Students Who Learn Differently
Consequences of Ignoring the Fact that Students Learn Differently
Lack of success in recognizing that there is a problem can lead to:
- frustration, which could lead to behavioral problems
- lack of self-confidence
- low self-esteem
- fear of isolation, of being different
- bullying by peers
- inappropriate demands by parents and school personal resulting in ridicule of the student
- engaging in inappropriate or harmful activities to compensate for lack of success in school, at home and eventually in life
As has been previously stated, it is now thought that between 15% and 25% of the population learn differently to a significant degree. But this percentage is not reflected in prison populations or in the populations of substance abusers. Excepts from the following article by Seth Linder reveal some troubling statistics:
For 12 years, Andrew, a heroin-user now in his thirties, was in and out of prison for drug-related offences. Desperate to break the cycle, he tried to enroll for a literacy course. He was lucky - a perceptive tutor suspected he was dyslexic. Four years later, having received specialist tuition, Andrew is now a drugs counselor and a part-time college student.
Recent research in the US found that 52 % of a sample of prisoners were dyslexic*, findings that have been mirrored in other countries.
Wally Morgan, a probation officer and one of the originators of the Dyspel Project, a pilot scheme to identify and assist dyslexic offenders, tells that the most moving moment is when an offender discovers the reason for his learning difficulties. "I've seen tough, macho men in their forties, armed robbers, drug users, shoplifters, burst into tears of relief. 'All my life I've been told I'm thick, lazy, ignorant, and I've known I'm not,' is a typical response. This is the first step in recovery from this kind of life."
Morgan has also screened residents at a drugs and alcohol rehabilitation center where he found an astonishing 91% to be dyslexic*. The resulting feeling of inadequacy and rejection is, he feels, the underlying cause of their addictions.
"If we can give dyslexia a much higher profile, if judges and lawyers, prison officials and teachers can acquire a better understanding of it, if people would realize that dyslexia in not an excuse but a reason, we would quickly see a significant reduction in offending." 1
Think of the savings if we could cut the prison population in half.Think of the additional savings if we could help prevent drug addiction and alcoholism. And think how these savings would not only be financial.
Additional Social Implications of Learning Differently
Jeffrey H. Gallet, a judge in Family Court in the State of New York, is a learning-differently person. He was asked to write about his experiences for a special supplement to Newsbriefs (1996) called "Learning Disabilities and Juvenile Justice." Below is reprinted part of this article, which gives Judge Gallet's thoughts about the juvenile justice system:
. . . Almost every week I see a learning disabled child who, undiagnosed or untreated, is venting his or her frustrations in anti-social ways. I could have stood in that same spot. If not for loving, caring, involved parents, my frustrations at not being able to keep up in class, and to some extent in the play yard, could have burst forth in the same self-destructive way.
The schools and the courts have not met their responsibilities to LD children. When I was young, they simply did not recognize the problem. Now, they can diagnose and deal with LD but have not allocated the resources to do what must be done.
. . . It is the schools that hold the key to avoiding the type of conflict we see in the family courts. An early diagnosis of the problem and an integrated treatment plan, including not only help for the child, but, also, counseling for the parents, would save many children from going astray. Unfortunately, too many schools have not focused their attention and resources on the problem and research proposals to find methods for early diagnoses of LD are going unfunded.
There is improvement. As education programs such as the FCLD grants for handbooks for lawyers and judges make more and more people aware of the problem and the terrible waste it creates, more LD children are being identified and helped. Unfortunately, the process is painfully slow. 2
According to an article in the Times Educational Supplement, ". . . 90 per cent of young offenders who come out of prison re-offend within two years. They believe the cost of child imprisonment - amounting to more than 25,000 pounds ($36,891) per head per year - should be invested in more effective community-based schemes to support children. 3
The United States National Institutes of Health have reported the following:
* Children with both dyslexia and ADD are at dramatically increased risk for
substance abuse and felony convictions if they do not receive appropriate
interventions.
* Dyslexia is the leading cause of reading failure and school dropouts in our nation.
* Reading failure is the most commonly shared characteristic of juvenile justice offenders.4Time magazine reported in March 2001 the following facts in their feature called "Numbers:"
The World Health Organization Ministerial Conference on Young People and Alcohol in Stockholm last week revealed some disturbing facts:
- 55,000: Young Europeans who died from alcohol-related causes in 1999. One in four deaths of European men aged 15-29 is related to
alcohol.- $195 million: The estimated annual social costs of alcohol consumption in the E.U. 70% of the total represents earnings lost through heavy drinking. 5
The Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities has prepared a press kit, available in five languages, to be used to help educate people as to what exactly learning disabilities are. The following points are given to show what happens when learning disabilities go untreated:
- People with learning disabilities that have not been diagnosed or properly addressed, or who are deemed 'ineligible' for treatment can experience
serious, life-long negative consequences. The results can include loss of self-esteem, delinquency and illiteracy. The individual, as well as our society,
is harmed.- Thirty-five percent of students identified with learning disabilities drop out of high school, contributing greatly to the nation's school drop-out rates. (This
does not include the students who drop out without ever being identified as having learning disabilities.)- Fifty to eighty percent of adults with severe literacy problems have undetected or untreated learning disabilities.
- Learning disabilities are one of the most common obstacles to the employment of welfare recipients.
- Fifty percent of young criminal offenders tested were found to have previously undetected learning disabilities. When offered educational services
that addressed their learning disability, the recidivism rates of these young offenders dropped to below two percent. 4
"I'm worried about him going into a depression." This concern comes from a message sent to the chair of the ESC committee and shows the concern of a mother for her son who was struggling with the necessity of having to attend a non-English speaking school.
Childhood depression is a real condition and should be watched out for. Unfortunately, children with learning disabilities may tend to be prone to chronic depression:
Older adolescents and adults tend to become withdrawn. They may be quiet or become agitated, irritable, and angry; they may also look sad and talk about their sadness. Young children, on the other hand, tend to exhibit non-verbal clues and express their emotional struggles more by their behavior than by talking.
Signs that may indicate depression in children:
- Change in personality, such as increased anger, irritability, moodiness, or whining;
- Change in appetite, usually a loss of appetite;
- Change in sleep patterns, such as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or excessive sleeping;
- Loss of energy, or lethargy;
- Loss of interest in friends, play activities, and sports. Or an absence of pleasure derived from relationships;
- Low self-esteem, frequently expressed through self-deprecating and negative talk;
- Indecisiveness;
- Difficulty with concentration (not to be confused with attention deficit disorder);
- Feelings of helplessness, occasionally expressed through suicidal talk.
What parents can do:
- Beware of clues and indicators of depression. Parents should trust their intuition about their children's behavior, especially where a family history of depression is present.
- Parents may want to give serious consideration to the suggestions of others that their son or daughter may be experiencing depression.
- If parents suspect depression in a child, they may want to discuss their concerns with teachers and school counselors. This may ease their concerns if teachers do not observe similar behaviors, or it may confirm their concerns if teachers are aware of behavior that may indicate depression.
- Parents should talk with their family physician. The family's physician may want to meet with the child to confirm a diagnosis or may refer the child to a child or adolescent psychiatrist or other mental health professional for diagnosis.
- Once a diagnosis of depression has been made, parents should seek professional help for their child(ren). Many different types of therapy are available, some of them designed to address specific thought and behavior patterns. These therapies, and others, include: movement/art/music therapy, group therapy, and medication. 6
Another thing parents can do is to work on their child's self-esteem. Richard Lavoie's video, When the Chips are Down, gives excellent suggestions for both parents and teachers in not only improving self-esteem, but also in improving behavior by using discipline in a positive manner.
1 Linder, Seth. "Teaching dyslexic prisoners to fight crime." The Independent. September 18, 1996. p.22.
2 http://www.ldonline.org/first_person/gallet.html
3 http://www.tes.co.uk, November 24, 2000
4 http://www.dys-add.com/nowknow.html
5 World Health Organization. "Numbers." Time. March 5, 2001. p. 16.
6 http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/behavior/lda_depression.html
7 "Childhood Depression." Fact Sheet. Early Childhood Committee-Education. LDA of America. May 1999.
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Students Who Learn Differently
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