OF MICE AND MEN PROJECT!

Lennie Small

THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES. The mission of NCLD is to improve the lives of the one in five children and adults nationwide with learning and attention issues—by empowering parents and young adults, transforming schools and advocating for equal rights and opportunities. We’re working to create a society in which every individual possesses the academic, social and emotional skills needed to succeed in school, at work and in life.

The mission of NCLD is to improve the lives of the 1 in 5 individuals nationwide with learning and attention issues.

EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF WORKING AGE ADULTS!

PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO ATTRIBUTED LD TO INACCURATE CAUSES!

WHAT IS A LEARNING DISABILITY? A learning disability is a disorder. In simple terms, a learning disability results from a difference in the way a person's brain is "wired." Children with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways.

A learning disability can't be fixed; it is a lifelong issue. With the right support and intervention, however, children with learning disabilities can succeed in school and go on to successful, careers later in life.

Parents can help children with learning disabilities achieve such success by encouraging their strengths, knowing their weaknesses, understanding the educational system, working with professionals and learning about strategies for dealing with specific problems.

COMMON LEARNING DISABILITIES. Dyslexia – a language-based disability in which a person has trouble understanding written words. It may also be referred to as reading disability or reading disorder.

Dyscalculia – a mathematical disability in which a person has a difficult time solving arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts.

Dysgraphia – a writing disability in which a person finds it hard to form letters or write within a defined space.

Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders – sensory disabilities in which a person has difficulty understanding language despite normal hearing and vision.

Nonverbal Learning Disabilities – a neurological disorder which originates in the right hemisphere of the brain, causing problems with visual-spatial, intuitive, organizational, evaluative and holistic processing functions.

ADULT LITERACY.

National Literacy Act of 1991, defines literacy as “an individual’s ability to read, write, and speak in English, and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.” Adults use many types of literacy tasks associated with work, home and community contexts. In today’s society both the volume and variety of written information is growing, making it difficult for an individual who cannot read. This is especially true when research indicates that 60% of adults in literacy programs have learning disabilities.

One measure of literacy is the percentage of adults who perform at four achievement levels: Below Basic, Basic, Intermediate, and Proficient. In each type of literacy, 13 percent of adults were at or above Proficient (indicating they possess the skills necessary to perform challenging literacy activities) in 2003. Twenty-two percent of adults were Below Basic (indicating they possess no more than the most simple and concrete literacy skills) in quantitative literacy, compared with 14 percent in prose literacy and 12 percent in document literacy.

INTERESTING FACT!!

Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is working hard this month to shine the spotlight on learning disabilities. It is important during Learning Disabilities (LD) Month to focus less on the disabilities aspect and focus more on the incredible abilities so many of these individuals possess as well as emphasize the phenomenal achievements and important strides so many of these individuals have made. Membership in LDA is a way in which to support and nurture individuals with learning disabilities throughout not only the United States but the world. LDA does make a difference in the lives of those it touches.… Read More »

SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING INDIVIDUALS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIESdirect instruction;

learning strategy instruction; and

using a sequential, simultaneous structured multi-sensory approach.

break learning into small steps;

administer probes;

supply regular, quality feedback;

use diagrams, graphics and pictures to augment what they say in words;

provide ample independent, well-designed intensive practice;

model instructional practices that you want individuals to follow;

provide prompts of strategies to use; and

engage individual in process type questions like “How is the strategy working? Where else might you apply it?”

JUST A FEW CASES!

IS ENOUGH BEING DONE?

Yes, I do think that enough is being done. A lot of people who have a LD have learned to cope with this, and make the best out of it from help from experts. Making October the national LD month, shows that we do care, and we do want to help those struggling with this disorder. There are a lot of options that one can choose from to help with this disorder. There are many programs that help people who are struggling with a Learning disability. I feel that there are a lot of people who donated and help fund this cause, so yes I do feel like enough is being done today to prepare student/adults for the real world.

JUST A LITTLE REMINDER!!

THEIR STORIES TOLD!!

John was a typical preschooler. He was a happy, capable child, with great verbal ability. He spoke in full sentences at an early age, and he knew lots of words, especially words related to cars and trucks. By the age of two, he knew the difference between a pay loader and a backhoe, and he was sure to correct anyone who got it wrong. But no matter how hard we tried, he couldn't learn the names of the colors or his phone number. And while we spent hours reading together, he just wasn't interested in the letters of the alphabet.

We gave him another year in preschool, hoping it would give him a head start, the time he needed to grow.

At the age of six, John started kindergarten. He loved school. He had a lot of friends and he was happy—but oh so active. He could never sit still or resist temptation. If he saw a mud puddle, he was the one who jumped in it. He was the one who'd usually end up sitting in the penalty chair.

And there were so many things he couldn't do. He couldn't tie his shoes. He didn't know the days of the week or the months of the year. He still couldn't recite the alphabet. When his sister was born, he called her "that baby" for weeks. At first I thought it was just a case of sibling rivalry, but when I asked him the names of the children in his class, he simply didn't know. While he wasn't able to name the day of the week or the child sitting next to him, he was able to tell us all about the Roman Legions—complete with details about the armor they wore, the weapons they used, and the battles they fought. There were just so many contradictions.

CELEBRITIES WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY.

Michael Jordan Albert Einstein Whoopi Goldberg has Cher has Dyslexia.Has ADHD

Has Autisum. Dyslexia