Learn About Learning Differences
Learn About Learning Differences
To the Editor:
The end of the summer is near! Back to school shopping for clothes, new styles, school supplies, and back packs. Everyone is getting geared up for the school routine with early wakeups, bus stops, new clothes, new classes, and new teachers. Those first days back to school bring a twinge of nostalgia to parents and excitement to childrenâ¦but for those with learning differences it can bring a sense of dread.
Children with learning disabilities such as ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, sensory integration disorder, central auditory processing and/or visual processing disorders seem normal in appearance, but they struggle in school because they learn differently.
Most of these children are extremely bright and compensate for their issues by disguising them. Homework avoidance, not trying hard enough, loosing work, careless errors, talking during classes, slow reading, poor grades, bad handwriting, fidgeting, developing illness to stay home can all be symptoms of good children who are actually trying the hardest of all. They canât seem to measure up to their peers and they meet repeated failure when they put some of their best efforts forward. These children are often misunderstood because their issues have not been identified and have been labeled as behavior issues.
After years of failure these otherwise bright, creative children come to believe that they will never learn and actually are what they are repeatedly toldâ¦lazy and dumb. Usually the process of discovery is long, slow and doesnât happen until damage has been done. And by this educational failure we will lose some of our brightest minds and future assets.
Susan Lang has formed a Learning Disabilities Support Group that can help to shorten this process through awareness by providing/exchanging information, experience, and moral support. The next meeting will be held at Newtown Youth & Family Services, 17 Church Hill Road, on Thursday, August 3, from 7 to 9 pm. All are welcome to come and learn: About the warning signs of learning differences and the wealth of resources available; how to find the appropriate doctors, tutors and specialist; how to advocate for your child and help them to self advocate; about PPTs, 504s and IEPs; share experiences and advice; whatâs new in education, what is and isnât working for our children; and what can be done with the $1 million earmarked for special education in Newtown by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that should be spent to develop science-based instruction that can benefit all of our students with a better fundamental education, remediation for those who struggle in the current programs ,and how our district can turn those short-term funds into lasting benefits.
Sincerely,
Jodie Enriquez
7 Hanover Road, Newtown                                         August 26, 2009