Many people young and old struggle with learning disabilities. The good news is that learning disabilities do not have to disable you or someone you know from doing the things that you need or love to do. Much progress has been made in understanding and dealing with learning disabilities so that they are no longer hindrances to learning or living.
One of the biggest ways to fight against the affects of learning disabilities, whatever they are, is to get help. There are a variety of professionals, educators, and programs available to help people learn how to deal with and compensate for their learning disabilities. If you are unsure of where to get help, start by flipping through your phonebook or doing an internet search for finding help in your area.
If you are trying to get help for school aged children begin your search for help by calling your local school system and making an appointment to meet with the proper educators and administrators. If you are committed to finding help to battle against learning disabilities than there is no measure of the amount of help that can be found.
Another way that you can help battle against learning disabilities in yourself or in others is to find things that you enjoy and are good at. Self-esteem and confidence need to be built up in everyone, regardless of whether or not they struggle with learning disabilities. If your child is struggling with learning disabilities, sign him or her up to participate in their favorite sport or activity. Give them room to shine in an area that they can be just like the other kids. Nothing will boost their self-confidence in the classroom like being good at things and enjoying activities outside of the classroom.
It is important that anyone struggling with learning disabilities has consistent sources of encouragement and praise from others. Make an effort to applaud progress and growth in your children or friends who are struggling with learning disabilities. Remind them often that they are not defined by their learning disabilities but that they simply have to work a little harder than some people to overcome them. Assure them that it will be possible to live a fully happy and productive life.
Learning disabilities will be as damaging in peoples lives as they are allowed to be. If people are encouraged to find their value in other places and to work hard at overcoming learning disabilities, then no one has to be disabled because of their learning disabilities.
Those were the words of more than one parent I spoke with whose children had been tested to see if they needed special education services. I could always hear the discouragement in their voices as they spoke.
I heard the same tone of voice in a person a little closer to home just recently. A relative of mine has a son who has just been evaluated, and the parents had been given a copy of the report. He and his wife both have college educations, and they still had difficulty understanding what was being said. He looked totally helpless as he showed me the paperwork.
It's important to realize that every occupation in life has it's own terms, and special education is no different. Unless you work in that occupation on a daily basis, you can't be expected to know what those terms mean - not much consolation when it's your child's education and success that are at stake.
The good news is that there is help out there.
Here are some suggestions for how you can become an informed, active participant in the meeting:
1) Contact the special education office in your school district. Either someone there can explain it to you, or they can tell you who to talk with to help you understand the report.
2) Set up an appointment to speak with the special education person in your child's school.
If you can't get the information you want through the special education office for some reason, call and decide on a mutually convenient time when you can meet with the special education teacher and discuss the results. Perhaps you can even discuss what the recommendations might be regarding the best placement and the best program for your child.
This way, when you go into the meeting, you will be more prepared.
3) Take notes as you discuss the report. If you take notes from the discussion, then you will have ready information to take into the meeting, and you won't be bogged down having to find the information in the report.
4) If you still have trouble understanding, you can contact your state Learning Disabilities Association. They will have answers for you and they may be able to suggest someone to go to the meeting with you to help you understand what is going on.
5) Know that it's okay to take someone into the meeting with you for support. Facing a group of professionals can be scary, whether you have a college degree or not. Having support with you can be very comforting, and if that support is someone who understands the process better than you, that's a bonus!
Remember, you are NOT alone in this process. You have a team of people who are there to help your child be successful. And working together as a team is the best way to make that happen. But, you have to play an active role in that team in order for your child to get the best services possible, and that may mean searching out people who can help you understand and take charge.
For more plain talk about learning disabilities, please visit us at www.ldperspectives.com.
Both Martin Stoleman & Sandy Gauvin are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Martin Stoleman has sinced written about articles on various topics from Education, Antiques and Education Toys. After overcoming during his childhood, Martin Stoleman has become an advocate for helping others to overcome their learning disabilit. Martin Stoleman's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.
Sandy Gauvin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Education Toys, Education and Parenting. Sandy Gauvin is a retired educator who has seen learning disabilities from many perspectives - as the parent of a daughter with learning disabilities, as the teacher of children with learning disabilities, and as an advocate for others who have diagnosed. Sandy Gauvin's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.