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It's Monday morning, and a student is at his desk. The classroom teacher is starting to review last week's lesson. The student is fidgeting with their pencils, looking around, keeping their head down, avoiding eye contact with the teacher, thinking in his head "Please don't call me! please don't call me!" She called me ...
This is how a typical school day would be like for a kid that has a learning disability.
Fellow students, teacher(s), judges. I would like to take a few minutes to talk to you about learning disabilities.
Let me give you an idea of what a learning disability feels like.
Imagine a room full of computers and printers that are the same. Imagine that one computer wired differently. This computer has all the abilities to process information. However when it tries to print the information it can't process as efficiently as the others. There is a disconnect.
For a child with a learning disability they have trouble processing information, especially in a certain subject. For example they might have trouble reading, and writing, but they might ace math. Learning disabilities are more common than you think. In fact approximately 1 in every 7 students has some kind of learning disability. Some of the most common ones are dyslexia, and attention deficit disorder. There are also different ranges of learning disabilities from mild disorder to severe.
The key to helping a child with learning disabilities is early diagnosis. The symptoms will generally start showing themselves
in school. If identified early the school can support the child by providing learning strategies to help the child succeed. Programs
like the massive technology program can be offered to assist students. The Assistive Technology program uses modem technology to make it easier for a child to complete work. For example if a child had trouble writing the program offers voice technology so they can speak and record their ideas,
Other than having trouble with schoolwork kids with learning disabilities face many social issues. Sometimes they are labeled as stupid, dumb, or lazy. But they are not. However, these labels can hurt and have an effect on their self-esteem. They are often the victims of bullying or in other cases they become the bully. Both are unacceptable.
I think schools are working hard to educate children, parents, and even teachers that kids with learning disabilities have average or better abilities. There are many challenges for the schools. Large class sizes make it difficult to give individual attention. Lack of funding issues makes it hard to hire support staff and run alternative programs. Even diagnosis tests are expensive. However, although testing and programs are expensive, there are serious consequences if the school system does not invest funds to help the students. Without help these kids with learning disabilities have a higher chance of dropping out of school. If they drop out they will have a lower paying job or no job at all, which means unemployment or welfare.
So you guess all people with learning disabilities are doomed ... no good job ... no respect ... no money ... your wrong!
In fact many famous people have learning disabilities. Can you guess what a 6 year-old boy came home with a note from his teacher saying, and I quote "He's too stupid to learn"? It was Thomas Edison ... That's right, the guy who invented the light bulb.
To add to the list one of the top five movie stars in the world Tom Cruise. Do you know Albert Einstein he couldn't read until he was 12. He went on to be one of the world's most famous scientists. A few others include Whoopie Goldberg, Cher, Nellie Furtoto, and Jim Carry. The list just goes on and on. SO to clear things up ... Even with a learning disability you can obviously be very successful! When you have a Learning disability you just have a different way of learning. So ....
It's Monday morning and I'm sitting in my classroom my teacher is starting to review this weeks lesson. That's right I'm the kid
with the learning disability.
I am not going to let my learning disability be a disadvantage. I will be successful!
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