The key to understanding how to assist a child is determining where their weaknesses and their strengths are and then implementing therapy and teaching strategies designed specifically on the individual student's profiles. This writer has found in her professional practice that the majority of educators and other teaching specialists truly are concerned about the children they work with and want their students to be successful in the classroom. However, the constraints of curriculum guidelines, class schedules and the lack of training put them at a loss in knowing how to teach those children that do not learn in traditional ways. When a parent searches the term "learning problem", sites found most often direct him or her to further subcategorize the issue(s) as comprehension problems, dyslexia, spelling difficulty, attention span, etc.. Parents are left to wonder, "Does my child have a learning disability or is he/she just lazy?"..."Why doesn't my child have the same good grades as his/her siblings or friends." They leave parent-teacher meetings with discussions of test results, grade worksheets, learning activities no less confused in how best to help their child. These parents spend countless hours researching possible remedial programs that may assist their children. There are so many...where does one begin?
When searching for the best method of learning exercises, one can find a vast array of programs which promote their own organized method of learning remediation. Some of the more noted programs are Sylvan Learning Centers, Huntington Learning Centers, Fast ForWord, Earobics, Lindamood-Bell, and so on. But how does one know which learning program is right for their child? Identifying the root, or source of the problem is the key to knowing which program is right for a very specific, very individualized style of learning, instead of masking the problem with a coping technique or compensatory strategy. My clinical experience leads me to recommend the development of a "whole-child" assessment to determine where in the neurological process the learning deficit originates and to then establish the style of learning most appropriate for the child. Then, the learning therapies and/or treatment approach can be designed to accommodate specific needs.
The human brain is a complex, but extremely interesting organ of the body that works systematically as a whole. Many factors contribute to its abilities to learn and function. Brain learning happens through environmental influences, genetic networks, and by way of experiences. Those who study the theory of brain-based learning believe that learning is best achieved when the brain is stimulated through a variety of senses and combined processing experiences. The functions of the brain and how differently they learn from individual to individual remains a mystery to many in the field of neuroscience. But what is clear is that we all process and learn information in our own, unique ways. What may be an appropriate way of learning for one, may be inadequate for another. Some individuals learn through their visual senses, or "seeing" the process in action. Auditory learners gain understanding through hearing new information. Others may need to touch and feel the concept that is being taught. And then there are those who learn through body movements and expression of self in space. In actuality, most children (and adults) use several styles of learning at the same time to accomplish their learning needs. Identifying learning strengths is one part to program selection.
The next step to this process is determining the areas of neurological weakness that actually needs remediation. Learning deficits are often grouped into different areas of processing weakness. A processing deficit interferes with the way a person understands the information presented to them. This can occur in the processing of visual, hearing, or motor information and in the presence of normal hearing, vision, and motor skills. One who struggles in learning may display problems in the following processes: in the speed of which the brain transfers information from area to area;, in the ability to attend and stay on task; in the way that auditory information is adequately processed and made sense of; in the ability to remember information and retrieve it as needed; in the ability to visually create and picture information in the mind; and in the ability to use language information for reasoning and application.
Knowing where to start begins with finding a professional that understands learning styles and processing deficits. This assistance can be found in speech therapy, occupational therapy, and specialized learning clinics as well as through on-line consultative services that are becoming more affordable and convenient where needed services are not geographically available. Do know from the very start that making a change in your child will mean making a sacrifice of time, money, and patience. There are usually no quick fixes - no magical cures. However, the investment made in a loved one's learning applications will be so rewarding in the end. It will definitely be worth the sacrifice
As a Speech/Language Pathologist of any years and one who has a goal to assist as many struggling learners as possible, I would like to share a quote from a mother who had been given no hope by her daughter's teachers that her little girl would ever be able to learn to read.
"I knew there was a way she could learn to read, it just took finding the person that knew how to make that happen."
This little girl is now reading almost on grade level and is close to being dismissed from her Learning Disabilities-Special Education Program.
Many children, or adults for that matter, who demonstrate struggles in their abilities to learn skills such as reading, spelling, writing, and mathematical application can be helped. By seeking out the assistance of professional that specialize in learning style exercises and processing therapy the appropriate program, or combination of programs can be of invaluable asset to the intervention plan. There is hope for the struggling learner! With correct diagnosis, children dealing with the affects of learning disorders can achieve more productively and effectively in their pursuit of personal life goals and ambitions.
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