffer from learning disabilities from the moment they begin learning, not when they start school. Learning disabilities are real and they affect millions of people. “One such disability that affects over approximately 15 percent of the total American population is dyslexia” ( Nosek 5).
One in five American students has a learning disability this is according to the documentary “Misunderstood Minds’’ produced by WGBH. Children with learning disabilities are more likely to become outcasts in school and in society. The documentary follows five families dealing with a differently abled child; Nathan V, Lauren, Sarah Lee, Adam, and Nathan S. The film focuses on difficulties the families go through, professionalism or lack of it by school officials and demystification.
Individuals with low self-esteem often suffer from feelings of inferiority and depression. In these cases, academic success is certainly challenging. I reinforce this notion by paralleling with the social and emotional well-being of students with learning disabilities. Those that have had positive experiences both at school and at home do not necessarily suffer from low self-esteem. Support and guidance are key issues in maintaining good self-concept in these individuals. Focusing on skills other than those measured through academic evaluations allows students with learning disabilities to recognize their value and self-worth as a whole not just through academic performance. Justifiably, most do have a negative self-perception of their academic competencies, but still prove to have good self-esteem.
Do you know anyone who suffers from a learning disability? There are several disabilities out there, so chances are you must know someone who battles with the day-to-day hassles. But, are learning disabilities really a hassle? More often than not, this can be considered a misconception. Learning disabilities (LD) affect the way a person “of at least average intelligence receives, stores, and processes information” (NCLD 2001). This neurological disorder prevents children especially from being able to perform well academically. Therefore more time and special programs are fostered to them. Once one is educated about what the disability means, the causes of LD, what programs are available to
According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students with disabilities should be placed in a “least restrictive environment.” One of the main ideas of this act was to improve the learning experiences of students with disabilities by giving them learning opportunities outside of a special education classroom. The number of students with disabilities being placed in their general education classrooms is increasing more and more each year. The U.S Department of Education’s 27th annual report to Congress on the implementation of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2005) indicates that the number of students with disabilities in general education classrooms has risen to almost 50 percent. This is about a 17 percent increase from the 1997 U.S
The barriers to learning faced by students with disabilities are many and complex, and differ from student to student and often from day to day. Barriers to learning for SEN students may be attitudinal, institutional, social, cultural and practical. The Disability Discrimination Act has a vital role to play in dismantling barriers and delivering equality of opportunity for disabled people in further education. Initiatives to recognise diversity within the student population and to understand the continuum of learner differences will help institutions to recognise and reduce barriers to learning for learners with learning disabilities or difficulties. However, some barriers to learning may still persist because they are outside the control of institutions.