General News

Donโt give up on your child with LD

QUESTION: โMy 11 year old son is poor in Math. We even got him a part-time tutor but to no avail. Now heโs in 5th grade, he continues to be poor in Math as well as in English. I donโt understand what the matter is because he is studious. His teacher told me that he might have learning disabilities. What is this and how do I know if my son has it? Do I need to transfer him to a special school? What can I do at home to help him? Thanks.โ

Learning disability (LD) refers to different types of learning difficulties that vary widely in levels of severity.

Students with LD take in information but may have difficulty understanding or attaching meaning to it. They find it hard to organize or regaining information from either short or long term memory. Expressing the information, either verbally or nonverbally may be a problem.

Students with LD often show signs of disparity between different skills areas; they may be good readers but may have great problems with spelling. They can have difficulty with listening, reading, writing spelling, math, motor skills and social skills.

DO NOT DELAY, LD can be categorized as:

Dyslexia- a reading disability
Dyscalculia โ a math disability
Dysgraphia - writing disability
Dyspraxia - disability affecting motor skills
Receptive language disability - disability in listening comprehension
Disorders of communication - disabilities in expressive language

Yes, your childโs display of difficulties in the acquisition of mathematical and reading skills for almost four years now is a manifestation of a LD.

Testing for LD must be considered, do not delay. Following identification/diagnosis, parents, teachers and tutor can work together to establish strategies for immediate intervention and accommodation that will help the student learn math more effectively.

Interventions include: (Cusimano, Addie (2001).:Mastery model learners work at their own level of mastery, direct instruction, classroom adjustments, special equipments such as word processor, talking calculators; classroom assistants, special education. Using thematic and multisensory approach, manipulatives, hands-on methods and concrete experiences make the process of learning number skills more effective and meaningful for all.

If your child can still be accommodated by his present school, find a special education teacher or a tutor who is trained to help students overcome learning disability. Mastery of the prerequisite skills is crucial in the development of reading and math skills. You may review the readiness skills that your child has learned in the pre-school/grade level. During tutorial lesson learning study skills, note-taking strategies or organizational techniques that can help them compensate for his learning disability. Continuous reinforcement (behavior modification techniques) and specific practice of functional skills and ideas can make understanding easier.

Start with what your child already know and look at his present level of performance in reading and math. Identifying his strengths and weaknesses/ learning styles (is he an auditory/verbal leaner) is the first step to getting help.

STRATEGIES

In teaching Math for a child with dyscalculia, our school has set up a resource room called activity centered workshop.

In the workshop, the child is assisted in organizing the mathematics in the world around him. He handles familiar objects and sees sets of objects that he can count. He learns number facts through experience, not by memory. In this way, he will grow to see mathematics as natural and significant, and symbolization and computation as a way of writing down his experiences so they can be shared.

Teachers capitalize on the studentโs favorite activities/subjects. For example, while teaching history, learning math skills are integrated. A pupil who likes history can memorize the names of the heroes and presidents of the Philippines. Memory games is played first, then work on the pictures puzzle, then identify their birthdates. We play, โDo you want to be a millionaireโ game.

Baking is an activity where students can learn math skills in various ways and teaching the basic skills through music is enjoyable and meaningful.

Learning tasks for the children are in the form of manipulative activities built around a single concept (thematic). There is the opportunity where the child and the teacher express his experience and the teacher ask questions to help him become aware of patterns and relationships he spontaneously observed but could not yet clearly define.

Here is an example of things you might say to respond to something that is happening in your home:

When you go to the grocery with your child, guide him to shop competently and do very simple arithmetic. He may read the items to be bought. Discuss the price of each item. Which item has the lower or higher price? Which item shall we buy?
Keep a sharp eye out for opportunities that are age are skill appropriate, and youโll assist your childโs mathematical understanding and interest a great deal. Make your own childโs IEIEP and see specific math goals so you can find ways to reinforce his learning. โAs my child helps me keep the groceries in the cupboard, he will be able to distinguish which item is low priced/costly. Using a calculator, he will be able to compute the sum of two, three items. He will be able to distinguish an item when cooked is good for 4 persons.โ etc.

DONโT GIVE UP

Finally, the most important thing a parent can do is to never give up. Each child can learn; some just learn differently.

Know more about learning disability, the internet is a reservoir of information so that you can understand how these learning disabilities affect your child.

If you decide to transfer your child, I would like to mention some schools which specialized on learning disability: Word Lab, Multiple Intelligences School, Kumon, and Aloha. Inquiries can be made at the Department of Education, National Capital Region or check the internet for its address.

And to inspire you, three years from now my student who triumphED over his dyslexia is going to be ordained to the priesthood. Itโs a miracle! God bless!

Teresita De Mesa is registered professional educator with 35 years of teaching profession as a SPED and as regular classroom teacher. She is a full-time professor, teaching special education courses in the Special Education Department of the College of Education, Philippine Normal University and the Directress/Principal of St. John Ma. Vianney Special Education Learning And Resource Center. For questions on SPED, send e-mail to youth@mb.com.ph

Email from: MORI, Soya

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/228514/don-t-give-your-child-with-ld