Children grow up to be adults and unfortunately learning disabilities cannot be cured or fixed; it’s a life long issue. And some individuals don’t realize they have learning disabilities until they are adults. Recognizing, accepting and understanding your learning disability are the first steps to success. 

Guide to learning disabilities that provides an overview of key facts, state policy, resources, along with federal facts, policy, and regulations. 

According to IDEA a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) is a “disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia.” “SLD” does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; of intellectual disability; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage (34 CFR §300.8 (c)(10). 

Planning for postsecondary life should begin as soon as a child enters school.  As with any journey in life, knowing where you are headed will help you choose the appropriate road to get there! Since there is usually more than one way to get to a destination,  knowing a student’s strengths, talents and needs will help everyone set goals and make decisions regarding classes and programs that will best help the student.

CCD believes  that critical Covid relief funds should not be diverted to programs or schools that are  allowed to deny students with disabilities their rights under IDEA and other civil rights  statutes.

Check out the following books, a mixture of fiction and nonfiction, when you want to give your child something special to read. So, read a children’s book and share it with a child you know.

Each year as the snow begins to melt many students begin planning to move on to a different level in the school system; elementary school to middle school or middle school to high school. Each of these transitions includes changes in expectations (about school, student behavior, and parent involvement) that may add to the everyday stress of students with a Specific Learning Disability(SLD) and their families. Parents may be concerned about how to stay involved in a larger school, how to communicate with multiple teachers, how their child will cope with in more structured environment, or how they will “fit in” in the new school. Following are some concerns that have been identified by these students and families and some strategies that may alleviate those concerns. 

Multisensory teaching is one important aspect of instruction for dyslexic students that is used by clinically trained teachers. Effective instruction for students with dyslexia is also explicit, direct, cumulative, intensive, and focused on the structure of language. Multisensory learning involves the use of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways simultaneously to enhance memory and learning of written language. Links are consistently made between the visual (language we see), auditory (language we hear), and kinesthetic-tactile (language symbols we feel) pathways in learning to read and spell.

Books by, about, and for children with learning disabilities offer elementary-aged kids valuable stories and guidance written especially for them. For individuals without LD, these books raise awareness about learning disabilities by sharing the experiences of a fictional character with learning disabilities. For children with learning disabilities, it shows them how fictional kids their age can be heroic and encourages them to draw on their unique talents and strengths. 

Check out the following books, a mixture of fiction and nonfiction, when you want to give your child something special to read. So, read a children’s book and share it with a child you know.

Children with learning disabilities or other disabilities who meet eligibility qualifications are entitled to receive special education services under a federal law called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  The IDEA provides a process for developing and implementing an Individualized Education Plan or Program (IEP) that guides the services that a student receives.