ElHannah

ProfCherup
Psych225
19February,2015
CollectionofExperiences:LearningDisabilities
Introduction:
Iwasapudgy,curlyhairedtenyearoldatSt.Michaelselementaryschool.AllI
rememberisthatIgottomissafewdaysofclassandmymotherboughtmeahotchocolateas
wedrovetowarddowntown.Ididnotknowatthetime,butIwasgettingtestedbyachild
psychologist.ItturnedoutthatIwasdiagnosedwithalearningdisability,Ineverknewthis,I
wasjustexcitedthatIgotahotcocoandgottospendtimewithmymom!Learningdisabilities
arecomplex,becausetherearemanymovingcogsanddifferenttypesoflearningdisabilities.It
istimetodivedeeperintothetopicoflearningdisabilitieswhattheyare,assistivetechnologies
thatcanaidthosewithLDs,aswellasmyownexperiences.

Definition:
Ourbookdefinesaspecificlearningdisabilityasfollows:
A

specificlearningdisability
(SLD)isadisorderinoneormoreofthebasicpsychologicalprocesses(i.e.,thinking,problem
solving,remembering)usedinreceiving,understanding,storing,andrespondingtoinformation.
ThefederaldefinitionofspecificlearningdisabilitiesismoredetailedandasstatedinIDEA
2004isthefollowing:Thetermspecificlearningdisabilitymeansadisorderinoneormoreof
thebasicpsychologicalprocessesinvolvedinunderstandingorinusinglanguage,spokenor

written,whichdisordermaymanifestitselfintheimperfectabilitytolisten,think,speak,read,
write,spell,ordomathematicalcalculations.TheIDEAdefinitionofaspecificlearning
disabilitygoesfurthertodescribewhichdisordersareandarenotincluded.Disordersthatare
includedaredyslexia,developmentalaphasia,braininjury,minimalbraindysfunction,and
perceptualdisabilities.Disordersthatarenotincludedare,alearningproblemthatisprimarily
theresultofvisual,hearing,ormotordisabilities,ofintellectualdisability,oremotional
disturbance,orofenvironmental,cultural,oreconomicdisadvantage.Itisimportanttoknow
thatalearningdisabilityisdifferentfrominintellectual
disabilitystudentswithlearningdisabilitieshaveanabove
averageoraverageIQ.Themajorcomponentsofthe
definitionarethatLDstudentshavedifficultywith
academicandlearningtasks,thatthereisadiscrepancy
betweentheirabilityandachievement,andthatthereis
somedisorderinthebasicpsychologicalprocesses.
Experiences:

AsImentionedbeforeIwastestedbyachild
psychologistwhenIwasinfifthgrade.AllIremember
abouttheprocesswasthatIgotoutofschoolforacouple
ofdaysandthattheladywhomIworkedwithwas
extremelykindtome.Irecentlycalledmymothertoget
thewholescooponwhyIwastestedinthefirstplace.My
mom,Therese,toldmethatIscoredverylowonthemath

portionoftheISTEP(Indianastatewidetestingforeducationalprogress),thusshethoughtitbest
formetogogettested.TheydeterminedthatIhadalearningdisabilitycalledDyscalculiaand
ADD.Mymomconferredwithalotofparentsatmyschoolandtheyadvisedhertokeepmein
thegeneraleducationclassroom.Iknewnoneofthis,butIcouldhavebeenplacedwithMr.
Lapadot.Hewasthespecialedteacheratmyschool,Ithoughthewasincrediblycreepyand
onlytenstudentsinthewholeschoolwenttohim.Therewasabigstigmaaroundbeingakid
thathadtoworkwithMr.Lapadot.MymomthinksthatbeforefifthgradethereasonIhadnot
beendiagnosedwithanLDwasbecauseIhadgreatteacherswhowouldworkmorewithmeand
IcouldcompensateuntilIwasabouttenandmathstartedtogetmoreabstract.Ihadtutorsand
wenttospecialcampsinthesummerforkidswithlearningdisabilities.Thecampsfocusedon
studentswithDyslexiaandotherreadingrelatedLDs,soIdidnotgetmuchhelpwhenitcameto
mymathskills.Ilovedmycampsthough,becauseIwassurroundedbykidswhoweresimilarto
me.BythetimeIwasasophomoreinhighschoolmymathgradewaspainfullybad,even
thoughIwasworkinghard.MymomwantedtogetmeintotheLearningCenteratmyschool.
Myschoolcounselorwasnohelpatall,Irecallonemeetingwhereshesaidtome,El,Idont
understandwhyyourgradeissolow.Youneedtostartworkingharderinthisalgebraclass.
ThatwasthelaststrawformymomandshetalkedwiththeLearningCenterteacher,Ms.
Brown,whosetmeupformoretestingattheIndianapolisChildrensResourceGroupsoIcould
gettheproperdocumentationtogetintotheLearningCenter.Iremembermeetingwiththechild
psychologist,basicallyItooka
billiontestsandIgotmy
documentationforanLDandADD.

GettingintotheLearningCenteratmyhighschoolwasabigturningpointforme.Ifinallyhad
acommunitythatunderstoodmeandcouldhelpme.IwasgettingAsandBsinallofmy
classesandthenwasfailingmath.ItwasobviousthatIwasasmartkid,somethingjustwasnot
clickingwhenitcametomath.TheLearningCenter(LC)wasaspecialplace,itwasscheduled
asoneofmyclasses.Ms.BrownranLC,Ms.KellywasanoccupationaltherapistwhoIam
convincedisthesmartestwomanontheplanet,andMr.KeelehadaPHDinmathandalaw
degree,butwouldconstantlytellusthatthereisnoplacehewouldratherbethansittingwitha
bunchofkidshelpingussurvivehighschoolalgebra.Ihadstructure,greatteachers,andasafe
placeatschool.Yes,IhavealearningdisabilityandIdealwithit.IthasbeenhardersinceIleft
theLearningCenterandmyamazingmathtutor,Ms.Rocap.Incollege,Ifeelmorealoneabout
it.IusedtheacademicsupportcenterhereatHopealotlastyear,butIhavenotbeenutilizingit
thisyear.IfindmyselfmoreselfconsciousaboutmyLDandADDnowthatIamincollege,but
IamconfidentthatIcanworkeverythingout.
ReactionsandQuestions:
Ihonestlydonothavemanyquestionswhenitcomestolearningdisabilities.Ithinkit
thismaybearesultofbeingaroundstudentswithLDsallofmyacademiclife.Mymain
reactionstoinformationaboutLDsisfrustration.Itisfrustratinghavingalabel,andtotellthe
truthingradeschoolteacherswerenotthrilledtohavemeintheirclass,Iwasachattykidwho
nevervolunteeredinmath.However,Iamsogratefultomymother.Shekepteverythingvery
privateIgottestedbyprivatefacilitiesandmymomwasalwaysinmycornerthroughoutthe
entireprocess.Myquestionsregardinglearningdisabilitiesareasfollowed.

1. WhyisthereahigherincidenceofLDstudentswhostrugglewithreadingand
english?(Notmanypeoplegetthediagnosisofdyscalculia)
2. Havelearningdisabilitieseverbeenknowtofadeovertime?
3. Howstrongisthegeneticfactorinregardstopassingonalearningdisability?
AssistiveTechnologies:
Assistivetechnologiesaregreatforstudentswithlearningdisabilitiesbecauseeven
thoughthetechnologydoesnoteliminatethedisability,itmakesiteasiertoachievetheir
academicpotential.Forstudentswhohavemathdisabilityelectronicmathworksheetsarea
greatoption.Theyaresoftwareprogramsthathelpstudentsorganizeandworkthroughmath
problemsonacomputerscreen,ratherthanonpaper.Thisisagoodoptionforstudentswho
havedifficultywritingtheirworkdownwithpencilandpaper,alsothenumbersonthescreen
canbereadaloudtothemthroughthecomputer.Anotherassistivetechnologythatisanoption
forstudentswithareadingdisability
suchasdyslexiaisaudible.com.Itis
anamazonsite,wherestudentscan
getbooksonlineandthebooksare
audible,thustheystillgetthematerial
andcankeepupwithassignments.
ForallLDstudentspaperbased
computerpenisagreatassisted
technology.Itisatechnologythat
recordstheaudiotowhataperson

writesusingthepenandspecialpaper.Basicallythismeansastudentcouldlistentoanysection
ofhisnotessimplybytouchingthepentothepaper.Thistechnologyishelpfulforallstudents,
butespeciallythosewhohavedifficultyprocessinginformation.
ImpactonFutureCareer:
Iamapsychologymajor,thusIwillnotbeusingthisinformationaboutlearning
disabilitiesinaclassroomsetting.However,sinceIhavealearningdisabilityitwillimpactthe
restofmylifeinonewayoranother.OneofthemajorconceptsthatItookawayfromlearning
aboutLDswasthatyoucannottellifsomeonehasandlearningdisabilitybasedonappearance.
JustbylookingatmeyouwouldnotknowthatIhaveDyscalculia.Thiswillimpactmyfuture
careerbecauseIconsidermyselftobemoreempathetictowardsthosewhohavelearning
disabilities.