Students Who Learn Differently
If it is determined that your student does learn differently:
- Empower yourself and your student. As soon as you think the student is old enough, involve him, help him to take active part in any decisions that are made regarding his education. For example, discuss enrolling him as soon as is practical in a typing course so he can take full advantage of computer technology.
- Find out everything you can. Join a support group, and if there isn't one, create one. Suggestions are given in the section "Support Groups."
- Be prepared for trial and error. Just as dyslexia has no one or simple definition, there is no one remedy that will solve all the problems. But if you and your child know this up front, disappointments can be avoided.
- Because of your interest, you will often be on the cutting edge of the newest ideas and the latest methods. Ask friends to send you articles and let you know about programs they have seen that relate to your topic.
Special Considerations for Internationally Mobile Families
European Children in Crisis, a Brussels-based support group, offers the following advice in their extremely excellent booklet, Children with Specific Learning Difficulties (See Useful Addresses):
Families who have not yet moved would be well-advised to carefully consider in advance, in consultation with professionals and other members of the family, if it is better to:
- move and integrate the child into the local education system. (Likely to involve having to learn a new language);
- move and find a private school where special education is available in the mother tongue. (Likely to be expensive);
- move and put together what assistance they can find;
- reconsider the need to move at all.
Four Pages of Questions:
Many international companies offer a "look-see" visit prior to accepting a post overseas, and this offers an ideal time to investigate the various educational options. The last section of the European Children in Crisis booklet offers an invaluable, four page check list to use when you interview at schools. Be sure to bring a copy with you so you remember what questions to ask. It will also provide you with a record of your interview. To obtain a copy, contact the ESC chair at esc@fawco.org.
Comments from a FAWCO mother: "At the time that we moved, we did not realize the extent of his learning disability (his first and second grade teachers in the U.S. thought that he was merely a 'late bloomer'). His third grade teacher at the international school was entirely untrained in the area of learning disabilities, and was utterly unwilling to accommodate his different style of learning in her classroom. It was a disastrous year."
The European Children in Crisis support group reminds us that, "Whatever the variants, for the English-speaking expatriate family, two hard facts remain:
- the range of provisions - schooling, therapists and back-up in English - is likely to be less than that at home, and
- the cost of paying for education provision, in a setting where English in not the mother-tongue, is almost always much higher.
The good news is that most learning-differently students can be successfully mainstreamed. But you will need to work closely with the school, keeping in mind that some of the people you might be dealing with might not be as knowledgeable as you have become on the subject. Together you, the student, if able, and the school should consider options and plot strategies. Some suggestions are offered in the section, At School.
No matter when you discover that your student learns differently, the edition of the Expatriate Observer newsletter entitled, "Considerations in Moving Your Special-Needs Child Abroad," published by Organization Resources Counselors, Inc., offers the following advice:
- At a minimum, educate yourself about your particular child's diagnosis and needs in order to advocate for and educate others about what services are indicated.
- Volunteer at your child's school. Both teachers and administrators are often more supportive of a parent who is involved with their school.
- Maintain your relationship with the national support organization for your child's disability. Subscribe to any publications available from these organizations so you can keep up with what is happening in the field and prepare for your return home.
- Arrange to return home periodically for testing and evaluation of your child. 1
This same edition offers a list of selected independent international schools offering services for special-needs children.
A lot of us don't like too many surprises, but learning differently students tend to especially not like them. Many of their difficulties stem from a poor concept of time, and therefore, especially when they are young, they frequently need a lot of help structuring their activities. When anticipated activities have to be changed or postponed, confusion and resentment can arise. You can help by taking the time to carefully explain the reason for the change and what the new program will be. Time is, after all, the coin we need to spend on all children.
Because many learning-differently students have poor sequencing skills (e.g. remembering the days of the week, the alphabet, multiplication tables), they frequently forget to carry out instructions or know how to find their way when someone gives them directions. Therefore, when the child is young:
- Make sure you have the child's attention.
- Give the instruction clearly.
- Give only one instruction at a time.
- Have the child repeat the instruction in his own voice.
- Give immediate praise when the task is successfully completed.
When new activities are undertaken, Richard Lavoie of the Eagle Hill School in Greenwich, CT, gives the following advice:
When a child is entering a new situation (e.g. joining the boy scouts, enrolling for religious instruction), the parent has two jobs to do:
- preparing the child for the situation (e.g. discuss, role play, etc.) and
- preparing the situation for the child (if appropriate, discuss the child's needs and limitations with the coach, teacher, or adult leader). 2
The British Dyslexia Association reminds us to:
BE PATIENT. Remember that a dyslexic child is likely to take longer to learn to do such things as tie shoe laces, tell the time, distinguish left from right, remember instructions, etc. Make time to help and be prepared to repeat this help. See that the child has everything necessary and a distraction-free place for homework. Make sure that he/she understands what has to be done.
BE POSITIVE. Establish a routine and ask for the school timetable so you can help with organization. Read aloud as much as you can. Don't make comparisons with others in the family or at school, and don't allow others to tease him/her about difficulties. Story books can be put on tape, and some may already be available. Build on strengths and skills. Praise success and perseverance. Encourage the use of the computer - many dyslexic children are particularly good at this.
BE AWARE. Watch out for signs of stress and frustration. Talk to the teacher about particular difficulties with homework, and ask for suggestions as to how you can help. Remember that self-organization is especially hard for dyslexic people, and devise ways of making this easier. Remember that the dyslexic child has to make a greater effort than others and is likely to be unusually tired at the end of the school day so avoid pressures at home. Don't allow dyslexia to become an excuse for not trying, but understand that unusual difficulties demand unusual effort.
BE PERSEVERING. Even when your child is having special help, the difficulties will not disappear miraculously, and there are likely to be very bad days. Develop good relationships with teachers, and don't expect information to be passed on from teacher to teacher or school to school automatically; make sure that it is. Never give up; your continuing support and understanding are vital if your child is to have the confidence to compensate for weaknesses and develop strengths. 3
For parents who would like to know more about how to help their children with their homework, H. Alan Sayles, of the Irish support group, Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities, has written a guide entitled, "Advice For Parents," (See Useful Addresses).
For the older child, some modern technology can prove a great help:
- the use of computers which is discussed below
- a digital watch with a date facility and a programmable alarm to help keep appointments
- the use tape recorder as a memory supplement not only for lectures, but also for interviews to help remember was said or asked, and also when there is a need to ask directions
- calculators for math
- books on tape with a personal Walkman hi-fi so the student can be "reading" anywhere (on the bus, at the bus stop, in the street, at home); often libraries for the blind will lend books on tape to dyslexics (See Resources/Tapes).
Richard Lavoie reminds us to:
- Remember that the child is more normal than different. Emphasize strengths and abilities.
- Never forget that the LD child needs what all children need: love, acceptance, protection, discipline, and the freedom to grow and learn. 4
There can be great deal of heartbreak, anger and frustration when it appears that nothing or little is being done at a school to help the student who learns differently. There are even people who suggest that these students do not suffer from a learning disability but rather from a teaching disability. "I never let my schooling interfere with my education," as Mark Twain was famed to say.
But let us be fair. Recognition of the problem and knowledge of effective teaching methods are still far from universal. Many teachers today have had no training on how to recognize, let alone help, learning-differently students. The 1955 edition of Random House's The American College Dictionary doesn't even contain the word, "dyslexia."
A teacher's job doesn't stop at three in the afternoon. There can be special help after school or parent-teacher conferences. There are still hours of correcting and preparation ahead. You have one child that you are concerned about. They often have a 100 or more each day. And we really can't blame them if they weren't taught to teach in a multisensory manner or to recognize students who learn differently. So when you have a conference with a teacher, please take their situation into consideration also. Ideally you should become a team.
Most teachers are sincerely committed to their profession, and most are willing to try new ways of getting their message across. As Michael Thomson and Bill Watkins, co-principals of the East Court School for Dyslexic Children, suggest, "Written large in every teacher's text book should be "THERE ARE MANY ROUTES TO THE SAME OBJECTIVE." 5
Tips for College-Bound Students
The following information comes from the school newsletter of AIS in Vienna in June of 1997:
Colleges may request complete psycho-educational evaluations for learning disabled students to help them determine admission as well as qualifying the student for special services or allowances once admission is granted. In any case, it is helpful for high school students to be assessed if any difficulty is suspected because they might qualify for special considerations, like extra time, when taking the SAT, AP and IB exams.
The college guide, How to Get Into the College of Your Choice . . . and How to Finance It (see Resources/Books), provides a whole chapter entitled "Some Tactics for Those with Learning Disabilities." They advise that you keep the college of your choice fully informed about your learning-differently problems. A sample letter is provided to be submitted along with the application to the college admission office describing any difficulties, and also a sample letter to send after the student has been accepted requesting any special considerations.
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1 Eakin, Kay B. "Considerations in Moving Your Special-Needs Child Abroad." Expatriate Observer. Winter 1996. Organization Resources Counselors, Inc. 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036. p. 8.
2 Lavoie, Richard. How Difficult Can This Be? Worksheet for the video. Rosen Productions. See Resources/Tapes.
3 Scott, Anna McNair. Dyslexia Your First Questions Answered. The British Dyslexia Association. p.6. See Useful Addresses.
4 Lavoie, Richard
5 Thomson & Watkins. Dyslexia A Teaching Handbook. Athenaeum Press Ltd. Newcastle upon Tyne, England. p.44.
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Students Who Learn Differently
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