Education of Children with Learning Disabilities
For centuries, the education of children with learning disabilities has been a problem and a challenge. Many methods of teaching have been proposed, yet every day there are new techniques and strategies on how to achieve the maximum success of these children. The problem of educating a child cannot be solved quickly and easily, rather it requires much careful analysis and research. Workers in this field are developing new theories on a day-to-day basis. All the methods proposed seem to be the answer, yet the problem is not yet solved. Meanwhile, we must determine the best strategies for the most effective method of teaching a child with learning disabilities.
Children whom we are discussing are those who are sometimes thought to be unprogressive or otherwise not achieving as well as they should at their age level in school. They are usually average children who experience extreme difficulty in learning how to read or to do mathematical problems, or who have difficulty in handling a pencil, buttoning buttons, or tying shoelaces. They can be harshly teased by their classmates for clumsiness or “stupidity,” and are frequently labeled as “disciplinary” problems by their teachers because they may act up in class in an attempt to blend in their lack of preparation. Their disabilities are often not recognized and many times these children grow up and go through life, still impaired, still making adjustments, never having been helped because the nature of their disability had not been recognized. Children with learning and behavioral difficulties have a lot in common with all children. They rarely exhibit any kinds of learning and behavior characteristics that are not also seen in the typical child. For example, many times they cannot tell the difference between similar letters or numbers.
Many children also exhibit visual perceptual problems during their early exposure of reading instruction, but most children soon learn the appropriate visual discrimination and the associated letter sound, etc. However, it is the children that continue to experience these problems that are diagnosed as having learning difficulties. The proper identification of a learning problem is only the first step in the redemption process. Before the data obtained from testing and from subjective observations can have...
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...mined by the capabilities of the child himself. There is a growing concern for children and youth with learning disabilities who have extreme difficulty both academically and in other areas despite their mental capability. The inquiry of the youngster who encounters extraordinary difficulty in learning, however, is not in anyway new. Throughout the years, children from all different surroundings and backgrounds have experienced difficulties in learning. Researchers and investigators have been trying to solve this problem. However, as of now, we may only come to one conclusion, that the best way to teach these children is to bring them up in a surrounding where they learn to develop a positive attitude toward themselves. The child must want to thrive and achieve his best. Whichever teaching method is chosen, whether it is mainstreaming or home-based, and the educator must have high expectations in order so that the child will gain self-confidence. This is only a guide, for it is clearly not a solution. It is most likely that a solution will never be found but rather we must work with each child as an individual so that he/she may reach his/her potential and achieve maximum success.
Graziano’s article over the handling of his son’s disability in the classroom also involves issues that relate to teachers detecting signs of mental illness in the classrooms, how teachers identify a behavioral troubled child, and training school counselors on the Section 504 policy that are all happening in the world today. Realizing these issues can help parents with giving their child the best out of their education and can also help teachers understand the importance of their relationship with students. Everyone should have the opportunity for a brighter future and having a learning disability should not be the end of the road for any student.
Lavoie’s workshop provokes an emotional response. After viewing life through the eyes of a child with special needs, I cannot help but have a more significant understanding of what people, especially children with disabilities, must deal with every day, everywhere. During the many years that I have worked with children with various disabilities, I have encountered each of the topics discussed in Lavoie’s workshop and agree with the points he makes regarding children with disabilities. Particularly impacting the way I interact with my students are the topics concerning: anxiety, reading comprehension, and fairness.
Temperance movements were vital keys to the ratification of the eighteenth amendment. Temperance at first meant abstaining from distilled liquors, but later would be the complete avoidance of alcohol. Both men and women would participate in temperance across the United States. Women finally had a voice in these issues. Women temperance movements would include gathering around saloons, pharmacies, and other places that distributed alcohol that could be consumed. In these gatherings women would sing prayers, recite psalms, and persuade people to avoid drinking alcohol.
Some people would argue that children with disabilities are not as smart as other children. One article titled Debunking Four Common Stereotypes About Kids with Special Needs proves this false. This is a stereotype that has been formed and the fact is, “Disabled children are usually of average or above intelligence” (National Network for Child Care 1). This expresses that kids with disabilities do not always struggle academically. The National Network of childcare is stating that putting these adolescents in a grouping of unintelligence is a false accusation. Also, in the article by the National Network for Child Care it explains a common misunderstanding. The misconception of disabled children not being as smart is widely misunderstood, “They usually understand what is being taught, but often do not understand the way it is being taught” (National Network of Childcare 1), which mentions that although they struggle that is not an effect
Preventing reading difficulties needs to be caught and identified in the earliest stages of a child’s development. ‘Research over the last two decades has demonstrated that most reading difficulties can be corrected,” (Kilpatrick 2011) According to the research it seems that reading difficulties can be diagnosed and a plan of intervention established early in a child’s education. The teaching establishment just needs to realize this and come to grips with a plan and practice to implement. According to a study by Vellutino, (1996) he conducted a study in which first grade students had an intensive intervention program and the results turned out to be very good about 68% benefited from the intervention and continued to do so a year after. One of the inventions focuses on site recognition where students can recognize a pool of words instantly. This was further explained in an article by Linnea Ehri (Learning to read words: Theory, Findings, and Issues). Here there was research done because educators where looking for evidence to make decisions on reading instructions for their students. Ehri conducted studie...
There are numerous research studies concerned with the factors that determine birth weight.4-10 Factors such as maternal weight gain, smoking, alcohol consumption, gestational age, maternal anthropometry and many other variables have all been the subject of several scientific papers. The World Health Organization defines normal birth weight as 2500 to 4000 grammes. Low birth weight (<2500g) is usually associated with significant infant mortality. 1, 11 Fetal macrosomia (birth weight >4000g)12 has however been shown to have significantly less association with infant mortality in recent years, probably due to medical advances in management of the condition.13
Out of the temperance movements the Women’s Christian Temperance Union was formed. These Women used the argument that alcohol was the leading cause for divorce and other family issues within the nation. The Anti-Saloon League was another group that supported prohibition by arguing that taverns were full of dishonesty and unreasonable things. Factory owners were in support of the 18th amendment in hopes that the ban of alcohol would raise productivity and injuries. These combined with the governments belief that Americans were become to dependent on alcohol the nation was moving closer to being alcohol free.
Low birth weight can be defined as baby born with weight less than 2500g. It is one of the adverse pregnancy results in the world, which is affected to the newborn survival, growth and development. There are categorizes in the low birth weight; very low birth weight which a birth weight is less than 1500g and extremely low birth weight which is a birth weight is less than 1000g. An estimated 18 million babies are born worldwide each year with low birth weight and 9.3 million of them in south Asia. Low birth weight percentage in Sri lanka is 16% and is high in the developing countries. At that time, the low birth weight (LBW) rate for industrialized countries are 5%-7%. In England and Wales, the incidence of low birth weight increased from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 6.7 percent in 1990, while that of very low birth weight increased from 0.78 in 1980 to 0.98 percent in 1990 (and 1.2 percent in 1996 - Masuy-Stroobant and Gourbin, 1995, p. 73; Petrou, 2003, referring to
There are main 3 situations with low birth weights. Infants who have their birth weight below 2500g are called as low birth weight. Infants who have their birth weight below 1500g are called as very low birth weight and infants who have their birth weight below 1000g are called as extremely low birth weight. But there are 20 million infants who have low birth weight every year and also considerably high rate of low birth weights are recorded in developing countries and it is 96%. Most of infants with low birth weights have risk of mortality and n...
More generally, criminal statistics do not tell the whole story of youth crime. In particular, definitions of criminal behaviour change over time. One exam...
The topic of assessment alone raises many debated discussions, among teachers, and to add Special Education students into the polemical dialogue intensifies the debate. As a result, there are several alternative methods in assessing Special Education students within the learning environment. Professionals have created specifically designated techniques in helping these and all students achieve academic success.
Birth weight is considered as the first weight that measures immediately after birth of the baby. Birth weight of an infant is a strong indicator of the newborn's survival chances, growth, long-term health as well as the psychosocial development. Furthermore it is an efficient sign of the health and nutritional status during the pregnancy period and pre pregnancy period. Low birth weight has been defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as weight at birth of less than2500 grams (5.5 pounds). According to their survey results low birth weight babies are approximately 20 times have the chance of being fatal than normal babies within the first year of their life time. This LBW has become a crucial issue especially in the developing countries rather than in the developed countries. According to the estimat...
As a teacher it is important if not crucial to create a safe learning environment for students, especially students with disabilities. Most schools implement many services that are available in order to support students with mild-extreme disabilities without excluding them from the other students. The ‘least restrictive environment’ (educational psychology for learning and teaching) is an environment that is close to what students without disabilities learn in. However, depending on the severity of the disability, after school classes or sessions may be required. Depending on the primary school year level, some students may not even be aware that their fellow peer has a disability if the student has not been singled out as being disabled. To engage behavioural or disabled students in learning a good strategy is to accompany the main teacher with a teacher aide. In a class of 25 or so students, one teacher is not able to get around to each student individually. One-on-one interaction with student and teacher is highly beneficial with certain students. So, by having a teacher aide in the classroom the main teacher can work with the students who are able to work more independently
Although these are just two key beliefs of the Christian doctrine, they are important factors to what it means to be a Christian. Through Gods unending grace, relinquished by Jesus’s death on the cross, these values are critical parts that make Christianity is what it is. Ephesians 2: 8-9 states that’s that “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Education is a profession which requires a teacher to be able to communicate with a multitude of students on a variety of levels. There is not a class, or student for that matter, that is identical. Therefore, teachers must be able to identify and help educate students from all different types of backgrounds and at different levels. Teaching a singular subject presents difficulties, but teaching students with disabilities should not be one. There are three main teaching areas that need to be focused on when teaching a student with a learning disability. Teachers need to focus on the strategies that will assist students with reading comprehension skills, writing skills, and maintaining appropriate behaviors in a classroom setting.