Learners With Exceptionalities

A learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects the brain?s ability to receive, process, store and respond to information. The term learning disability is used to describe the difficulty a person of at least average intelligence has in acquiring basic academic skills. (LD 1) Learning disorders can affect a person?s ability in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and mathematics. Other features of a learning disorder are: a distinct gap between the level of achievement that is expected an

Some common symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder include: often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes; often has difficulty sustaining attention to tasks; often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly; often fails to follow instructions carefully and completely; losing or forgetting important things; feeling restless, often fidgeting with hands or feet, or squirming; running or climbing excessively; often talks excessively; often blurts out answers before hearing the whole question; often has difficulty awaiting turn. (ADD 2)

Learners with exceptionalities come in many different forms. From learning disabilities to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to mental retardation and even gifted children, all of these students need extra help to reach their full potential. Through detection of the problem, and the right teaching style, all of these learners should be able to feel like they are a contributing part of society.

Another form of learning disabilities includes Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a diagnosis applied to children and adults who consistently display certain characteristic behaviors over a period of time. The most common characteristics include: distractibility (poor sustained attention to tasks), impulsivity, (impaired impulse control and delay of gratification) and hyperactivity (excessive anxiety and physical restlessness). In order to meet the diagnostic criteria, these behaviors must be excessive, long term and pervasive. The behaviors must appear before age seven, and continue for at least six months. A crucial consideration is that the behaviors must create a real handicap in a least two areas of a person?s life, such as school, home, work, or social settings. Approximately four to six percent of the United States population has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disorder usually persists throughout a person?s lifetime and is not limited to children. Approximately one-half to two-thirds of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder will continue to have significant problems as adults. (ADD 1)

A child with mental retardation can do well in school but is likely to need individualized help. Many children with mental retardation need help with adaptive skills, which are skills needed to live, work and play in the community. Teachers and parents can help a child work on these skills at both school and home. Some of these skills include: communicating with others; taking care of personal needs; health and safety; home living; social skills; reading, writing and basic math; and as they get older, skills that will help them in the workplace. (NICHCY 4-5)

Warning signs for dyslexia include difficulties in the following areas: phonological awareness; assigning correct sounds to letters- alone and when combined to form words; pronouncing words properly; spelling words; learning basic sequential information; reading with age-appropriate speed and accuracy; reading comprehension; answering open ended questions; organizing thoughts; and learning a foreign language. (Dyslexia 2)

Another type of learners with exceptionalities includes gifted students. Gifted children have above average intelligence and score extremely high on IQ tests, at least above 130. Because he is able to take care of himself academically, the gifted student gets less attention from the teacher, and because he can get by with no effort, is not encouraged to develop his talents. It is estimated that children with IQs of 140 or better waste half their time in a normal classroom and students with IQs of 170 or better waste practically all of their time. (Mouly 286)

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