Flipping the LD Coin: Does LD mean Learning Disabled or Learning Differently? This Homepage was most recently revised on Sunday, 09 December, 2007
Is the LD Coin Heads or Tails?
Most people are different and special from one another in the following ways: (1) in terms of their learning abilities and learning styles, (2) by their physical abilities and attributes, and (3), in how they think of their more dominant and less dominant forms of intelligences. However, those who have been identified as "exceptional" pupils differ from most other general students to such an extent that they require an individualized educational program (IEP) in special education and / or special services to meet their specific learning, cognitive needs, and combinations of most dominant intelligences. Such exceptional girls and boys receive special education or special services because it continues to be the common belief that such specialization will help these special needs students reach their fullest potential. One way to group these "exceptional" individuals is according to the prevalence of the exceptionality in our current population. For this discussion, I shall zero in on one special type of communicational exceptionalities, namely the student who has been formally diagnosed as a learning disabled (LD). Most mainstream educators and psychologists think 'learning disability' upon first hearing the abbreviated label LD.
I liken this interpretation as to flipping a coin. Either the coin lands tail up or head up. First, let us consider what traditionally occurs when the LD coin lands tail up.
Tails: LD means Learning Disabled ... the Negative Side of the LD coin
Students who have been 'stamped' by our current schooling systems as Learning Disabled (LD) constitute the largest group of exceptional children within the school age population. Approximately 4 percent of schoolchildren aged 6 to 17 have been diagnosed as having a LD. The LD label was first coined, formally, by Samuel Kirk in 1963 to describe children who were experiencing academic difficulties and who may have been labelled dyslexic, brain injured, perceptually handicapped, neurologically impaired, aphasic, or children with minimal brain dysfunction. Since that time there have been several definitions of the term. Generally, learning disabilities are described as a heterogeneous group of disorders that are "manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities, or of social skills. These disorders are presumed to be due to central nervous dysfunction. Even though a learning disability may occur concomitantly with other handicapping conditions, with socio-environmental influences, and with attention deficit disorder, all of which may cause learning problems, a learning disability is not the direct result of those conditions or influences" (The American National Institutes of Health, 1988).
Typically, students with a LD profile demonstrate average or above average IQ-type of intelligence. However, these students are likely to show specific deficits in thinking processes, such as memory, attention, and perception, as well as difficulties in developing or using strategies to understand or remember what they have read, to listen, to understand directions, to take notes during class, to write sentences and paragraphs, or to organize their time in a way that will enable them to complete assignments.
Public school services for students with LD
Those students who are designated as "exceptional" have very specific and special learning needs, as identified by an Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC). While each student's needs differ, and programs and services must be determined on an individual basis, some broad generalizations can be nevertheless made. The bottom line in all of this is that an LD student must be taught specific and other learning strategies so that s/he may become more successful in school.
Increasing numbers of exceptional children receive their prescribed array of special education and related services within general education classrooms, such that students with disabilities and students who are gifted can remain part of, and be included in, the community of the classroom and school. Support services that facilitate both integration and meeting the educational needs of exceptional children may include: (1) special education teachers working directly with exceptional students in general education classrooms, or team teaching with regular educators, (2) special education teachers collaborating with and providing consultation services to regular educators, (3) trained special education teaching aides (SETA) providing assistance to students with disabilities in general education, and (4) school districts providing staff support or intervention assistance teams to provide support for exceptional children in general education. Retaining exceptional children in general education classrooms is considered by more and more educators and developmental psychologists to be sound practice and public policy.
It is only for compelling and persistent reasons that exceptional children are removed from their home school and regular education environment to receive special education in more restrictive settings. Those settings represent a continuum of specialized services from least restrictive (students placed in regular education for a majority of the school day, receiving specialized instruction in deficit areas in a resource room only as needed and designated by the student's individualized educational plan) to most restrictive (students receive no instruction in regular education, but are educated through a homebound or hospital instructional program). The majority of exceptional children (92 percent) aged 3 through 21 receive free, appropriate education in public school settings, either in general education, resource rooms, or self contained separate classes. Before commenting on a more positive interpretation of LD, here are a few answers to frequently asked questions about LD.
Some Frequently Asked Questions about Learning Disabilities
What is a learning disability?
The loose label 'learning disability' (LD) is a most general or broad term covering a pool of possible causes, symptoms, treatments, and outcomes. Because of this, it is most difficult to diagnose or to pinpoint precisely what truly causes this cerebral confusion. However, most educators and mainstream psychologists perceive LD as an intellectual disorder that affects the ability to either interpret what is seen and heard or to link information from different parts of the brain together into meaningful chucks of relevant bits of knowledge. In other words, an LD is a disorder in one or more of the basic processes involved in understanding spoken or written language. An LD can show up as a problem in one's ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do math, despite the fact that the individual concerned possesses, at least, average (IQ-type) intelligence. These important societal limitations can show up in many ways: as serious difficulties with spoken and written language, co-ordination, self control, or attention to fine details. Such difficulties often extend to schoolwork, thus impeding learning to read, write, or do mathematics. For additional information, click here.
What are the main types of learning disabilities?
In the main, learning disabilities can be divided up into three broad categories, including developmental speech and language disorders, academic skills disorders, and "other", a catch-all phrase that includes certain coordination disorders and learning handicaps not covered by the other two terms. Each one of these general categories includes a number of more specific disorders. More to that point, here are five broad types of learning disabilities, introduced in alphabetical order. First, there is dyscalculia, a severe difficulty in understanding and using the symbols or functions needed for success in the logical-mathematical domain. Next is dysgraphia, a severe difficulty in producing handwriting that is legible and written at an age appropriate level. Next comes dyslexia, a severe difficulty in understanding or using one or more areas of language, including listening, speaking, reading, writing, and spelling. The fourth type, dysnomia, is a marked difficulty in remembering names or recalling words needed for oral or written language. Finally, there is dyspraxia, a severe difficulty in performing drawing, writing, buttoning, and other tasks requiring fine motor skill or in sequencing the necessary movement. Please note that all of these do not refer to those who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, physical handicaps, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or learning problems stemming primarily from environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. To read more about all of the immediate above, click here.
What causes a learning disability?
As just mentioned, no one knows exactly what causes a learning disability. There are so many possibilities that it is difficult to pin down the cause of the disability with certainty. A leading theory among cognitive developmental scientists is that learning disabilities stem from subtle disturbances in the brain structures and functions. It is more important, however, that (elementary, secondary and university) teachers, parents, and the wider public not dwell on the causes but rather move forward in finding ways to get the right help.
How can I determine if someone has a learning disability?
In our (North American) culture, young children, children, adolescents, young adults, adults, and older adults all reach certain "milestones" of development: the first word, the first step, the first uttered word, and so forth. Teachers, doctors and parents are continuously watching for these developmental milestones. Learning disorders may be informally flagged by observing significant delays in the child's skill development. For example, a year delay in the primary school grades is usually considered to be a significant milestone. While numerous school-age children can be informally flagged by using observation techniques, a formal diagnosis of learning disabilities is made using standardized tests that compare the child's level of ability to what is considered normal development for an individual of that age and general intelligence. Test outcomes depend not only on the child's actual abilities but on the validity and reliability of the test and the child's ability to pay attention and understand the questions.
What do I do once my child has been diagnosed with a learning disability?
Students are generally tested for learning disabilities (LD) by their school psychologist. It is important for parents to stay abreast of each step of the school's evaluation. Parents also need to know that, in certain instances, they may have the right to appeal the school's decision (i.e., the actual identification, class/school placement, and/or program) if they disagree with the findings of the diagnostic team. Creating a plan for acquiring the right help after diagnosis is most important. Because a LD can affect the child and the family in so many ways, help may be needed on a variety of fronts: educational, medical, emotional, and practical.
What is an individualized education program?
An individualized education program (IEP) is a written agreement between the parents and the school system about what the child needs and what will be done to address those needs. In accordance with most provincial guidelines, IEP's must be drawn up by an educational team. Most generally stated for here, an IEP should outline all of the following procedures: i) the student's present levels of academic performance, ii) the annual goals for the student, iii) short term instructional objectives related to the annual goals, iv) special education and related services that will be provided, including the extent to which the special student will be integrated into regular classroom programs, v) plans for starting such services and the anticipated duration of services, vi) appropriate plans for evaluating, at least annually, the student's performance, vii) whether the above goals and objectives are being achieved, and finally, viii) transition planning for older 'exceptional' students.
Where can I go for help?
There are several publications, organizations, and support groups that exist to help individuals, teachers, and families to understand and cope with learning disabilities. Many of today's major organizations have their own resource lists for parents, teachers, and students living with learning disabilities.
Heads: LD means Learning Differently ... the Positive Side of the LD coin
In 1963 when Samuel Kirk initially tossed the "exceptional" coin, it landed tail up ... a negative label was thus attached to student who encountered difficulties learning in the conventional mode. And, as just outlined, Mr. Kirk termed the label LD for learning disability. More recently, other cognitive and developmental psychologists, such as Thomas Armstrong (1988), are tossing the same coin and this time it lands heads up. The LD term now becomes positive and the student is viewed as one who simply learns differently. To see how youngsters are so different from each other, stop and look at your own children. Are they intelligent in more ways than one: for example, in music, sports, chess, debating, or computer science, to name just a few? The most sensible approach to measuring these talents would be to recognize their multiplicity of interests, skills, or intelligences by stating that they may indeed learn differently.
I am only one of a growing number of educators who believes that many of our classroom youngsters are more often than not unaware of their talents on each of the eight intellectual spectrums as proposed by Howard Gardner (Morris, 1992a, 1992b, 1993, 1999a, 1999b; see especially Morris & LeBlance, 1996). I have so often witnessed such students who perceive themselves as educational washouts; they fail to realize that they have a learning strength in, at least, one of the Gardner strands. Such students frequently become discouraged and withdrawn. Often, they become aggressive and rebellious to mask their low self esteem, due, in part, to their ignorance of their "intelligences". As I continue to work with such students, I am constantly reminded of Vail's (1987) text which states that a focus on weaknesses at the expense of developing talents can result in poor self esteem, a lack of motivation, and depression.
The final comment in this informal LD discussion belongs to the prominent Yale University cognitive psychologist, Robert J. Sternberg. In a recent article, he and his colleagues commented that "when material is taught in a variety of pedagogically sound ways ... students have more opportunities to learn and understand the material being taught. If they do not comprehend the material when it is taught in one way, they might comprehend it when it is taught in another. Thus their achievement is likely to improve." (Sternberg, Torff, & Grigorenko, 1998, p. 668). In short, LD students simply learn differently. That is what I consider to be the true message behind LD!
References
Armstrong, T. (1988, September). Learning Differences - Not Disabilities. Principal, 68(1), 34-36.
Morris, C. (1992a, Sept./Oct.). Gardner's multiple intelligences in our classrooms: Our students are smarter than we think: Part I Teaching Today, 11(1), 25-26.
Morris, C. (1992b, Nov./Dec.). Gardner's multiple intelligences in our classrooms: Our students are smarter than we think: Part II Teaching Today, 11(2), 27-28.
Morris, C. (1993, Jan./Feb.). Gardner's multiple intelligences in our classrooms: Our students are smarter than we think: Part III Teaching Today, 11(3), 25-26.
Morris, C. (1999a, Fall). Career Development and Multiple Intelligences. In National Consultation on Career Development (NATCON) Papers 1999 (pp. 43-51). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Morris, C. (1999b, Sept.). Pictures of Our Minds [Review of Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century].
Morris, C., & LeBlanc, R. (1996, Spring). Multiple intelligences: Profiling dominant intelligences of grade eight students. McGill Journal of Education, 31(2), 119-141.
Vail, P. L. (1987). Smart kids with school problems: Things to know and ways to help. New York: Penguin Books.
Sternberg, R. J., Torff, B., & Grigorenko, E. (1998, May). Teaching for successful intelligence raises school achievement. Phi Delta Kappan, 79(9), 667-669.