How To Teach A Child With Learning Disabilities

Education is very important and when a child suffers from learning disabilities it is still vital that you influence his or her learning experience in a positive way in order to make a difference in how they interpret things. Every child sees and hears things differently but if your child has been diagnosed with learning disabilities, don't worry you can still encourage your child and help them to learn just in different ways.

Sometimes disabilities in learning can be misdiagnosed as ADHD. While they may have similar symptoms, they may be completely different in the end. ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects more people than you realize. Learning can be more difficult because the individual cannot keep their attention on any one thing for too long.

There are seven types of learning disabilities according to the American Medical Association. These are:

* Dyslexia, or special impairment

* Dyscalculia or the inability to understand basic math concepts

* Dysgraphia or the inability to write correctly

* Language problems

* Time and space management problems

* Memory complications

* Sensory integration complications

When someone suffers from disabilities in learning they are challenged in some way or several ways while trying to perform a simple job or task that wouldn't normally be a problem. In fact, learning disabilities may not be diagnosed until later on in the school year. You may be able to pick up on it if your child is good in one subject such as science but cannot comprehend basic math problems.

If you have been told that your child suffers from one or more learning disabilities you may first blame yourself for not picking up on symptoms or clues earlier. You may continuously blame yourself while you try to back up in time figuring out when your child started showing signs that something wasn't being understood.

Attention deficit disorder is different from other learning disabilities in several ways. When someone suffers from ADHD all normal cognitive reactions are affected instead of only one or two like in the example above. ADHD is more of a medical condition then it is a learning disability and therefore it is picked up during an examination from a medical professional and not during a test given by the school.

If you feel that your child may suffer from a disability such as the ones listed below, these learning disabilities your child's school will know how to further test your child in order to determine which disability he or she may suffer from. Once it has been diagnosed, your child can receive special help and counseling in order to learn how to deal with their learning disabilities and how to better help themselves. If you suspect that your child may be suffering from a disability contact your school to set up a test that can determine if this is correct or if something else may be wrong. A child should be able to learn without any disabilities however when a disability exists a child can still learn.

For the latest videos and training information on child development as well as books and curricula please visit http://www.childdevelopmentmedia.com/.

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Home School High School

Yes for someone who haven't tried home schooling high school, making their own child's home school records and transcripts sounds impossible. They have lots of doubts and uncertainties thinking they will ruin or jeopardize the college life of their child. Well, it's normal to feel that way if we have the reason to do so. But there are times we need to check twice if the way we judge our abilities is right. Maybe we are just lacking self-esteem. Of course we cannot be professional teachers but we can educate our children since we know them better than anyone else does.

First we like to know the reasons why we hesitate to home school our child.

Possible reasons below:

IgnoranceIntimidated by others who criticize youComplicatedTakes a lot of your timeWe would rather pay someone to do it.We haven't heard of someone who made their own child's records and transcriptsWe don't know where to find help

Now we try to weigh them up with these solutions:

To be an educator of your child requires having the right tools and information. As long as we know how to read, write and willing to learn, we can do it.We must not to listen to misleading and intimidating words around us since they don't know how we feel about the importance of educating our child. Knowing that it is our responsibility as parents to provide quality education to your children will move us to go on.We must avail the necessary tools such as videos, audio, books, e-books and coaching programs that cover all the difficult areas of accomplishing your task.Making records and transcripts is easy, fun and simple. Just to give one example is to learn how to record our student's experience on our own Official Home School Transcript, by subject and by year. This can be delightful since we can do it anywhere, anyplace and at our own convenient time. It need not to be formal.Working to earn money to pay for agency demands a lot of our time than the hours we will spend educating our child. Teaching our child will cost us very minimal amount while agencies will cost thousands of dollars.Many parents have been successful in home schooling high school I'm sure we can too. And college love children who were homeschooled.Today coaching program is available. We are not alone to carry the load. We just need to find out where to avail the assistance that we need.

Reading these solutions may still not convince us that we have the capacity to stand as an educator to our child. We may still have the fear and doubts that we will jeopardize our child's college chance. As I said, it is normal to feel that way. But knowing that thousands of parents had been successful and in homeschooling their child, so we can do it too.

I confidently said the above solutions because I learned the information about the total transcript solution. I discovered how to home school high school and stop worrying about how to make home school records and transcripts. I like to share with you what I learned and how I was helped if you visit my website below:

http://www.thehomeschooltranscripts.com/

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Developing Social Stories for Children With Autism/Asperger's Syndrome/PDD

Social stories have proven successful when working with students on social skill development. Social stories have helped many children develop behaviors that are more appropriate to given settings. Social stories may also help the child understand why certain behaviors are necessary in different situations. But what exactly is a social story and how can it be used in a way that will be helpful and supportive? A step-by-step guideline on how to develop a social story is provided.

First it is necessary to prioritize what behaviors you are seeking to change or develop. Select one behavior at a time. For example, if your child/student has difficulty walking into the library quietly, target this particular activity. Write the story in the first person "When I walk through the door of the library I need to be quiet!" For some children, it is also helpful to include drawings or photographs of the event. Many children may be able to participate in the development of the social story. This involvement encourages "buy in" and a better understanding of the expectations.

Explain the situation that presents difficulty. "On Tuesdays my class goes to the library."

Include a description of the child's behavior along with a description of the desired behavior. "When we walk into the library the room is very quiet. I feel a little nervous because we have left the classroom where I feel safe. I also am excited when we go to the library. Sometimes I yell. When I yell, I like the sound my voice makes and I feel good. It is okay to get excited, but is not okay to yell in the library."

Continue by explaining why this behavior is unacceptable and by describing the desired behavior. "When I yell it bothers other people in the library. It makes it hard for them to work. Even though I like to yell in the library, I need to be quiet because the library is a quiet place. It is not the place to yell."

End the story with a description of the acceptable behavior. "When I walk into the library I will not yell or make any other loud noise. I will walk quietly through the door, smile at the librarian, and sit down quietly on the carpet and wait for directions. When I walk into the library quietly it makes my class and teacher happy. I can yell when I'm on the playground."

Following is a sample of a social story:
Social Story: Going to the Library

"When I walk through the door of the library I need to be quiet! On Tuesdays my class goes to the library. When we walk into the library the room is very quiet. I feel a little nervous because we have left the classroom where I feel safe. I also get excited when we go to the library. Sometimes I yell. When I yell, I like the sound my voice makes and I feel good. It is okay to get excited, but is not okay to yell in the library. When I yell it bothers other the other people in the library. It makes it hard for them to work. Even though I like to yell in the library I need to be quiet because the library is a quiet place. It is not the place to yell. When I walk into the library I will not yell or make any other loud noise. I will walk quietly through the door, smile at the librarian, and sit down quietly on the carpet and wait for directions. When I walk into the library I will try to be quiet because it makes my class and teacher happy. I can yell when I'm on the playground."

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Not Talking Vs Not Having Anything to Say

Not talking is not the same as having nothing to say. This is a common statement from speech and other therapists about their clients who are considered non-verbal, but not always non-communicative.

Many children with special needs are what we consider non-verbal or having limited language skills. When therapists say this they mean that the children are using few or no spoken words. They may make some sounds in communication and they may not. They may or may not use gestures to support these sounds and communicate with those around them. Working with children with limited expressive language skills can be frustrating for the adults around them, but even more frustrating for the child trying to communicate.

Often, these children understand much more of what is said around them than they can express in return. In other words their receptive language skills are more developed than their expressive language skills. They can feel trapped in their own minds and behave accordingly. Hitting, kicking, slapping, pinching, and other "negative" behaviors can be used to express their frustration. Rather than immediately labeling them as a behavior problem, good therapists and teachers look to find solutions for these communication problems.

The first approach for many of these children is sign language. Because fine motor skills can develop sooner than oral motor skills children can move their hands to talk before they can use their mouth. Simple signs like more, all done, help, please, and mine can convey many different needs and desires. These can also be learned through a hand-over-hand technique where the parent or therapist moves the child's hands for them to communicate until the child is either able to do it on their own or finds their words in other ways.

Another technique is using photographs or line drawings to communicate. Some children are visual learners. Pictures make more sense to them and make it easy to learn and use for communication. Being able to hand an adult a picture and receive what they want can be a huge accomplishment for a child who has struggled to communicate in the past.

For those who continue to have difficulty letting others know what they want and need there is an ever growing arsenal of communication devices. From simple switches which turn on toys or make single statements when pressed to miniature computers or iPads programmed for complex sentences and multiple screens for communication, more and more children are turning to technology to communicate with others in their environment. For many families, using a communication device is the first time they heard their child's thoughts or understood what they need.

Speech therapists and communication specialists can determine through an evaluation which device is appropriate for each child. No two children are the same and the same system may not work as well for ever child. These tools are not necessarily the last word in communication for these children. For some, removing the frustration of not being able to communicate increases their ability to make gains in speech. The end goal is to allow every child access to the tools they need to express themselves. After all, not talking is NOT the same as not having anything to say.

©R. Wellman 2011

Rebecca Wellman, PhD, MT-BC/DT is a board certified music therapist and developmental specialist. She ha s a private practice in the Chicago suburbs where she works with children with special needs and older adults with memory loss. Dr. Wellman is a regular presenter at state, regional, and national conferences. She can be contacted through http://www.wellmantherapy.com/.

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You Can Fight Back Against Special Education Denials That Hurt Your Child!

Are you the parent of a child with autism, learning disabilities, or another disability receiving special education services? Are you sick and tired of special education personnel in your district denying your child needed related and special education services? This article will empower you to fight back for your child by addressing important advocacy skills.

Advocacy Strategy 1: Educate yourself about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004 (IDEA 2004) and your states regulations on special education. You can do this by reading books, attending conferences and developing friendships with more experienced parents of children with disabilities. By being educated on federal and state law your chances of success with your advocacy increase.

Advocacy Strategy 2: Documentation is critical in winning a special education dispute. Begin sending letters to document what is occurring in your child's education. Important verbal conversations must be followed up by a short letter, to the person you spoke to. For Example: Your child's teacher states in a phone conversation that your child is not progressing, and needs more intense related and special education services. Immediately write a letter to the teacher, including the date and time of the conversation, and what was said. The letter needs to be Hand delivered to the teacher, or sent certified with a return receipt. This will document what the teacher said, even if she denies that she ever said it.

Also, save any letters or other documentation sent from special education personnel. You should save important school papers, any notes about negative behavior, any documentation that you need to strengthen your advocacy position. I once advocated for a young boy who had negative behavior at school. The school was sending home daily behavior sheets, and I advised the mother to date them, and not throw them away. We used them at a due process to show that when the school district stated the child's behavior was out of control, the behavior sheet said he was fine. Documentation can win a case, or lack of documentation can lose a case.

Advocacy Strategy 3: Tape record all IEP meetings, and if possible and necessary have a transcriber transcribe them for future use. Transcriptions of IEP meetings can be used at due process as documentation.

In all my years of advocacy, I have never been a huge fan of tape recording, but I have recently changed my mind. School districts have become so bold in denying things they tell parents, that it is critical that parents have documentation of what is being said in meetings, and what the school district is agreeing to. I find a huge discrepancy between what many special education personnel agree to in a meeting, and what is being documented in a child's IEP. A transcript of a tape recorded meeting could be used as evidence in a due process hearing, to show what the school district agreed to.

Advocacy Strategy 4: Whenever special education personnel want to change a child's label placement or refuse to change your child's label or placement, they must give prior written notice (PWN) to you. Also, if they deny services that your child needs, they must also give PWN. For example: If you take your child to an independent evaluator and bring the report of recommendations to the school district, and they refuse to follow the recommendations, they must give you PWN, on why they are not following the recommendations.

Advocacy Strategy 5: Be willing to file state complaints or due process for non compliance with IDEA 2004, or if the school district does not give your child FAPE. Going over the school districts head is the best way to ensure that your child is getting the appropriate services that they need.

With these advocacy strategies under your belt, you will have a better chance of prevailing in a dispute with your school district. Your child is depending on you so work hard for their benefit.

JoAnn Collins is the mother of two adults with disabilities, and has helped families navigate the special eduation system, as an advocate, for over 15 years. She is a presenter and author of the book "Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game." The book has a lot of resources and information to help parents fight for an appropriate education for their child. For a free E newsletter entitled "The Special Education Spotlight" send an E mail to: JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com. For more information on the book, testimonials about the book, and a link to more articles go to: http://disabilitydeception.com/.

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The Importance of Identifying If a Child Has a Learning Difficulty, Learning Disability or Dyslexia

Recent study by The International Dyslexia Association states that 74% of students who are weak readers in 3rd grade remain weak readers in the 9th grade. Several students still don't read well even as grown- ups. However, it is certainly not too late for individuals with learning difficulties, learning disabilities, or dyslexia to learn to read, process, and express details and information more effectively. I have seen it first-hand. Even 50 a year old can enhance their abilities. In fact, those adults that have had strokes have been able to restore some of their cognitive abilities once they knew exactly what the fundamental areas were that the stroke impacted.

Determining what your student's learning problems are and working with them is crucial because if they go unidentified and unaddressed, students may spend their school years either feeling stupid, struggling with their schoolwork, or disliking school. They may feel that their work is never going to be good enough so they stop striving. They may seem to stare off into space, not attending to instruction. They may regularly interrupt the class. Eventually, they may not be able to get into the college of their choice or get the job of their choice.

The Most Common type of Learning Disability: Language Learning Disability

Language learning disabilities are disorders that affect one's ability to either interpret what is observed or link information coming from different parts of the brain.

Difficulties with linking information throughout the brain can show up in a variety of ways. There can be certain difficulties with spoken and written language, coordination, self-control, or attention. Such difficulties extend to schoolwork and can impede learning to read, write, or do math.

How We Learn

The best way to talk about learning disabilities is to discuss about learning. We learn 3 ways, by seeing (visual processing), hearing, and (auditory processing) and doing (tactile/kinesthetic processing). Within each of these 3 categories there are 9 sub-categories of processing. Generally when one is struggling with learning reading, writing, or math it is due to one or more of these sub-categories of processing not working as efficiently as they could, should, and can. These skills are all learned and can easily be enhanced.

There is a simple way for you as a parent or teacher to find out if your child has learning problems, dyslexia, or learning disabilities. Using the informal assessment, the Learning Disability Screening Tool, gives you the ability to identify the fundamental causes of learning problems. With this knowledge and understanding about your child's learning problems, you become the 'expert' on your child. You will know what has been holding your child back. You can now be pro-active and deal with your child's learning difficulties, learning disabilities, or dyslexia.

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET is a LD Specialist. Ms. Terry helps parents identify, understand, & address the underlying causes of their child's learning problems. Dyslexic, LD and ADHD kids advance 2-4 years in 20 minutes a day with Ms. Terry's books, games, and guides http://bonnieterrylearning.com/.

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Advocating for the Child With Autism

For families of children with autism the relationship between the family, school, and community is critical. Parents who are blessed with a child with autism must refrain from self-blame and need to advocate for their child. If you suspect that your child has autism it is helpful to seek medical attention and professional advice as early intervention is highly recommended.

Each child's needs are individual and must be recognized as an integral part of his or her complete development.

The type of educational setting that is most beneficial depends on the age and specific needs of the child.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Speak with individuals you trust and ask for their suggestions.

A creative and flexible approach is beneficial as the child's needs will fluctuate depending on age, severity of autism, changes within the environment (home and school), and physiological changes.

Within the course of a day the child with autism will experience a wide range of situations that require supportive guidance.

As a parent you have the right to meet with the teachers and administrators within your child's school as often as necessary to facilitate an appropriate assessment and educational plan.

It is important to learn what educational providers are available to help with autism training and autism treatment. For example, your child may benefit from such services as speech/language support, occupational and/or physical therapy, and adapted physical education.

While academic skills are a necessary component of your child's education, social skill development is critical for academic and life-long success.

In becoming an advocate for your child, information is critical. Access written materials, articles, books, and the many informative web-sites that provide up-to-date autism resources, autism news, and information regarding autism. Speak to your health care providers, professionals within your child's school, other parents of children with autism, your child's caregivers and teachers, and become involved in support groups.

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