Welcome to Frankfort-Schuyler High School Room 351!

Children need models rather than critics.-- Joseph Joubert

What We Need to Know about Learning Disabilities:  

  1. People with learning disabilities have average to above-average intelligence.
  2. They have difficulty with reading, writing, math, memory or other ability areas related to learning.
  3. They happen to be very good, even excel, at one type of learning, yet struggle with something else. It is this type of discrepancy that is a true indicator of an L.D. student.
  4. Learning disabilities are familial; they tend to run in families, which seem to indicate the possibility of a genetic link.
  5. As of right now, no one knows what causes learning disabilities, but a leading theory among scientists is that learning disabilities stem from subtle disturbances in the brain structures and functions.  They seem to have some neurological impairment that mix up the signals between the senses and the brain.  What is important to remember is that an L.D. student is different from a student with a low I.Q. in that he has highs and lows as is reflected in his performance and I.Q. subtests scatter.
  6. L.D. students often have characteristics of ADHD and ADD.
  7. Some students experience processing problems when the brain receives signals from the senses.
  8. Children with learning disabilities often experience 'maturation lag' or developmental delays'.  That means that they develop and mature at a slower rate than others in the same age group.  It follows that they will have difficulty understanding and completing assignments like others in the same age group. Retention is often used as a way of closing that lag but that often causes problems in other areas.
  9. People don't outgrow learning disabilities; they just develop compensatory strategies or 'coping mechanisms'.  Caring, knowledgeable teachers are a tremendous influence in the life direction that these students pursue.

Please see the sites below for more information:

To learn about Special Ed. and Related Services:

To learn about IDEA Law and Regulations:

To learn about Learning Disabilities:

To learn about Section 504 and IDEA:

To learn about Parent Resources:

 

Contact me any time at: plyne@frankfort-schuyler.org