March is an important month in education. For parents, it is crunch time for academic decision making. Parents who have students who are falling behind in elementary school may start to consider grade retention. Plans for summer vacations may have to be scrapped to allow secondary students to attend makeup classes. However, grade retention and repeating classes only allows for another exposure to the same material. The underlying reasons for the student's failure are not addressed. School failure often is the result of specific circumstances such as poor motivation, illness, immaturity, or family issues. But some students fail due to the presence of learning disabilities.
Unlike physical disabilities, learning disabilities are not visible but their influence is seen in the student's inability to learn at the same pace and in the same way as other students. There are no real answers as to how these disabilities happen. It may be related to family genetics, prematurity, birth trauma, or any number of factors that will never be identified. The impact of the disability may vary from mild to severe but it invariably manifests itself in the student's inability to learn despite average level intelligence and academic supports.
There are many types of learning disabilities but they all interfere with how well the student is able to make sense of and use information for learning purposes. For some students, the issue is one of inability to memorize facts and figures. For others, it may be an inability to copy information from the board or from books onto paper. Still others may need much more time to correctly interpret and follow verbal directions. The effects of these invisible handicaps are sometimes seen in academic output, such as when a student has slow processing speed, but other types may primarily affect intake of information from the environment. Sadly, students who have learning disabilities often become frustrated and begin to see themselves as less intelligent than their peers.
Fortunately, there are techniques which allow us to identify and understand the student's learning processes. Through psychoeducational testing one can determine what the child's cognitive strengths and weaknesses are so that parents and teachers can help the child learn more effectively. This type of testing provides information about the brain's ability to use information from one's senses and to understand how the individual uses that incoming information to solve problems.
Every Spring parents are forced to make difficult choices regarding their child's education. Many times those choices are made with limited information. When parents understand the underlying reasons for school failure it is much easier to plan and implement interventions that will help the student succeed. Knowing 'why' a student fails is particularly important for students who have learning disabilities.
Ramona Hall is a Licensed Educational Psychologist and Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Ramona provides testing, therapy, consultation, and case management services to adults and to children in need of educational support and intervention. Additional articles and information about educational....
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ramona_Hall
Unlike physical disabilities, learning disabilities are not visible but their influence is seen in the student's inability to learn at the same pace and in the same way as other students. There are no real answers as to how these disabilities happen. It may be related to family genetics, prematurity, birth trauma, or any number of factors that will never be identified. The impact of the disability may vary from mild to severe but it invariably manifests itself in the student's inability to learn despite average level intelligence and academic supports.
There are many types of learning disabilities but they all interfere with how well the student is able to make sense of and use information for learning purposes. For some students, the issue is one of inability to memorize facts and figures. For others, it may be an inability to copy information from the board or from books onto paper. Still others may need much more time to correctly interpret and follow verbal directions. The effects of these invisible handicaps are sometimes seen in academic output, such as when a student has slow processing speed, but other types may primarily affect intake of information from the environment. Sadly, students who have learning disabilities often become frustrated and begin to see themselves as less intelligent than their peers.
Fortunately, there are techniques which allow us to identify and understand the student's learning processes. Through psychoeducational testing one can determine what the child's cognitive strengths and weaknesses are so that parents and teachers can help the child learn more effectively. This type of testing provides information about the brain's ability to use information from one's senses and to understand how the individual uses that incoming information to solve problems.
Every Spring parents are forced to make difficult choices regarding their child's education. Many times those choices are made with limited information. When parents understand the underlying reasons for school failure it is much easier to plan and implement interventions that will help the student succeed. Knowing 'why' a student fails is particularly important for students who have learning disabilities.
Ramona Hall is a Licensed Educational Psychologist and Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Ramona provides testing, therapy, consultation, and case management services to adults and to children in need of educational support and intervention. Additional articles and information about educational....
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ramona_Hall
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