2004-2-4
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Education
Report.
Today we begin a series of programs about learning disabilities.
These are disorders in the ways that people understand or use
language. They can affect the ability to listen or think, or to
speak, or to read and write. They can also affect the ability to do
mathematics.
A person with a learning disability has unusual difficulty in
developing these skills. Researchers believe that learning
disabilities are caused by differences in the way that the brain
works with information. They say children with learning disabilities
are not unintelligent or do not want to work. Their brains just
process information differently than other people.
Researchers say that as many as
one out of every five people in the United States has some kind of
learning disability. Almost three-million children in the United
States receive some kind of help in school for a learning
disability.
How can you tell if someone has a learning disability? Experts
look for a difference between how well a child does in school and
the level of intelligence or ability of the child. But there is no
one sign of a disorder.
A few signs of a learning disability include not connecting
letters with their sounds or not understanding what is read. A
person with a learning disability may not be able to understand a
funny story. They may not follow directions. They may not read
numbers correctly or know how to start a task. Different people have
different kinds of learning disabilities. One person may have
trouble understanding mathematics. Another may have difficulty
understanding what people are saying. Still another may not be able
to express ideas in writing.
These different kinds of learning disabilities are known by
different names. For example, a person who has difficulty reading
may have dyslexia. Someone who cannot do mathematics may have a
disorder called dyscalculia.
Experts say learning disabilities cannot be cured. But people who
have them can be helped. Teachers and parents can help young people
with learning disabilities to learn successfully.
In the next few weeks, we will discuss different kinds of
learning disabilities. We will provide advice from specialists about
ways to deal with them. And we will also examine some of the
political issues involved in the area of special education.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy
Steinbach. This is Steve Ember.