Learning disabilities are collections of disorders that affect the academic and practical skills of listening, reading, speaking, reasoning, spelling, writing, and planning of academic work. Such disabilities can be an indication of low brainpower or some deficit in the processing of information intellectually.
Below is a chart showing different disabilities and their causes.
The major characteristics of the communication disorder ranging from autism to semantic-pragmatic disorders include substituting simple sounds or failing to understand or understand language. The causes of these disorders include poor motor function and poor brain information processing.
The effective teaching strategies and placements for students with these disorders include placing the students with learning disabilities into a research-based intervention program or taking them through special education programs. They can also have some adjustments in equipment, assistance, and coverage done to cover for the academic limitation or they can be placed under specialized instructors. The other option is placing these students under intensive practice in the basics of learning in an attempt to overcome the disorders. A good example of these corrective measures is the employment of neuropsychologists and clinical psychologists who can assess the students through intelligence, academic achievement, classroom performance, social interaction, and aptitude testing to monitor the progress of these students.
The national statute states that persons with disabilities have the right to be given early intervention for these problems and special education needs from birth to age 21. Having this nationally instilled policy, the procedures put into action include setting up of research-based centers and special educations have been put into action. I also learned that special equipment and personnel like psychologists have been employed to address the needs of students with learning disorders.
To concerned parents, I can explain learning disorders as the physical and mental problems that affect the academic and practical skills of listening, writing, speaking, reading, reasoning, and planning of academic work. These disorders are a result of low brainpower or poor processing of information by the brain. These situations may be cognitive-related, behavior-related, social environmental factors, hereditary, or as a result of problems during pregnancy and birth.
These policies have been implemented in that students with these disorders have been subjected to early intervention and special education programs. The students are also being taken through research-based and special education programs and the determination of these disorders is done cooperatively between teachers and specialists like psychologists. From the special education institution, I learned that among the effective practices is the need for personal encouragement and motivation from the feelings of shame, failure, criticism, discrimination, inabilities, depression, being left out in learning, and helplessness.
The last thing was that these students need assistance and support from others. Girls are often left out in the programs and students with learning disorders often deviate to crime especially the dyslexic. This means that they need special handling like counseling and social support to avoid these problems.
After interviewing the speech therapist I learned that I could do the following in enhancing the therapist work towards these students: – Encouraging speech practice by the student, not interrupting the student when they talk, encourage tension reduction practice, using simple language that they can understand and giving the student vocabulary tests to enrich their vocabulary. (Janet, 2000)
I can summarize this whole experience in that learning disabilities and communication do not necessarily mean that a student is incapable but rather in need of support and intervention to help reduce if not overcome the problem. Further, the detection of such disorders should be done by parents long before schooling age so as to be able to apply the intervention to correct the disorders. Lastly, the major support and corrective measure should be socially based.
List of References
Janet, L. (2000). Learning disabilities: theories, diagnosis, and teaching strategies. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395961149.