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SickKid.Net - Learning Disabilities (cont.)

People are different.  Each of us is unique, and we all have our areas of strength and ability.  Many, many famous, successful, and talented people have had learning disabilities.  Like all disabilities, problems in learning don’t mean that you are unable, only that your brain has certain roadblocks to learning in the usual way.  The key is therefore to identify what each child’s strengths are, as well as where they may need help.  Usually, the best way to identify these strengths and weaknesses is to have the child take a battery of tests that look at the different ways we learn.  This process is available through the public schools, for students who are having a hard time mastering school work.  

Testing usually means that the student will meet with a professional who will ask the student to do certain types of tasks, such as answering questions about what they know of the world, defining vocabulary words, working at jigsaw puzzles, and taking tests of memory and learning speed.  These tests are given in private, and the professionals try to get the very best effort from the child.  What comes out of the testing is a picture of the child’s abilities, as compared with other children of the same age.  This allows the parents and professionals to understand if, and where a problem exists.

Learning disabilities are better and better understood, as science learns more about how the brain works.  Early identification is the key!  If a student is struggling early on in school, don’t wait or listen to those who say “Oh he’ll grow out of it.”  An extra year will not make a problem go away – the child will just be older, and more embarrassed.

We now know what many learning disabilities look like, even at young (preschool and kindergarten) ages.  Teachers and other professionals now have lots of tools to help those with learning disabilities.  Getting an early start can make all the difference in the long run!

© 2000 Christopher J. Nicholls, Ph.D.