Motivation Students With Learning Disabilities

“Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. Specific learning disability does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage” (Special Education Guide, 2017).

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines dyslexia as a disorder in the brain that makes it difficult for an individual to write, read, and spell. People who have been diagnosed with the learning disability are often thought to be “lazy, dumb, careless, ‘not trying hard enough,’ or [have] behavior problems” according to Ronald D. Davis, founder of the Davis Dyslexia Correction Center.

There is often a child in a class that cannot read, spell, speak, or do math as well as they should for their age level. He or she grows up thinking they are stupid, or are going to be unsuccessful in life because they are not “smart” like their classmates. He or she is not stupid, they are usually incredibly smart, and are possibly just dealing with dyslexia. Dyslexia is a type of learning difference that can affect a person’s ability to read, write, speak, and do math. Dyslexia is very common, with one out of every five U.S. school children suffering from dyslexia. Dyslexic children often discover that their parents or a close relative also have some form of learning disability, supporting the idea that dyslexia is hereditary. Dyslexia is

There are many different types of learning disabilities; the most common ones are dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. (Jerome Rosner. –third ed. 1)

IDEA defines a learning disability as a disorder in understanding or using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical calculations. Learning disabilities are a life-long issue. Language problems that go untreated in the early years of school can continue into high school and adulthood. As a child who suffered with an Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), early intervention was very important for me to progress in school. I continue to this day, to utilize and build on compensatory techniques taught by my grade school Speech Pathologist. Henceforth, I have been able to succeed in school, social settings and now in college.

In the UK 2% of the population suffer from learning disabilities. A learning disability is the name given to any condition which drastically affects an individual’s ability to process and comprehend new information, acquire new skills, and successfully carry out everyday tasks without the aid of another.

Learning disabilities are defined as the inability to process information and the inability to communicate effectively. This can cause problems during the child’s years in school. It is often characterized by as having a below average intellectual functioning level as well as below average adaptational skills.

Dyslexia is the term used to describe a cognitive disability in learning that affects reading, writing and communication despite an average level of intelligence and an equal access to education. (Le Jan et al., 2010). Dyslexia is commonly used as a blanket term that covers many smaller forms of cognitive impairment including surface dyslexia, phonological dyslexia, hyperlexia, letter identification dyslexia and letter position dyslexia. Most dyslexics suffer from multiple forms of these specific dyslexias and cases of pure developmental dyslexia are quite rare. (Castles, Bates, & Coltheart, 2006).

Students with learning disabilities are a diverse group of individuals, exhibiting difficulties in many different areas. The areas most affected are reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and math; however, Learning Disabilities are specific to the individual. It is essential for educators to understand all of the possible characteristics that may be seen in children with LD. By knowing what to look for, educators may be able to help provide a meaningful educational experience. The most common types of Learning Disabilities are those that impact reading, writing, and math. According to “Specific Learning Disabilities,” there are five core concepts to consider when defining LD. First, Learning Disabilities are a heterogeneous group; LD comes in all shapes and sizes. Second, LD results in a significant difficulty to listen, speak, read, write, reason, and perform math. Third, Learning Disabilities are unique to the individual. LD is said to start in the central nervous system, and does not disappear over time, but can take on many different stages over a child’s life. Fourth, LD can occur simultaneously with other disabilities; that would not otherwise be classified as a disability. Some examples include ADHD, sensory aversions, or emotional disturbance. Lastly, LD is not caused by external influences. People from different cultural backgrounds may also have a Learning Disability (Kirkland, 2012). As an educator, I need to make sure I understand all of the possible characteristics that may be seen in children with LD. By knowing what to look for, I will be able to help provide a meaningful educational experience for my students with

Learning Disabilities Association of America. (2004). Learning Disabilities: Signs, Symptoms and Strategies. Retrieved June 18, 2012, from HYPERLINK "http://www.ldanatl.org" http://www.ldanatl.org.

Throughout this video there were many facts that were brought up about LD children that I found very eye opening. Non-LD children are processing an answer when asked a question versus an LD child is still trying to process the question itself. Motivation does not help LD kids because it only enhances the skills they already have. Perception is what helps LD children, giving them direct instruction and helping them perceive things is the key. Throughout school educators are always doing vocabulary and if they understand it then they know how to comprehend it. However, comprehending vocabulary does not help the LD child, background information is what allows the child to understand said passage or work. Perception behavior plays a major role

The National Centre for Learning Disabilities says that dyslexia is a neurological and often genetic condition, and not the result of poor teaching, instruction or upbringing. Dyslexia is a specific reading disability due to a defect in the brain's processing of graphic symbols according to the MNT Knowledge Centre. It is a learning disability that alters the way the brain processes written material. It is typically characterized by difficulties in word recognition, spelling and decoding. People with dyslexia have problems with reading comprehension.

Growing, developing and learning are the facts of life for all children. Each day children are faced with many new concepts and various challenges. Can you imagine how it feels for a child to face not only new challenges life has, but to face these challenges while living with a learning disability? These challenges are met not just when they begin school either. Students suffer from learning disabilities from the moment they begin learning, not when they start school. Learning disabilities are real and they affect millions of people. “One such disability that affects over approximately 15 percent of the total American population is dyslexia” ( Nosek 5).

On the other study conducted by Waldron, the results show that children with learning disabilities did poor on math compared to children without learning disabilities. Programs to help children with learning disabilities improve in math should be enforce in every school to help these children succeed. The dropout rate on children with learning disabilities was 14.1 percent on a longitudinal study conducted by Doren. The reason for dropouts was that children with learning disabilities felt they were not compatible academically as children without learning disabilities. They felt disadvantaged compared to the other children. This shows that children with learning disabilities are in greater danger to dropping out of school. Programs designated for children with learning disabilities to help them on their reading, math, and writing would drop the rate and help those students graduate

Of the three previously mentioned diseases, Dyslexia impairs a person’s ability to read, write, and spell (NINDS 2003). Although they are of normal intelligence, their reading level is below average. They will usually have “trouble with phonological processing (the manipulation of sounds) and/or rapid visual-verbal responding.” (NINDS 2003). Children with dyslexia complain they cannot read their textbooks, do not have enough time to finish tests, cannot take notes, and are unable to read their own handwriting (GVSU 2000). Dyslexia does not affect every person the same way, and signs of the disorder may not be prevalent until later, when grammar and more in-depth writing skills are introduced. Dyslexia can also create a difficulty in processing vocabulary and thoughts correctly when speaking, and understanding what one says when they are spoken to. Dysgraphia is another neurological disorder that focuses on writing. When a child with this disorder is first introduced to writing, they will make unnecessary spaces between their letters, and some letters will be