Kathryn Cassell

 

Domain 2 | Competency

The teacher knows how to establish a classroom climate that fosters learning, equity, and excellence and uses this knowledge to create a physical and emotional environment that is safe and productive.

 

 

        Learning disabilities may detrimental effects on the children who are affected by them. This is an important topic for all students of education to be aware, of because this could be the life or death of the educational growth of a child. With the help of a teacher, a child can grow into having a great love of knowledge. The growth of students is one of the core values that all teachers have a need to foster. Learning disabilities can be difficult in a classroom and as a teacher you should have the students be evaluated by a trained professional. You should also have core knowledge of these disabilities so that you will be able to help when the child becomes frustrated at one of the tasks that they are given in school work. While being a teacher is important work, a parent must also be educated on different learning styles and disabilities. when a student is diagnosed with a learning disability, parents need to become aware of these disabilities so that they can help their children and educate themselves with the information they find. While many adults are scared and confused when their children are diagnosed with a learning disability. Parents need to seek help for their child in any form that they think their child will respond to in a positive and productive manner.  One question many parents have after discovering their child has a learning disability is what is a learning disability and why does it cause such insecurity among the children who have them. Learning disabilities “are neurological disorders that can make it difficult to acquire certain academic and social skills” according to the National Center for Learning and Disabilities. (The National Center for Learning Disabilities, INC, 2011)

        There are four main learning disabilities that affect the United States population.   They are Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, and Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders. Each of these disorders have a different set of difficulties that the student must overcome.  Dyslexia is “a language based disability in which a person has trouble understanding written words. It may also be referred to as a reading disability or reading disorder. “ (LD Basics, 2010) Dyslexia can make the students who has it have difficulty learning to read and gaining confidence in reading.  From my own personal experience with dyslexia, there is difficulty learning to read and the letters seem to float off the page in a way that is difficult for new learners to understand. Dysgraphia is “a writing disability in which a person finds it hard to form letters or write within a defined space.”(LD Basics, 2010) Dyscalculia is “a mathematical disability in which a person has a difficult time solving arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts.” (LD Basics, 2010)  Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders are “ sensory disabilities in which a person has difficulty understanding language despite normal hearing and vision.” (LD Basics, 2010) While these disorders are very difficult when the child is first learning to cope with them, many people who have these disordres move on to do great things. One of these great people is Albert Einstein who had dyslexia.  Although there is no cure for learning disabilities, there is room for new learning techniques to help those who are wired a little differently to reach their full potential.

       The anguish and frustration of not being able to keep up in school and not being able to understand why their brains work differently then their peers can be quite an ordeal for a child who is just starting school. Many students believe that their disability is a curse and somethiing that they will never overcome. This is not true. With help from understanding and compassionate adults who are trained in special education, these discouraged students can learn tools to guide them though their academic careers. Speech therapists, art therapy, reading coaches, and special education teachers can be used as guides to help these children who are suffering from learning disabilities. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities,  4 to 6 percent of all students are classified as having special learning disabilities in the country’s public school system. (The National Center for Learning Disabilities, INC, 2011) While other Organizations such as the Child Development Institute estimate that there are more like 6 to 10 percent children with learning disabilities in public schools. (Myers, Paltin, Myers, Tucker, Lew, & Fernandewz, 2010)  Whereas there is an estimated 4 to 10 percent of students with learning disabilities in a normal classroom; in special education classrooms there are nearly 40 percent of the students that have been diagnosed with a learning disability. (Myers, Paltin, Myers, Tucker, Lew, & Fernandewz, 2010)  While this is not a majority in a classroom, it is the teacher's duty to give each child the learning environment that they need to succeed in their academic career.  This means that teachers should be on the lookout for signs of learning disorders in children from the time they enter school until they graduate high school.

        Teachers paying attention to the warning signs of learning disabilities can help  students who have not been diagnosed yet.  Before the students even enter the school system, signs of a learning disability can be present. According to the Child Development Institute, the child can have problems in spoken language, written language, arithmetic, reasoning and memory. Students can show warning signs in their spoken language by the delays, disorders, and deviations in listening and speaking. (Myers, Paltin, Myers, Tucker, Lew, & Fernandewz, 2010) Warning signs in written language can show up with difficulties with reading, writing and spelling. (Myers, Paltin, Myers, Tucker, Lew, & Fernandewz, 2010) Mathematics can also show prominent warning signs with learning disabilities. Arithmetic disabilities can show up with difficulty in performing arithmetic operations or in understanding basic concepts. (Myers, Paltin, Myers, Tucker, Lew, & Fernandewz, 2010) Problems with reasoning can give the teacher an even easier way of seeing if the child is having a learning problem. Difficulty in organizing and integrating thoughts can be a way of checking  for theses disorders. (Myers, Paltin, Myers, Tucker, Lew, & Fernandewz, 2010) Memory can also be a form of checking both understanding and a sign of trouble, if the child cannot remember instructions or information. (Myers, Paltin, Myers, Tucker, Lew, & Fernandewz, 2010) While these are signs to watch out for, there are also signs that both parents and teachers should be on the lookout for in their child that are common in children with learning disabilities. Poor performance on group tests, reversals in writing and reading, general awkwardness, poor visual-motor coordination, hyperactivity, difficulty copying accurately from a model, often obsessing on one topic or idea, poor short-term or long-term memory, impulsive behavior/ lack of reflective thought prior to action, low tolerance for frustration, excessive movement during sleep, poor peer relationships, overly excitable during group play, and poor social judgment are just to name a few warning signs or side effects of having a learning disorder. (Myers, Paltin, Myers, Tucker, Lew, & Fernandewz, 2010) While these are some warning signs or side effects in the children that are affected by learning disorders, there is not at any time one child that has all of these at once. If these signs are watched for carefully and the students are given chances to learn with different teaching styles, teachers can help the student in the early years of preschool and elementary school by diversifying their teaching techniques and giving the students the confidence to continue in their academic careers.

          In my research I have not only gained new knowledge of how and why learning disabilities affect the students, children and adults, I have gained knowledge about learning disabilities in general and have the understanding of how my brain works also.  Knowing that I have a learning disability and that when I was a child I had difficulty in writing and reading gives me a greater understanding of this topic. I have gained knowledge and understanding on how my own dyslexia can help me with understanding other learning disabilities and help guide children that also have learning disabilities. I think that the knowledge that I have gained through this project will help the children with disabilities that I will teach in my own classroom someday. I recall the frustrated outbusts of not being able to read a chapter of a book. I also remember the first time I read an entire book on my own and had the overwhelming feeling of confidence and joy in not being frustrated at reading a simple book. My 3rd grade teacher fostered my own love of reading and now my adoration of books has grown far beyond anything I would have had without her help. I know my own parents and teachers had difficulties in trying to teach me and guide me through my difficulties. That is why I feel that knowledge about all kinds of learning disabilities is important in all aspects of a teacher’s career.  My knowledge has grown regarding the warning signs of and the different types of learning disabilities. I feel that with my knowledge of learning disabilities and the ways that I could implement multiple types of teaching skills in my classroom, I can  help all learning types and students with learning disabilities grow in their love of school, knowledge and learning.

 

Works Cited

(2011). Retrieved March 19, 2011, from The National Center for Learning Disabilities, INC: Http://www.ncld.org/ld-basics

Burke, P., & Cigno, K. (2000). Learning Disabilities in Children . Malden, MA, USa : Blackwell Science LTD.

Intergrating Research with Improved Policies and Practices. (2007, November 19). Retrieved March 20, 2011, from National Research Center on Learning Disabilities: http://www.nrcld.org/

LD Basics. (2010). Retrieved March 20, 2010, from LD Online: http://www.ldonline.org/ldbasics/whatisld

Myers, R., Paltin, D., Myers, P., Tucker, G., Lew, D., & Fernandewz, G. (2010, June 1). About Learning Disorders. Retrieved March 20, 2011, from Child Development Institute: http://childdevelopmentinfo.com