Learning Disability Report
| Definition | Characteristics | Causes | Teaching |
| Learning disability is a disorder that affect a person’s ability to interpret what is said or seen or to link information from different parts of the brain | Characteristic include; Imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write or do mathematical calculations, poor memory, sequencing and abstraction.
|
Causes believed to cause this condition include; Brain Damage,
Heredity, Environmental factors and Biochemical imbalance |
Individualized skill based approaches such as Phonic awareness programs for students suffering from speech problem |
Impact of Leaning Disabilities and Communication Disorders on Students Achievement
Learning disabilities and communication disorders presents various challenges that may hinder students’ achievement in class. Apart from the learning problem brought about by physical challenge, emotional problem play a big part in affecting the performance of student with learning disability. Any form of learning disability can be humiliating to any student bringing forth emotional problems. Students with learning disabilities are in most cases embarrassed about their condition. I was able to learn about this by visiting my local district school to see how policies, procedures, and programs for education of students with learning disabilities are implemented. With the inclusion program student with learning disabilities are supposed to share the same learning environment with other students. Though there is introduction of Individual Education Plan, this inclusion sometimes present a challenge to the students with disabilities.
I was informed of a particular 5th grade student that was suffering of dyslexia and was interested in knowing the challenges that this student encounters in learning. After attending a session in their class, I noticed that the student was anxious when the teacher instructed the class to read materials in class. On interviewing a speech- language therapist in my district I was informed that, that was probably due to emotional problems that the student may be undergoing due to his condition. Student with learning disabilities understand their areas of weakness and become nervous when asked to do a task involving these area. The student suffering from dyslexia probably understood that he had a problem with reading and therefore becomes nervous whenever he is required to read.
The inability of students with learning disability to socialize effectively with other students also affects their achievement more in a psychological way rather than physical way. Students especially those suffering from speech and listening disorders usually experience low self esteem whenever they are in the present of others. These students always feel nervous because they cannot communicate effectively as their fellow student do. This ends up effecting their concentration in class and therefore, their achievement. This anxiety and emotional difficulties experienced by learning disabled students contribute a big part towards a students lack of achievement.
In order to hide their disabilities students with learning disabilities may develop aggressive behaviors. For example, a student suffering from dyslexia may become aggressive whenever he or she is required to read a material in class in the presence of others. This condition is also what makes most students to attempt to isolate themselves from the society. They feel that others are looking down on them because of their problem and suffer from low self esteem.
Poor achievement by students suffering from learning disabilities may also be as result of frustration. Most students suffering from learning disabilities are very willing to learn in ways other students are doing it. This makes them try very hard to overcome their challenge and learn in the normal setting. But sometimes their conditions are too overwhelming causing these students to suffer from frustration. They end being frustrated because they are not able to learn like other children do and so they feel different and discouraged.
Learning disabilities and communication disorder may also cause a student to suffer from low concentration span. This may also affect their achievement when they are learning with non- disabled students. This was a common observation in my district school where students with learning disabilities appeared to resign from class earlier than other students. Attention deficit disorder is of more concern in term of causing anxiety to students suffering from it. Students suffering from this condition may behave in unreasonable manner and according to the speech- language therapist; this condition does not observe age and a mature student may misbehave in the same way young students misbehave.
Though there are challenges that hinder effective learning of students with disability this does not mean that students with disability cannot learn. These students have the capability to learn just like any other student. Having learning disabilities also should not warrant separation of a student from the rest. Students with learning disabilities are no different from student without disabilities and therefore they should be encouraged to learn together. However, students with leaning disabilities usually have special learning needs. This is what has made the government to recommend special programs in public schools to address these needs. My district school provides special education classes that needy students attend for several hours each week.
This program provides for Individualized Learning Programs for students with disability, where it will be possible to adopt technologies that fit unique learning styles of these students. Students with learning disabilities may have problems in learning in the conventional ways like other students do. However, these students have unique learning styles, that this program identify and tailor education contents to enable their delivery in learning styles that these students better understand. Different conditions will make students have different learning difficulties and different styles of learning that they are good at. For example, student suffering from dyslexia may be provided with digital learning that enables them to learn from sound. Planning special education program start by identifying what a student can and cannot do. It is also important to identify the task that this student can do and the senses that function properly. After understanding the student’s strength and weaknesses the teacher then designs the Individualized Education Program. This program outline the specific skills that the student need to develop and the appropriate learning activities that apply to the student’s condition. For example, language and speech therapy may focus on providing structured environments for heating and practicing language patterns.
In summary, learning disabilities present students with various learning challenges that make them fail to achieve. The special learning programs have been effective in addressing these problems and now students with learning disabilities are enjoying similar learning opportunities like students without disabilities. These programs should be encouraged in all institutions and should be used in the appropriate ways to ensure that students with disabilities are not disadvantaged because of their condition.
References
Stonecipher (2010), Learning Disabilities, Communication Disorders and Giftedness, retrieved on February 5, 2011, from http://factoidz.com/learning-disabilities-communication-disorders-and-giftedness/
Is this your assignment or some part of it?
We can do it for you! Click to Order!
