SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITYA Legal Definition The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004)(Public Law 108-446)defines a specific learning disability as a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbances, or of any environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. A definition of specific learning disabilities is important because it defines who is eligible for special education services, what those services will be, and who will pay for them.
Specific learning disabilities take many forms known as processing disorders. These processing disorders may impact vision, hearing, coordination of the muscles of the body with other senses, the ability to stay focused in the classroom, and the ability to form and verbalize ideas. Having a learning disability doesn’t mean a student can’t learn. It just means that some students learn differently requiring specific instructional aids or different teaching strategies. Students with specific learning disabilities may have average to above-average intelligence.
At one time it was not certain what caused specific learning disabilities, but resent research reports that sociological changes have produced environmental trauma that is interfering with the development of children in ways that were unheard of 20 years ago, and the incidence of learning disabilities is growing at a rate of 10 to 20 percent every 10 years. Numerous factors in the environment interfere with the developing brain of a child. Since World War II we have added junk food to our diets, resulting in poor nutrition; TVs in the bed room resulting in poor sleep habits and a lack of sleep slowing the physical growth and fixation of learning that occur during sleep. Add to this heavy metal toxicity from aluminum leaking from our cookware, lead in our houses, and mercury in our food and dental fillings which interfere with development and function of the learning mechanisms of the brain.
Contrary to the old popular belief that specific learning disabilities cannot be treated, modified, or healed, the good news is that the sources of trauma that cause them can be easily identified, prevented, or removed from the child's environment. And when you have modified the environment remarkable changes will be observed in your child in just a few days. The success of your child is directly related to the extent to which you choose to be involved in his life. Etta Brown, School Psychologist, has brought all the research together in our parent guide. . Costing less than one counseling session, or a bottle of Ritalin, this manual will guide you through what to do and how to do it. And in just a few days, for less than the cost of gas to drive to the IEP, your child can become an excellent student.
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