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Learning Disabilities

In: Social Issues

Submitted By vmfdc76
Words 1692
Pages 7
Running head: LEARNING DISABILITIES

Learning Disabilities, Communication Disorders, and Giftedness
Colby Adams
Grand Canyon University

Dr. Jewell G. Winn
RES 531: Research Methods
March 12, 2012

Abstract

Learning Disabilities, Communication Disorders, and Giftedness Basic introduction paragraph or two.
Learning disabilities Definition. Learning disabilities are a general term that expresses certain variables of learning difficulties. A learning disability causes people to have trouble learning and acquiring knowledge. People in general are often most affected by criteria: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and mathematics (National, 2012).
When people have learning disabilities having L.D. is an umbrella term for other names, which include: * Dyslexia—which refers to difficulties in reading; * Dysgraphia—which refers to difficulties in writing; and * Dyscalcula—which refers to difficulties in math (National, 2012).
The above terms are the formal definitions for people that have a learning disability but in a specific area.
Certain individuals that study learning disabilities have found that the brain works differently by which it processes information entirely different from others. Children with various learning disabilities have often been coined as being stupid or lazy. They are in fact neither, they can be extremely high achievers and with the right help children with LD acquire knowledge over time with much success. http://www.ldonline.org/ldbasics/whatisld

Characteristics. The students that show signs of challenges in regards to their behavior or perceive to exhibit different actions from that of their peers are not able to comprehend the negative outcomes from their actions, alter cues given by others in public, or are not able to change their behavior to misshape the effects of different socialistic situations. Children that show signs of weaknesses in their learning potential will show signs of lowered self-esteem. Other students may show forth signs of sitting in a specific place for any amount of time and will struggle to complete assignments given to them while sitting at their desks and will act out negative behaviors. http://www.ldonline.org/article/5998/

Causes. Learning disabilities are the result of multiple types of abnormal malfunctions in the operation of the brain and its processes. Throughout the medical community there is little information provided on what actually causes the differentiation of processes in the brain. Certain studies have stated that outside factors relating to the natural effect of life hinder children and their causes. The causes believed by many researchers are said to be caused from smoking, partaking excessive amounts of alcohol or drug use by a mother while she is pregnant and have been known to cause what researchers believe to be partially responsible for the abnormal genetic malfunctions in the brain.
While in the developmental stages after birth children that are exposed to cigarette smoking can have a huge effect on children and their developmental process during the most important time of their lives. Any physical trauma induced during their childhood due to abuse or neglect will affect a child’s ability to process what the brain needs to function properly. Also, poor nutrition attributes to what researchers believe children do not have the ability to develop the cognitive functioning part of their body to grow effectively. Learning disorders tend to run in families, children do not have a chance when their parents do not take care of their bodies. Parents that have learning disorders will pass it on as an inherited part of their genetic makeup. Proper diagnosing and treatment should be the main focus due to the fact that there isn’t much that is known in regards to the causes of LD. http://www.learningdisabilitiesinfo.com/causes.html

Curriculum necessary. The reauthorization of the IDEA act of 1997 is said that all students no matter their abilities have to be given the same possibility of being involved with the general education process. Each and every student has to have admittance to what is being presented. Teachers must make sure that all students are learning eagerly what is being taught. Regardless of their level of understanding they must be able to provoke thought pertaining to the subject at hand. Students that posses disabilities and have cognitive barriers may not always be able to work with the general education text provided. Students with disabilities will have access to general education that is equivalent to their counterparts. Educators will provide students full access to curriculum that is useful and accessible (Orkwis, 1999). Universal learning has been around for quite some time. Children that have had the ability to function in multiple environments with disabilities have been able to do it due in part to universal learning. Accommodations such as recorded texts for blind individuals, captioned information for those that are hearing impaired, and different texts for those that lack cognitively. These alterations are added to the general education classroom just like a wheelchair ramp is supplied to provide access to a building.
The formulation of assuring that access is made for a wide array of users ensures that those that either do or do not have disabilities will have curriculum that is designed to be universal to all. A universal curriculum that is challenging to students allows them to understand English, organize themselves, engage in the topic at hand and remember what is being taught. Teachers that have the ability to work with a flexible curriculum gives them the ability to meet the needs of everyone in the classroom ensuring cognitive learning and a receptive understanding of the subject matter being taught. http://www.cec.sped.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NewsIssues/TeachingLearningCenter/Curriculum_Access_and_Universal_Design_for_Learning.htm

Communication disorders Definition. A disability impairing the ability to send, process, receive and comprehend the concepts of verbal and nonverbal messages. Communication disorders are prevalent in the process of hearing, language, speech, and can range in extensiveness to mildly profound. The disorder may be developmental or naturally attained. http://www.asha.org/docs/html/RP1993-00208.html
Characteristics. Every child may present different actions as a result of a communication disorder. Some children exhibit the lack of following directions, annunciating words, comprehension of others words, expressing themselves and even being understood by those around them. Children may express difficulties with speech due to a motor problem or due to poor teaching efforts by educators. Children that struggle to communicate effectively learn new strategies to overcome their difficulties in their speech from the implementation of working with professionals. http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Communicative_Disorders&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=37&ContentID=5626 Causes. The causes of communication disorders in children are due in part to genetic factors that occur due in part to the complications during a woman’s pregnancy. When a child has the inability to develop skills useful to communicate in an effective matter could also be the result of an accident that has caused injury to the child. Some of the extensive causes of communication disorders are:
• Auditory problems (hearing loss or deafness)
• Neurological disease/dysfunction (head trauma, brain stem injury, developmental or cognitive disorder, etc.)
• Psychiatric disorders (psychosis, schizophrenia, etc.)
• Environmental deprivation
• Prematurity or traumatic birth
• Developmental disorders (developmental delay, pervasive developmental disability, autism spectrum, etc.) (Partners, 2012). http://performancepyramid.muohio.edu/pyramid/shared-best-practices/Communication-Disorders/Causes-of-Communication-Disorders.html Curriculum necessary. The necessary curriculum for children with communication disorders is to maintain visual contact with each and every student. Allow all students to record lessons, provide a person that is trained in sign language or an interpreter that knows the students particular needs, and encourage general classroom participation from others in the classroom. Be patient to the needs of your students understand that their needs are to be met. http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/text/comm.html#sect2
Giftedness
Definition. The longtime U.S. Commissioner on Education, Sidney P. Marland, Jr., in his August 1971 report to Congress, stated, "Gifted and talented children are those identified by professionally qualified persons who by virtue of outstanding abilities are capable of high performance. These are children who require differentiated educational programs and/or services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program in order to realize their contribution to self and society" (Marland, 1972). http://parentpals.com/gossamer/pages/Detailed/686.html Characteristics. The characteristics of children that display giftedness may not show forth all characteristics listed but have an expounded desire to grasp more ideas than others. Gifted children have great reasoning powers and remarkable ability to handle ideas and the ability to understand solving problems. A gifted child also exhibits the ability to seek out questions, interests, written and an increased knowledge of difficult words that many children do not normally seek to know. Also a gifted child may have the ability to seek out books that are beyond their age and range of understanding to retain knowledge quicker due to the fact that they are able to retain and comprehend what they learn quicker and easier than others. http://parentpals.com/gossamer/pages/Detailed/686.html Causes. There is a small population of children that show signs of giftedness and abilities far beyond our own comprehension. The causes of children that are gifted are attributed to genetics and the environment in which they dwell in as well as the development of their body. http://www.nagcbritain.org.uk/parents.php?id=74 Curriculum necessary. Students that exhibit the need for increased knowledge find that current curriculum is not enough to support their needs. Gifted children risk severe frustration caused by boredom and the inability to keep their attention in classrooms that are being taught generalized education targeted towards their age and not their ability levels. The need for curriculum that focuses on their individual needs is imperative to successful retention of students in the general education environment. Gifted students desire an education that provides them with the ability to learn at their own speed. The curriculum needs to include the study of subjects, concepts, interests, and abstract thinking beyond the general education setting that will stimulate thought, reasoning, and continual cognitive development. http://www.nagcbritain.org.uk/parents.php?id=74 Dual diagnosis Definition. The Prevalence among learning disabilities. The Prevalence among communication disorders. The Prevalence among giftedness. The

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