Can You Be Gifted And Have A Learning Disability
Current US research suggests that 14% of children who are identified as being intellectually gifted may also have a learning disability. This is compared to about 4% of children in the general population. … Teachers are not trained in identifying these children or how to teach them so they can reach their full potential.
Words From Ld Online:
LD OnLine is proud to present a guide to parents on how to help their children succeed titled Life Success for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Parent’s Guide. It was developed by the Frostig Center and based on more than twenty years of ground-breaking research on the lives of children and adults with learning disabilities. This is offered to you as part of LD OnLine’s efforts to bring you the latest research to help you raise your children with learning disabilities.
Over forty students were studied over their lifetime when they entered the Frostig Center, when they left, ten years after graduation, and twenty years after graduation. Researchers rated the student’s lives objectively through interviews and studying public records. They surveyed outcomes such as years of school completed and employment results. They listened carefully to what the students said during face to face interviews. All of this data was analyzed to determine what it actually takes for people with learning disabilities to succeed.
Learn how to help your children develop the six success attributes that were found to really matter self awareness, proactivity, perseverance, goal setting, using support systems, and emotional coping strategies. These attributes were found to be more important than IQ and grades.
We hope that this guide will help parents as they work with their children to reach their full potential and become competent, content, and independent adults who live satisfying lives.
What Are The Treatments For Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities have no cure, but early intervention can lessen their effects. People with learning disabilities can develop ways to cope with their disabilities. Getting help earlier increases the chance of success in school and later in life. If learning disabilities remain untreated, a child may begin to feel frustrated, which can lead to low self-esteem and other problems.1
Experts can help a child learn skills by building on the childs strengths and finding ways to compensate for the childs weaknesses.2 Interventions vary depending on the nature and extent of the disability.
Read Also: How Much Can You Earn While On Social Security Disability
Do Children Outgrow Learning Disabilities
When learning disabilities first manifest, they are often interpreted as behavior problems that are best countered with discipline or stringent structure. School officials may even suggest that the student will “grow out of” the behavior and develop an interest in school when the discipline helps the child develop self-control.
However, learning disabilities are neurological disorders. While symptoms may diminish as the child matures, it is disputed whether the shortcomings resolve with age or the child finds better coping mechanisms. Due to the painful impacts that can occur with unresolved learning disorders, using the wait and see approach can have significant consequences.
Impacts of Untreated Learning Disabilities
Without further help and therapy, students who suffer learning disabilities will struggle in school. As success continues to appear unattainable, the child becomes frustrated and eventually loses interest in learning. Any natural curiosity may become suppressed as the child develops a fear of failure. As time passes and frustration increases, children with untreated learning disabilities experience low self-esteem, social withdrawal, anxiety, depression, or aggression and anger issues.
Early intervention is optimal.
The sooner learning disabilities are addressed the sooner academic frustration can end.
Learning disabilities dont just disappearbut are treatable.
Myth : Medication Can Be Used To Treat Ld
Many people wrongly believe that learning disabilities can be treated with stimulant medications, much like ADHD. However, medications have no effect on learning disabilities. If the child also suffers from ADHD, stimulants can help control attention-related symptoms, but its important for the learning disability to be separately diagnosed and treated.
Read Also: How To Increase Va Disability From 80 To 100
Profound And Multiple Learning Disability
A profound and multiple learning disability is when a person has a severe learning disability and other disabilities that significantly affect their ability to communicate and be independent.
Someone with PMLD may have severe difficulties seeing, hearing, speaking and moving. They may have complex health and social care needs due to these or other conditions.
People with PMLD need a carer or carers to help them with most areas of everyday life, such as eating, washing and going to the toilet.
With support, many people can learn to communicate in different ways, be involved in decisions about themselves, do things they enjoy and achieve more independence.
You can also find out more about all aspects of being a carer, including practical support, financial matters and looking after your own wellbeing in the Care and Support guide.
Page last reviewed: 06 July 2018 Next review due: 06 July 2021
Learning Difficulties In Children
A learning difficulty usually presents in childhood and can cause a person to experience problems in a traditional classroom setting.
We have produced a range of free resources to help you find out more about the Government’s changes to how children are supported within the Special Educational Needs system.
Recommended Reading: Applying For Disability In Mo
Myth : Dyslexics Read Backwards
This is a common myth, but it simply isnt true. Dyslexia comes in many forms, and while some people may experience word reversal , not all dyslexics experience this. Some struggle with single letter reversal , while others have difficulties telling single letters apart or stringing multiple sounds together to form a word.
The Politicalization Of Learning Disabilities
Along with Decoding Dyslexia and Autism Speaks, other advocacy organizations for children with disabilities are becoming more politically organized and active. Supported by the power of social media and embracing the rapid developments in neurobiology and other sciences, these groups are often bypassing public education and taking a legislative route to fight for the services and protections they want for their children. They are also gearing up for what will likely be a real battle when the federal law for special education is reauthorized in coming years. Heres why your brain needs to read every day.
Read Also: Is Breast Cancer Considered A Disability
Supporting Children With Learning Difficulties And Learning Disorders
When your child feels good about themselves, theyll be better able to deal with learning and other challenges.
Here are some ideas to help with this:
- Explain to your child that having a learning disorder doesnt mean theyre not as smart as other children. Your childs psychologist or speech therapist can suggest ways of explaining your childs learning disorder in a way your child can understand.
- Always praise your child for having a go at something and sticking with tasks like homework.
- Celebrate the non-academic things your child is good at. These might be sport, music or drama. Or your child might be kind and friendly, great at cooking and so on.
- Help your child challenge negative thoughts. For example, Dont let what happened today get you down. Think about how much youve improved this year. You just might need a bit more time and practice to get this right.
- Encourage your child to work out what they need to get over difficulties for example, do written instructions and diagrams help? Do they prefer spoken instructions? And make sure your child knows that its OK ask for help if they need it.
Questions Asked By Adults:
I sometimes reverse my letters, or get numbers mixed up, and people have told me I might be dyslexic. Does that have something to do with learning disabilities?
Dyslexia is the most common learning disability, and affects written language skills, usually reading, writing and/or spelling. Some people who are dyslexic mix up letters and numbers, but this is just one indicator. Research has shown that most dyslexics have trouble distinguishing the sound portions of words. Each person with dyslexia is unique in their pattern of strengths and weaknesses, so an individual assessment is important .
I have always had trouble in school, but I can do some things very well. How do I find out if I might have a learning disability?
Diagnosis of learning disabilities is done using a series of psychoeducational tests administered by a psychologist or psychological associate. This is often only available through professionals in private practice, and can be quite expensive, although most group medical plans partially cover the cost. Depending on your circumstances, there may be other options for getting an assessment paid for. For more information contact a resource facilitator at your local LDA chapter or LDAO.
What if I do find out I have a learning disability what can be done?
Is there any legislation in Ontario that gives rights to adults with learning disabilities?
I have been reading about attention deficit disorder is this a learning disability?
Don’t Miss: Missouri Social Security Disability Application
What Percentage Of Students Have A Learning Disability
In 201819, the number of students ages 321 who received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was 7.1 million, or 14 percent of all public school students. Among students receiving special education services, 33 percent had specific learning disabilities.
Does Having A Learning Disability Help You Get Into College
Colleges will often look at an applicants grades and test scores in a new light if presented with evidence of a learning disability. A learning disability may help put lower grades, class rankings, or standardized test scores in context. Many families try to hide learning disabilities from admission offices.
You May Like: How To Calculate Disability Retirement Pay
What Are The Success Attributes
Our 20-year study, in particular, highlighted the importance of six success attributes for individuals with learning disabilities. These success attributes included: self-awareness, proactivity, perseverance, goal-setting, the presence and use of effective support systems, and emotional coping strategies. It is important to emphasize that not every successful individual possesses each of these attributes, and some attributes may be present to a greater or lesser degree. Similarly, persons who might be considered “unsuccessful” may nevertheless possess some of the success attributes, again, to a lesser or greater degree. What it does mean is that successful persons with learning disabilities are much more likely to have these characteristics than unsuccessful individuals. It is our hope that, by helping parents understand these success attributes, they will be better prepared to work with and guide their children toward satisfying and rewarding lives. It is also important to keep in mind that having these attributes does not guarantee success. Rather, it increases the chances of achieving a fulfilling and successful life. It is interesting to note that our research indicates that these characteristics may have a greater influence on success than even such factors as academic achievement, gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity, and even intelligence quotient .4
Types Of Learning Difficulty
There are many different types of learning difficulty, some of the more well known are dyslexia, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder , dyspraxia and dyscalculia. A person can have one, or a combination.
As with learning disability, learning difficulties can also exist on a scale. A person might have a mild learning difficulty or a severe learning difficulty. The same is true of learning disabilities.
Read Also: How Much Is The Average Disability Check
Explaining Learning Disabilities To Your Child
Explaining a learning disability diagnosis to your child isnt easy, but it’s important to take this opportunity to create an open and honest dialogue. While every student is different, there are steps you can take to make this conversation more comfortable and helpful for both parent and child.
- 31%Of parents say they have conflicting feelings about their childs learning and attention issues and their ability to help1
- 35%Of parents say theyre deeply struggling with their attitude toward and ability to come to terms with their childs learning and attention issues1
- 75%Of parents with children who have learning disabilities believe they could do more to help their child1
Five Misconceptions About Learning Disabilities
Getty illustration by Zigy Kaluzny
In the classroom, it starts simply sometimes with a struggle to sound out simple words sometimes with trouble telling time, memorizing the times tables or learning left from right.
It often ends simply, too: with a troubling statistic.
One in five of the American students identified as having a learning disability will walk away from their education. Thats compared to a dropout rate of 8 percent in the general population.
Just as startling: Close to half of the secondary students currently identified as learning disabled are more than three grade levels behind in essential academic skills. And its widespread. Roughly 2.4 million students thats more than the entire population of Houston, Texas are known to struggle with it.
Race, culture economic status LD doesnt discriminate. Its real and affects people of all ages, said Dr. Sheldon H. Horowitz of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, referring to learning disabilities by a common nickname, LD.
In the days ahead on the PBS NewsHour broadcast, health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser will take viewers into a public school in Boston for a better understanding of how this commonly misunderstood set of disorders is playing into the U.S. dropout crisis. Online, well explore the crossroads of learning disabilities and art, and well profile two young men a poet and a Harvard graduate student who, despite academic struggles, achieved stunning success.
Don’t Miss: How To Get 100 Percent Va Disability
Learning Disabilities Affect Everyone
Learning disabilities are the most prevalent handicapping condition covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the federal law that guides special education. About 2.3 million children out of a total 6.5 million in special education have a learning disability. Learning disabilities do not discriminate they impact children of all ethnicities and income levels. They can run in families. They are not generally treatable via medicine. Those with learning disabilities have average to above average intelligence, yet 20 percent of students with a learning disability drop out of school. You do not grow out of a learning disability. These childrens books explain how people learn differently, highlighting dyslexia and other learning differences.
Myth : Accommodations Give Kids An Unfair Advantage Thats Why So Many Claim To Have Ld
Accommodations for LD mirror those for any other legal disability they exist to level the playing field and help children with LD stand eye-to-eye with their peers. In reality, only 24 percent of college students with LD inform their schools about their condition indicating that students are not eager to self-disclose, even when doing so would provide them with much-needed accommodations.
Also Check: How Much Does Disability Pay In California
What Does Learning Disabilities Testing Do
A learning disability assessment can help to diagnose dyslexia , dysgraphia or dyscalculia . This type of evaluation typically does not examine attention, memory, executive functions or anxiety because these skills are assessed through a more extensive neuropsychological evaluation. As part of the initial interview, the psychologist will help you determine which evaluation is most appropriate for you or your child. Learning disabilities testing takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete, depending on the areas examined.
If you feel that you or someone you care about would benefit from this type of assessment, call CNLD Testing & Therapy at .
Facts About Learning Disabilities
- Fifteen percent of the U.S. population, or one in seven Americans, has some type of learning disability, according to the National Institutes of Health.
- Difficulty with basic reading and language skills are the most common learning disabilities. As many as 80% of students with learning disabilities have reading problems.
- Learning disabilities often run in families.
- Learning disabilities should not be confused with other disabilities such as autism, intellectual disability, deafness, blindness, and behavioral disorders. None of these conditions are learning disabilities. In addition, they should not be confused with lack of educational opportunities like frequent changes of schools or attendance problems. Also, children who are learning English do not necessarily have a learning disability.
- Attention disorders, such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and learning disabilities often occur at the same time, but the two disorders are not the same.
Read Also: Average Disability Payment In California
In Addition To Working With Your Childs Teacher Here Are Additional Steps You Should Take:
Collect information on your childs performance. Keep notes, copies of your childs assignments, and any correspondence from your childs school regarding your childs performance in a folder so that you can document any patterns. At the same time, it is also important to observe your childs strengths and interests, encouraging and rewarding your child for the things he does well.
Monitor your childs progress. Watch your childs progress to be sure that your childs needs are being met. Keep your childs education folder up to date, adding new samples of schoolwork and test results. If your child is not making progress, discuss your observations with school personnel and work together to make changes. You may need to ask for a comprehensive educational evaluation to determine if your child may be eligible for special education services.
Learn as much as you can. The more you understand about the way your child learns and the help thats available, the better equipped you will be to help your child succeed. If it turns out that your child does have a learning disability, you also need to be aware of your rights and protections under the law.
Join with others who care. By joining with other parents and professionals you can increase awareness of the issue, dispel popular misconceptions, help establish educational systems that provide for the needs of children with learning disabilities, and get support for yourself. Locate the LDA Chapter near you today!