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| |    What Is a Learning Disability? by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. There are many bright children who, despite trying hard, do poorly in school. Both boys and girls have this problem, but more often, it is boys who come for professional help. These children often talk well and have talents in nonacademic areas, such as art or taking apart bicycles. Many of these children are terribly frustrated by schoolwork and are convinced that they are stupid. (They are not.) Sometimes, in their frustration, they give up on school and take on the attitude that it is the school that is stupid. Many of these children have, as their main problem, a learning disability. Defining a learning disability A learning disability (LD) is any problem that makes it impossible (or nearly impossible) for a child to succeed academically. Not counted among LDs are problems that arise from a lack of adequate schooling; serious vision and hearing problems; emotional problems such as depression or anxiety; or physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy. However, problems in these area often coexist with with LD. Many children with LD are intellectually bright, but some have lower-than-average general intelligence (IQ). If their academic abilities are on par for their general level of IQ, they do not qualify as having an LD. What it feels like to have LD Children with LD know that there is something wrong with them, but they have no way of knowing what it is. Their teachers and parents tell them to try harder. Sometimes, through very great effort, they have some success. For example, one day a child spends five hours doing a 30-minute homework assignment, and he gets a good grade. His teacher may wonder why he can't always perform up to this standard; she concludes that he is lazy. For his part, he is exhausted, and probably wonders if maybe he is lazy, or perhaps stupid. And, understandably, he might come to resent the teacher who never seems satisfied. I think you can see how what starts as a learning disability can easily grow into an emotional or behavioral problem. Some children decide to be class clowns, or rebel against teacher discipline, as a way of drawing attention away from their disability. In their view, it is better to be bad than to be stupid. Other children suffer in silence. They "forget" to turn in homework and never volunteer in class. Perhaps they act out their frustration by getting into fights on the playground. The most important treatment: understanding The first and most important treatment for a learning disability is for everyone to acknowledge that it exists. Once that happens, teachers and parents can recognize how hard the child is really working, and can praise the effort, rather than criticizing the product. Children can hear, many times, that they are not stupid. They have a problem, they need to work on that problem with the help of parents and teachers (they don't have to deal with it alone!), and their problem can get better.
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