Talking About Learning Disabilities

What You Say Really Does Matter

As a professional working in the field of learning disabilities (LD) I am comforted to be surrounded (at least most of the time) by individuals who understand that learning disabilities are real and who appreciate the importance of timely, well-targeted and effective interventions to address the needs of people with LD in school, at home and in the community. That said, I cringe when I hear questions and comments such as:

• "He has a what? A learning disability? What's that?"
• "She doesn't look like she has LD."
• "I know someone who had it but outgrew it once they got out of school."
• "If they just try harder they'll be fine."
• "Can't this be treated with medication?"

We've certainly come a long way since 1963 when, by most accounts, the term "learning disability" was formally introduced into the mainstream of conversation in the educational community. And we still have a long way to go toward increased awareness of LD throughout the general and educational communities so that misconceptions and misinformation do not interfere with the significant progress we've made in recognizing and responding to LD, especially during the early school years.

Why Talking About Learning Disabilities is So Important 

Simply stated, your choice of words in describing LD can radically change how people think and behave. This was made crystal clear during the past decade when, thanks to generous support by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, two Roper Starch National opinion surveys (1994 and 1999) were conducted.

Through a series of focus groups, questions were asked of parents, teachers, school administrators, pediatricians and students with learning disabilities, and additional research was conducted by member organizations of the Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities (CCLD) and the Ad Council. A useful publication titled Talking LD was published as a compilation of recommendations about how to address the most common issues raised in the public conversation about learning disabilities.

Know Thy Audience

During my childhood, I vividly recall my father reflecting aloud on foolish statements made or actions taken by people in the news. With just enough inflection to make me take notice, he would sigh and say something like "I've already made up my mind...don't confuse me with the facts." And how right he was! The facts are that:

• Almost 3 million school-age children across the United States are currently classified as having specific learning disabilities
• 39% of students with LD drop out of high school (compared with 11% of students in the general school population).

Yet there are those who still say that LD is not real! Overturning misconceptions and strongly held beliefs and values is so very important to empowering those who struggle with LD to have a fair chance at success, and having good (and current) data, real-live examples and language that is not overly technical or ambiguous makes all the difference.

Choosing the wrong words or examples can actually do more harm than good. For example, the public press is often quick to share examples of famous people (i.e., celebrities, scientists, athletes) with LD. While this might be helpful to convey a sense of hope and optimism, it is often off-putting and even upsetting, both for individuals with LD and those who teach and support their efforts.

Rather than hearing only about "superstars," most people would rather hear also about real-life success stories and circumstances that are similar to their own and that help them experience the struggles and triumphs of LD in everyday life.

Believe It or Not

The following is a brief list of opinions that were gleaned from the Roper Polls and other more recent sources, including NCLD's "help box" (NCLD encourages you to share your questions and concerns with us!). Try to imagine how you would respond to these statements, and if necessary, do some follow up to ensure that you are "in the know" and well-prepared to talk about LD:

• FACT: 8 in 10 adults think that "people with learning disabilities are just as smart as you and I — their minds just process words and information differently."
  Think about it: in the same breath, the polls reported that two-thirds of adults associate learning disabilities with mental retardation and with physical disabilities such as blindness and deafness.
• FACT: Almost half of the people surveyed think that learning disabilities are actually a result of laziness.
  Think about it high-achieving people with LD, such as recipients of NCLD's Anne Ford Scholarship Award. Their personal essays will dispel any myths about LD and laziness!
• FACT: Half also think that learning disabilities are caused by "the home environment."
  Think about it: consider, for example, a student with dyslexia — a language-based learning disability in reading — who, from the very early school years, struggles to learn the alphabet, has great trouble "sounding-out" words, and is a horrific speller, yet can perform with speed and accuracy in math, has wonderful problem-solving skills in science, and is an outstanding artist. Perhaps early learning opportunities and ongoing support at home contributes to this student's profile, but a genetic predisposition and brain-based information processing certainly have more to do with their struggle than their home situation.
• FACT: There is no difference between learning disabilities and learning differences.
  Think about it: Wrong! While "disability" is not a pleasant word, it is still a necessary label to unlock special education services and support in schools. It also differentiates between those who struggle because of LD and those who learn differently because of bilingual or cultural issues, stressors in the family and community, economic factors, inadequate teaching, psychiatric and behavioral disorders, disorders of attention, sensory impairments and other such factors.

Problem...Solution...Action!

I'm sure you can see how important it is to both "talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk" when it comes to learning disabilities. Remember, your message to those who want (or need) to know more about LD should be clear and precise, and you should be prepared to:

1. Offer a statement of a problem:
   
   
   • The risk for learning disabilities is rarely addressed during the pre-school years
   • Parents are not sure how and when to bring up concerns about LD in their children

    

2. Suggest a solution to the problem:
   
   
   • Have your child screened for early signs of struggle in reading
   • Create a meaningful dialogue between parents and school personnel and agree upon a time-specific plan to answer questions and address concerns
     

      

3. Recommend specific action:
   
   
   • Be sure to provide lots of emergent literacy skill-building opportunities in areas such as print awareness, early writing and linguistic awareness
   • Know your rightsand be prepared to negotiate and cooperate to secure the services and support you need to help your child.

      

Sheldon H. Horowitz, Ed.D. is the Director of LD Resources & Essential Information at the National Center for Learning Disabilities.