Learning disabilities of children - Research Paper Example

Learning disabilities of children Learning disabilities can be enduring circumstances on children that in many cases, affect their lives, their relationship with their family, friends and activities in school. These disabilities are often shown in their difficulties with spoken and written language, coordination, self control or attention that often slow down their learning in reading, writing or doing math. This paper will attempt to take a closer look of the consequences of the problems caused by the learning disabilities of children to society, to the parents and to the education system. Information gathered from published articles, studies and internet sources shall be presented to understand the surrounding circumstances of learning disabilities of children. The paper presents the expert professional opinions and empirical evidences regarding identification of children with learning difficulties; the law that guarantees special learning education of children, and how parents and educators cope with the problem; and will come up with some recommendations on suitable treatments of children with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities of Children Introduction I grew up with the belief that there is no such thing as learning disorders, and that there are only lazy students and motivated ones; there are stupid children and there are bright ones. However, recent studies and conclusive researches proved this belief to be non-conclusive and wrong. Several studies on brain researches showed that there are differences between the brains of the individuals with learning disabilities and those without, and that the architecture of the brain of the child with learning disabilities is different (Smith 2005). Most often, the learning disabilities are not known to parents when children are born and differences are manifested only as the child goes to school and grows up. In most cases, parents and the family do not know the reasons and therefore cannot cope up with the problem. In this context, it is important that they understand the behavioral problems of the child in order to provide appropriate solutions. The learning disabilities. A learning disability (LD) has been defined by law as “...a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations” (IDEA 2004, Sec. 602.) IDEA is Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. LD is often observed in children who experience difficulty in listening, speaking, writing, reading, spelling or doing simple mathematical computations. According to Rosemary Boon (n.d.) a registered Psychologists and author of Optimal Function & Wellbeing, a person is considered to suffer from LD when his/her achievements are not commensurate with his/her age and ability levels in specific areas of learning. The number of children with learning disabilities is quite alarming and if this is not attended to appropriately, there is a possibility that it will escalate to social problems that will affect the society, family and the children. According to IDEA Data Accountability Center that collects data from the states, the number of children with LD in 2008 is 2.537 million (3-to 27 year olds) out of the 6.593 million covered by the IDEA (Samuels 2010). This number is comparatively lower, as compared to 2007 that registered 2.753 million children with LD. The pressing question suggested by Samuels (2010) is to find out if these students are getting the adequate academic help from the government, from their parents and from other people. It is important that parents recognize symptoms of learning disabilities on their children so proper help is done. Symptoms of learning disabilities are discovered in many ways, either by the parents or by the teachers in school. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NLCD), learning disabilities are seen thru its cognitive weaknesses (Helpguide.org. n.d.) For example, an LD can easily be seen if a child is having difficulty with reading, math or in writing. Identifying the symptoms will make it easier for an early intervention and help the progress of the child. These symptoms manifests in different situations like in problems of movement and coordination that is related to motor coordination. NLCD said that a child with LD has problems in physical abilities that require hand-eye coordination like holding a pencil or buttoning a shirt. In another area, a child’s ability to do math may be due to language learning disabilities, visual disorder, or difficulty in memorizing and organization. Children with math learning disorders have difficulty in telling time and counting and principles (helpguide.org. n.d.) In reading, signs that a child has LD when he/she finds it hard to recognize letters and words, he/she cannot understand the words, he/she has problems with reading speed and fluency and general vocabulary skills. Symptoms of LD in writing is seen when a child has problems in neatness and consistency in writing, when there is no accuracy in copying letters and words, and when there are problems in consistency in spelling, writing organization and coherence (helpguide.org. n.d.) Causes of learning disabilities, according to Boon (n.d.) is not related to a singular cause, but most researches suggest that these are due to “minimal brain damage, maturational delay, genetics, biochemical factors, foetal development, medical factors such as allergies, recurrent ear infections and other general factors such as culture, socio-economic level and education”. Furthermore, LD is influenced by social factors (peer and family relationship) and emotional factors such as poor self concept (Boon n.d.). The study of atheath.com. (n.d.) on causes of learning disabilities stated the leading theory of scientists that disturbances begin before birth. Study cited that during pregnancy, brain disruptions occur resulting to widespread disabilities and possible mental retardation, and that scientists believe that errors in brain development later on become disorders. Genetic factors, tobacco, alcohol and drug use were named in the study as some factors also affecting child disorders even before birth; and that mother’s use of drugs, cigarettes and alcohol have damaging effect to the unborn child (atheath.com. n.d.). Same source of reference also said that mothers who smoke tend to have smaller babies of less than 5 pounds that in itself is the start of variety of problems including learning disability. Other factors are related to toxins in the environment such as cadmium and lead substances that can get into the soil and the food that children eat (atheath.com. n.d.) Incidences of learning disabilities Several studies have identified prevalence of LD among children in EU and in US. For instance, Boon, in her study, cited research done in EU and US saying that up to 20% of children experience problems in their schooling and that 5% suffer from severe disabilities that interfere with their normal progress. A separate study identified a larger number of children suffering from LD and referred to the “well documented statistics” of National Center for Statistics stating that there are about 38% of American school children or about 20 million children who are unable to read grade level material (“LD Facts…”n.d.). Out of this figure, about 9 million children experience severe reading failure due to learning differences. The inability to read affects the self-esteem of the children and lessens their motivation to learn. As mentioned in “LD Facts…” the report of Dr.G. Reid Lyon, Chief of Child Development and Behavior Branch, National Institute of Health, stated that once the children with LD reaches grade one level “they think less positively of themselves than when they started school”. They begin to lost self-confidence because they cannot read grade-level textbooks and they could not cope up with the rest of the class (“LD facts…”n.d.) Contagion effect of learning difficulty The learning disability if not determined or checked early on the child becomes a host to other problems. In many instances, LD leads to drop-outs, teenage suicides, chronic unemployment and incarceration. C. G. Reid Lyon, a psychologist and director of extramural research in learning disabilities, mentioned in his research that reading disabilities account for 80% of LD, and from this, he said that 5% of all public school students are found suffering from LD (“LD facts…” n.d.) Box 1 is lifted from “LD facts…” showing the social effect of LD. 35% of children with LD drop out from high school Source: Nat’l. Longitudinal Transitional Study 50% of juvenile delinquents have undetected learning disabilities Source: Educational Testing Report 60% of adolescents in treatment for substance abuse are learning disabled Source: NICHD/Hazeldon Foundation 62% of learning disabled kids are unemployed one year after graduating from high school Source: Wagner’s 1991 National Longitudinal Study 25% of young adult population lacks the basic skills required in a typical job Source: United States of Office of Technology Approximately 50% of criminal offenders have learning disabilities Source: Dr. Nancy Cowardin, American Bar Association 31% of learning disabled kids are arrested within three years after they leave school Source: 1991 National Wagner’s Longitudinal Study Learning disabilities and substance abuse are the most common impediments to keeping welfare recipients from becoming and remaining employed Source: Office of the Inspector General Source: “ LD facts and statistics” n.d. How do parents cope with their children with learning disabilities Several studies show that parents either act positively or negatively when they realize their child has a learning disability. Horowitz, S. (2009) who made a study on coping behaviors of parents with LD children said that initial behaviors are “to deny the problems, hide, become overwhelmed, blame others, blame yourself, panic and worry”. Other parents on the other hand, think positively, and do either one of the following things: Listen carefully and ask clarifications Take good notes Make clarifications Focus on the problem Seek social support Become a self-advocate Become an advocate for change Reduce tension Focus on the positive Seek professional advice Share your wisdom Source: Helpguide.org. (n.d.) Horowitz (2009) and the Helpguide.org. (n.d.) both agree that there are many things the parents should do to help the child, and it is very important that parents establish a closer working partnership with the school. For instance, constant communications between parents and the school has been emphasized by Horowitz to ensure that roles and responsibilities are defined and met, expectations are made clear, and everyone is free to clarify and act on concerns. It may be painstaking for the parents to cope with the LD problem, but Helpguide.org. (n.d.) suggests parents should try to keep things in proper perspective and provide the child with right moral and educational support. In this concern, nobody else but the parents of the LD child should keep tract on new developments on LD, do own research and find solutions, Helpguide.org. said. Smith (2005) described behavioral problems that surround an LD child in the family and in his environment. Accordingly, Smith narrates the misunderstanding and conflict that arises in the family. For instance, brothers and sisters resent the preferential attention given to the special child, neighbors are annoyed for a super active child and has a low tolerance to children’s cries. Because a special child has erratic moods, they became to be an irritant factor in the family life. LD children are described as someone who is disorganized, having trouble dealing with sequences and order, distracted easily and often impulsive. Frequently, clashes come from child’s inability to understand instructions, and when criticized, “they tend to fall apart, withdraw into day dreaming, or strike out in one form or another” (Smith, 2005). Education support The American education system requires that every child receive proper education, and this does not preclude children with learning disabilities. Once diagnosed with LD, a child has the right to be enrolled under the special education program of the state. At no cost to parents, a specialized education may be given to the child inside the classroom, at home, in hospitals or medical institutions, or in other places. The important laws that support the American education system are the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act “(IDEA); Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the No Child Left Behind Act (Colorado 2008) IDEA is a US law that authorizes special education for children with disabilities in the US. Sec. 504 prohibits discrimination on students with learning disabilities in all public schools, while the No Child Left Behind provides different programs available to English language learners and students with disabilities (American Federation of Teachers 2007). Under this program, the school is required to place the child in “the least unrestricted environment” and have the child evaluated to qualify in the program. The implementation of the IDEA law has been questioned when the regulations published in 2006 was found out that the evaluation criteria and identification criteria are no longer aligned with the SLD definition in IDEA. Patricia Lillie, President of the Learning Disabilities Association in America presented this finding in a white paper that stated the regulation affects many students with SLD including those who have high achievement in some areas but has low achievement in other areas. Towards this end, the white paper calls for an integrated approach of the U.S. Congress, U.S. Dept. of Education, education policy makers and professional stakeholders in SLD to find a common ground of approach to help the slow learners, such as the RTI and the strength and deficit approach. (Lillie, 2010) The law lists 13 types of learning disabilities of children. These are autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, developmental delay, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and Visual Impairment Including Blindness (Colorado 2008). Results and conclusion. Findings of the study showed that learning disabilities occur even before a child is born. Disorders are either genetic or caused by unpleasant behaviors of mothers during pregnancy. The study also showed that use of drugs, alcohol and smoking affect the brain of the child during its development stage and has the possibility of developing into learning disorders. Lack of proper information on repercussions of this behavior to the child could be one of the reasons why pregnant mothers behave that way. The social effect of slow learners is high on school drop outs, juvenile delinquencies, crimes commitment and unemployment. It is ironic to know that the learning disabilities of the children have progressed to more serious problems as they grow old. Eventually, they become social problems that need to be addressed by the government. Costs in solving these will be a burden to the state and taxes of the people. This study is limited and could not find cost estimates to back up economic data. The response of the government in IDEA is in conflict because of definition and identification. This deprived some slow learners of the opportunity to be treated by the educational system because of different interpretations of identification system. The family who is most affected, at times, lacks understanding of the LD child. It is unfortunate that this is a long term condition and a lot of sympathetic consideration is needed to be done by everyone in the family. Resources, energy and emotional response are needed in the situation. As a whole, it is not only the parents of the LD child who shares in the problem of an LD child, but also the teachers who put a lot of patience, skill and knowledge in their treatment to the LD child and the state who spends for their special education system. The family in particular is also in pain when they see their brothers and sisters suffer embarrassment and experience low morale and self-esteem. What could be done along this line is prevention thru constant information of the ills of abuses of drugs, smoking and alcohol to pregnant mothers. Prevention could also be done by keeping a keen eye on the growth development of the child and any unusual behavior should be properly referred to the doctors, psychologists or to the teachers. What I see intriguing in the program is intervention or remedy is usually done when the learning disorder has developed already, the child has failed in classes and is already experiencing the discomforts of the disability. I would like to see a government program wherein a growing child is evaluated early enough to determine any weaknesses in his learning ability. References American Federation of Teachers (2007). School Issues and Program Information. Retrieved 04 December 2010 from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/15734#Disabilities Atheath.com.( n.d.) Learning disabilities. Retrieved 04 December 2010 from Boon, R. (n.d.). Learning disabilities. Definition. Retrieved 04 December 2010 from http://www.angelfire.com/journal/ldps/LearningDisabilities.htm Colorado, C. (2008) How does the special education system work in the United States? Retrieved 04 December 2010 Haan Foundation. (n.d.). The History and Reauthorization of IDEA. Retrieved December 2010 Helpguide.org. (n.d.) Learning Disability Symptoms, Types, and Testing . Viewed 04 December 2010 Horowitz, S.H. 2009. Coping: Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities. Retrieved 04 December 2010 from http://www.ncld.org/in-the-home/parenting-issues/coping-with- ld/coping-parents-of-children-with-learning-disabilities IDEA 2004, Sec. 602. ``Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004.Public Law 108-446, 108th Congress. Retrieved 04 December 2010http://idea.ed.gov/download/statute.html “LD Facts and statistics. Alarming LD statistics”( n.d.). Retrieved 04 December 2010 from http://www.haan4kids.org/ld/stats.html Lillie, P. February 2010. White Paper on Evaluation, Identification and Eligibility Criteria for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities. LDA White Paper No. 1 .The Learning Disabilities Association in America’s White Paper. Retrieved 04 December 2010 from http://www.ldanatl.org/pdf/LDA%20White%20Paper%20on%20IDEA%20E valuation%20Criteria%20for%20SLD.pdf Smith, S. L. 2005. What do parents of children with learning disabilities, ADHD, and related disorders deal with? Retrieved 04 December, 2010 http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/parents/help/parents.asp 2005 Read More