Identifying Barriers to Learning
http://www.educationbuzz.net/articles/4047/1/Identifying-Barriers-to-Learning/Page1.html
Tristan Andrews
Tristan Andrews is a freelance author who writes articles about Tutoring Services and Downingtown, PA Tutoring. By Tristan Andrews
Published on 01/20/2010
Fortunately, as we live in a society where much has already been discovered about learning disorders, educators are extremely familiar with many of the signs.
Fortunately, as we live in a society where much has already been discovered about learning disorders, educators are extremely familiar with many of the signs.
A. Overview: Learning Disabilities
The problem, however, may be that we have become too quick to label a child as learning disabled and, thus, potentially to blame for erroneously subjecting that individual to unwarranted measures, e.g., holding back in school or high doses of pharmaceutical medications, etc.
As we pointed out in the previous chapter, children learn at varying rates based upon a mix of genetic and environmental factors. For such reasons, sometimes a 'late bloomer' is simply moving along at hisher own pace as opposed to suffering from an effective disorder.
Although the point of this chapter is to present the major learning disabilities that exist, it is also to caution parentseducators not to many rash decisions but rather to understand the best course of action may be to enlist the aide of tutor capable of providing specialized training.
B. Evaluation
Typically, the question whether or not a child has a learning disability gets raised when heshe begins experiencing difficulty in school.
Sometimes, this is not apparent until the student falls significantly behind the rest of the class. Other times, the child's acting out signifies a problem for, despite heshe may be performing well enough academically, hisher behavior proves to be a distraction to the teacher andor other pupils.
In order to issue a diagnosis or make an educational recommendation, the child is usually asked to undergo an assessment comprised of the following components:
- Tests-although no single test can issue a diagnosis with 100% certainty, there are both formal and informal educationallearning performance measurement tools that can provide helpful information.
In contrast with informal testing methodologies that only provide a snapshot of the student's skill level on a given day, formal tests are able to detect the student's anticipated performance levels for off into the future.
- Monitoring-observational reports during class sessions and testing periods can offer insight into the student's level of academic functioning. Additional information may be gained via interviews with teachers and people familiar enough with the child that they are able to attest to hisher interaction skills and responsive patterns.
- Full Assessment-additionally, a complete educational assessment is likely to encompass such elements as: medical histories and comparisons of the child's progress in context with 'average' development expectancies.
Note: Early detection of developmental delays can prove most beneficial for intervention for they can greatly reduce the long-term impact of a disability.
C. Learning Disabilities
Defined, a learning disability is a neurological disorder that adversely affects the understanding or communicating of a spoken or written language. Impacting one or more of the basic psychological processes, a disability may result in an inability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or perform quantitative calculations.
The degree to which people suffer from learning disabilities varies based upon the following elements: severity of the condition; unique make-up of the individual; and the resources one has to address the situation.
Common among people with learning disabilities is the extremes in ability. More specifically, this trait appears as a single weakness within an army of strengths, e.g., a child with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) who struggles with comprehension of reading and language yet is quite capable in the areas of math and science.
By and large, people with learning disabilities tend to be of average or above average intelligence. The problem, however, arises due to a gap between the individual's potential and hisher achievements.
Due to the fact the person may seem normal on the outside, yet be incapable of performing at the level expected of someone of hisher age, the term 'hidden disabilities' is often applied to learning disabilities.
Rather than being something that can be cured or fixed, a learning disability is, in fact, a persistent, lifelong challenge. However, a diagnosis of a learning disability need not automatically threaten the quality of one's life. Rather, with appropriate support and intervention, people with learning disabilities not only have the potential to attain sizable amounts of personal, educational and vocational success; they also have the ability to derive a great deal of personal satisfaction from their lives .
D. Major Types of Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia-due to visual perception and word decoding impairments, this disability involved difficulties experienced with the written language as evidenced by individuals' problems with spelling, reading and writing .
Dyscalculia-akin to dyslexia which is caused by visual perception impairments, dyscalculia appears as an inability to understand and work with numbers.
Dysgraphia-resulting in difficulties in writing and graphing, this disability tends to show itself in the form of poor handwriting, sometimes to the point of illegibility.
Dyspraxia-at times, referred to as 'clumsy child syndrome', dyspraxia entails problems with motor coordination, sensory integration and the acquisition of new skills.
Central Auditory Processing Disorder(CAPD)-a complex problem affecting only a small percentage (5%) of school-aged children in the US, because their hearing functions differently than that of others, individuals with CAPD cannot properly process information. More specifically, such individuals experience a discord whereby their brains and ears are unable to recognize and interpret sounds, particularly whereas speech is concerned.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-common neurological behavioral disorder whereby an estimated 8% to 10% percent of school aged children (among others) act impulsively, display extreme energetic outbursts, and indicate an inability to focus. Persisting over a long period of time (versus occasional outbursts), the child's behaviors, e.g., inattentiveness and constant movement, have the ability to disrupt hisher home, school and social lives.
Gifted Affliction-while it may seem as if gifted students may fare better, when placed in communal learning situations they tend to get slowed down by other, more average students. This is why some extremely intelligent students fail to work to their full capacity.
Referred to as 'twice exceptional', learning disabilities affecting gifted persons may require a continual series of one-on-one sessions or possibly another form of educational advancement to ensure they remain stimulated and on the right track to reach their potential.
E. Conclusions
As stated previously in this chapter, simply because one possesses symptoms associated with a learning disability or may even be 'officially' diagnosed does not automatically mean the individual is inherently flawed or forever doomed to lowering hisher academic expectations.
Despite the presence of such an issue, the student in question has the potential to overcome hisher handicap by working on lessons specifically tailored to address hisher core problem areas, e.g., dyslexic individuals may want to focus on reading and writing whereas persons with dyscalculia may opt to concentrate on mathematical lessons.
With respect to gifted students, while their situations are somewhat different, on account of the student's growing level of disinterest and disconnect, they are still grouped within the 'learning disability' category.
Regardless of whether a learning challenge is due to having a disability or being deemed as exceptional, the typical solution is for the individual to work with a tutor or instructor trained in the area of customizing lessons to meet a student's particular situation.
In such cases, diagnostic assessment tests prove very helpful for, although particular trouble spots may be apparent, a full evaluation may be required to understand the specific nature of the student's condition.
As some famous people with learning disabilities have go on to say, "Sometimes having a learning disability can be a blessing for it forces one to take an honest look at himselfherself and address the problem head-on."
In short, the earlier on the problem is identified, the sooner intervention can take place and, thus, the quicker progress (and possible triumphant success) can be achieved.
A. Overview: Learning Disabilities
The problem, however, may be that we have become too quick to label a child as learning disabled and, thus, potentially to blame for erroneously subjecting that individual to unwarranted measures, e.g., holding back in school or high doses of pharmaceutical medications, etc.
As we pointed out in the previous chapter, children learn at varying rates based upon a mix of genetic and environmental factors. For such reasons, sometimes a 'late bloomer' is simply moving along at hisher own pace as opposed to suffering from an effective disorder.
Although the point of this chapter is to present the major learning disabilities that exist, it is also to caution parentseducators not to many rash decisions but rather to understand the best course of action may be to enlist the aide of tutor capable of providing specialized training.
B. Evaluation
Typically, the question whether or not a child has a learning disability gets raised when heshe begins experiencing difficulty in school.
Sometimes, this is not apparent until the student falls significantly behind the rest of the class. Other times, the child's acting out signifies a problem for, despite heshe may be performing well enough academically, hisher behavior proves to be a distraction to the teacher andor other pupils.
In order to issue a diagnosis or make an educational recommendation, the child is usually asked to undergo an assessment comprised of the following components:
- Tests-although no single test can issue a diagnosis with 100% certainty, there are both formal and informal educationallearning performance measurement tools that can provide helpful information.
In contrast with informal testing methodologies that only provide a snapshot of the student's skill level on a given day, formal tests are able to detect the student's anticipated performance levels for off into the future.
- Monitoring-observational reports during class sessions and testing periods can offer insight into the student's level of academic functioning. Additional information may be gained via interviews with teachers and people familiar enough with the child that they are able to attest to hisher interaction skills and responsive patterns.
- Full Assessment-additionally, a complete educational assessment is likely to encompass such elements as: medical histories and comparisons of the child's progress in context with 'average' development expectancies.
Note: Early detection of developmental delays can prove most beneficial for intervention for they can greatly reduce the long-term impact of a disability.
C. Learning Disabilities
Defined, a learning disability is a neurological disorder that adversely affects the understanding or communicating of a spoken or written language. Impacting one or more of the basic psychological processes, a disability may result in an inability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or perform quantitative calculations.
The degree to which people suffer from learning disabilities varies based upon the following elements: severity of the condition; unique make-up of the individual; and the resources one has to address the situation.
Common among people with learning disabilities is the extremes in ability. More specifically, this trait appears as a single weakness within an army of strengths, e.g., a child with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) who struggles with comprehension of reading and language yet is quite capable in the areas of math and science.
By and large, people with learning disabilities tend to be of average or above average intelligence. The problem, however, arises due to a gap between the individual's potential and hisher achievements.
Due to the fact the person may seem normal on the outside, yet be incapable of performing at the level expected of someone of hisher age, the term 'hidden disabilities' is often applied to learning disabilities.
Rather than being something that can be cured or fixed, a learning disability is, in fact, a persistent, lifelong challenge. However, a diagnosis of a learning disability need not automatically threaten the quality of one's life. Rather, with appropriate support and intervention, people with learning disabilities not only have the potential to attain sizable amounts of personal, educational and vocational success; they also have the ability to derive a great deal of personal satisfaction from their lives .
D. Major Types of Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia-due to visual perception and word decoding impairments, this disability involved difficulties experienced with the written language as evidenced by individuals' problems with spelling, reading and writing .
Dyscalculia-akin to dyslexia which is caused by visual perception impairments, dyscalculia appears as an inability to understand and work with numbers.
Dysgraphia-resulting in difficulties in writing and graphing, this disability tends to show itself in the form of poor handwriting, sometimes to the point of illegibility.
Dyspraxia-at times, referred to as 'clumsy child syndrome', dyspraxia entails problems with motor coordination, sensory integration and the acquisition of new skills.
Central Auditory Processing Disorder(CAPD)-a complex problem affecting only a small percentage (5%) of school-aged children in the US, because their hearing functions differently than that of others, individuals with CAPD cannot properly process information. More specifically, such individuals experience a discord whereby their brains and ears are unable to recognize and interpret sounds, particularly whereas speech is concerned.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-common neurological behavioral disorder whereby an estimated 8% to 10% percent of school aged children (among others) act impulsively, display extreme energetic outbursts, and indicate an inability to focus. Persisting over a long period of time (versus occasional outbursts), the child's behaviors, e.g., inattentiveness and constant movement, have the ability to disrupt hisher home, school and social lives.
Gifted Affliction-while it may seem as if gifted students may fare better, when placed in communal learning situations they tend to get slowed down by other, more average students. This is why some extremely intelligent students fail to work to their full capacity.
Referred to as 'twice exceptional', learning disabilities affecting gifted persons may require a continual series of one-on-one sessions or possibly another form of educational advancement to ensure they remain stimulated and on the right track to reach their potential.
E. Conclusions
As stated previously in this chapter, simply because one possesses symptoms associated with a learning disability or may even be 'officially' diagnosed does not automatically mean the individual is inherently flawed or forever doomed to lowering hisher academic expectations.
Despite the presence of such an issue, the student in question has the potential to overcome hisher handicap by working on lessons specifically tailored to address hisher core problem areas, e.g., dyslexic individuals may want to focus on reading and writing whereas persons with dyscalculia may opt to concentrate on mathematical lessons.
With respect to gifted students, while their situations are somewhat different, on account of the student's growing level of disinterest and disconnect, they are still grouped within the 'learning disability' category.
Regardless of whether a learning challenge is due to having a disability or being deemed as exceptional, the typical solution is for the individual to work with a tutor or instructor trained in the area of customizing lessons to meet a student's particular situation.
In such cases, diagnostic assessment tests prove very helpful for, although particular trouble spots may be apparent, a full evaluation may be required to understand the specific nature of the student's condition.
As some famous people with learning disabilities have go on to say, "Sometimes having a learning disability can be a blessing for it forces one to take an honest look at himselfherself and address the problem head-on."
In short, the earlier on the problem is identified, the sooner intervention can take place and, thus, the quicker progress (and possible triumphant success) can be achieved.