Learning Disabilities as a Cultural Construct Essay

In a research study done by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, schools, districts and states were studied to look for a structured process that could be most effective in discovering whether an English Language Learner might have a learning disability or just difficulty acquiring the language. Two factors were identified that lead to inconsistent identification of students who may have a learning disability. Those factors are lack of understanding among teachers about why English language learning students are not progressing and meeting academic benchmarks and the referral process into special education.

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

There are a few ways to try and minimize the label of disability placed unjustly on students due to diversity. When compiling individual assessments more extensive background information needs to be gathered pertaining to school attendance, family structure, cultural beliefs, household changes and moves, and medical, developmental, and educational histories (Ralabate, & Klotz, 2007). If there is a possible language barrier then a dual language assessment evaluation should be given. Also included in an individualized comprehensive evaluation is how a student responds to scientific evidence-based interventions.

RtI is a great program for students mainly because of its timeliness. “Response to Intervention calls for intervention as soon as a problem is documented” (Friend 50). Prior to RtI, students with learning disabilities would not be identified until they fell far enough behind so they would show a large discrepancy between their achievement level and their potential.

As such, the importance of further research is to determine if these students are actually being placed there due to the inexperience of teachers’ knowledge regarding ELL students. In addition, the ethical implications of this topic is, these students then become further behind from obtaining the necessary English skills in speaking and writing required to be successful academically in school and in the future workplace. Indeed, it is essential that administrators and teachers in our school system correctly identify a student with ELL difficulties versus a true learning disability and thus, decrease the number of ELL students dropping out of school. In particular, this topic is very relevant in my future role as a new special education teacher, as I will potentially be evaluating ELL students’ academic progress and their possible need for special education services. The current trend is that ELL students are being disproportionately placed in special education services and, as a result, fall further behind in acquiring English, are subjected to bias and inaccurate assessment, and have higher drop-out rates when inexperienced teachers are in charge of their

It is important to identify a child’s disability as early as possible in order for the student to get proper intervention services and set up with an individualized learning plan. Differentiation of instruction is important for all of the children in the classroom, not just those with a disability. All students have different learning styles, and all students have the subjects that they excel at and the subjects that they struggle with. “Teachers need the ability to alter instruction to meet student needs, interests, and abilities (Tomlinson, 2001).” One of the most difficult areas in teaching is easily classroom management, even the easiest going students have days of challenging behavior. “Students at risk of disabilities or who have other disabilities engage in a wide range of challenging

In today’s world of literacy education, Response to Intervention is considered a hot topic of study. However, Robinson, McKenna, and Conradi note that “many questions remain about how best to implement RTI” in the classroom (Robinson, McKenna & Conradi, 2012, p. 273). “RTI is a new approach to identifying students with specific learning disabilities and represents a major change in special education law. This change shifts the emphasis of the identification process toward providing support and intervention to struggling students early” (Robinson, McKenna & Conradi, 2012, p. 275).

Despite the widespread support for RTI, many potential concerns remain. Among some issues are the type of instructional setting, assure proper instructional validity, defining intensive instruction, personnel training, and availability of well trained teachers, (Batshaw,

Although in many cases teachers have the students’ best interest at heart and hope to benefit them from a referral for an evaluation, inappropriate labeling can bring serious consequences for pupils. As noted on Truth in labeling: disproportionality in special education (2007), once admitted into the special needs program, students tend to remain in special education classes, they are more likely to encounter less rigorous curriculum and lower expectations, they often face social stigma, and have less contact with academically able peers.

"Individuals with learning disabilities have a particularly high incidence of mental health problems and are often assigned what is known as dual diagnosis. The lack of research in counseling this client group and the need for counselors to show that they are not discriminatory in their practices and are compliant with anti-discriminatory legislation adds to the case for placing inclusion/exclusion in counseling in the public arena" (Pattison, 2006, p. 547).

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.

Students with learning disabilities (LD) are the largest groups of students with exceptionalities in the classroom today (“Fast Facts,’ 2013). LD students have held this ranking since the 1980’s. The numbers for the next leading group of exceptional students in the classroom (speech/language impaired students) are almost half that of LD students (“Fast Facts,’ 2013). Students with learning disabilities may not seem that different from their neurotypical peers. They may have trouble learning in some academic areas, even when provided highly effective instruction, but do fine in others (Fuchs, Fuchs, Mathes, Lipsey, and Roberts, 2002). The unevenness in their academic development is a main characteristic for LD students (Torgesen, 2002). Other typical characteristics that might be found include low achievement rates, easily distracted, lack of social skills, lack of motivation, and difficulty with information-processing (Rosenberg, 2011, p. 142). Of students

The definition of a learning disability can change from one area to another; however, the main concern is the disabilities are due to a problem in the central nervous system. The lack of having a specific definition can lead to learning disabilities being misdiagnosed or not being diagnosed at all. Not having a unified definition of what learning disabilities are can also lead to overdiagnosis of learning disabilities in children. This, along with unreliable and invalid assessments, psychologists who are not experienced in evaluating learning disability assessment results, and a teacher’s inability to distinguish between learning disabilities and behavioral issues, lead to the steady increase of learning disability diagnosis over the past 50 years. Learning disabilities are defined differently by different jurisdictions (Harrison & Holmes, 2012; Wolforth, 2012).

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

In today’s educational environment, all students expect to receive the same level of instruction from schools and all students must meet the same set of standards. Expectations for students with learning disabilities are the same as students without any learning difficulties. It is now unacceptable for schools or teachers to expect less from one segment of students because they have physical disabilities, learning disabilities, discipline problems, or come from poor backgrounds. Standardize testing has resulted in making every student count as much as their peers and the most positive impact has been seen with the lowest ability students. Schools have developed new approaches to reach these previously underserved students while