News on Learning Disabilities

Doing Your Homework: Struggling with Dyslexia AND French 101
From Wrightslaw: "Latin is one of the base languages of English and is sometimes a good choice of a second language for a dyslexic student." (11/3/09)

Halloween Safety for Kids with LDs
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Children with learning disabilities (and others) can benefit from advance safety preparation. Learn ways to keep your child safe this Halloween with tips on costume and candy safety, making the trick or treat route safe, and managing your child's behavior. Learn what you can do to make Halloween safe and fun." (10/26/09)

The Behavioral and Emotional Impact of Dyslexia
From Suite 101: "Dyslexia is a multifaceted learning difficulty. The right information can help address each academic facet, but most importantly help tackle dyslexia's emotional impact." (10/23/09)

Dyslexia varies across language barriers
From Science Blog: "Chinese-speaking children with dyslexia have a disorder that is distinctly different, and perhaps more complicated and severe, than that of English speakers. Those differences can be seen in the brain and in the performance of Chinese children on visual and oral language tasks." (10/13/09)

Learning Assessments -- who needs them?
From Leading 2 Learning: "There are different kinds of learning assessments depending on what you want the end result to be." (10/2/09)

How to Recognize Early Signs of a Learning Disability
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Most children with learning disabilities are formally diagnosed around the third grade level. By then, LD students are already frustrated by their struggles with learning and have begun to fail." (9/7/09)

Does Reading Leave You Exhausted?
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Most students with learning disabilities need a lot of time to complete assignments, and the effort they put forth can leave them (and you) exhausted. These tips can help your child by improving study efficiency." (9/1/09)

15% of Preschoolers At Risk For Learning Problems
From Leading to Learning: "A recently published research report found that 15% of children aged between 5 months and five years of age suffered from abnormally high levels of depression. ... The fact that 15% of preschool children get depressed is hard to take, but so too is the lasting effect this can have on children's ability to learn." (8/29/09)

Create an Organized Homework Area for Your LD Child
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Homework hassles are a special education parent's nightmare. If you've ever worked on long division until your eyes are bloodshot and bleary, you know what I mean. An organized homework area can help you manage even the toughest assignments more efficiently and help your learning disabled child become more self-sufficient." (8/3/09)

Learning problems?: 3 reasons why you must get involved.
From Leading to Learning: "Recently I asked who was going to help 'grey area' kids, those children who are struggling to learn but, because they are not thought of as being learning disabled, are not getting any extra help.Well, the answer is you. You are the only person who can provide the support your child needs." (6/26/09)

Join us in supporting Learning Disability Week 2009
From The Daily Dust: "Learning Disability Week runs until June 28 and is an annual week aimed at raising awareness of issues that affect people with learning disabilities and their families in the UK." (6/22/09)

Dyslexia: What is it? Does your child have it?
From Leading to Learning: "First, dyslexia is NOT a visual problem. Just because your child reverses letters or puts capital letters in the wrong place does not mean that he or she is dyslexic. Dyslexics see words correctly, the problem is in how their brain processes the information their eyes deliver." (6/10/09)

Opinion: Susan Boyle advances learning disability cause
From Disability News: "Writing in the [UK] Guardian Joe Public Blog, Ciara Evans says the producers of Britain's Got Talent should have given better support to Susan Boyle. The singer was hospitalized last week for 'emotional exhaustion' after filming the show's final episode." (6/9/09)

11 signs that your child has a learning difficulty
From Leading to Learning: "Every child suffers from learning difficulties at one time or another. The trick is to stop them become learning problems by being aware of the issue and doing something about it." (6/6/09)

Quinn Bradlee: Adventures with learning disabilities
From Disability News: "Quinn Bradlee discusses his new memoir, 'A Different Life,' and website. Bradlee has velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) and multiple learning disabilities, and is the son of Washington Post veterans Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn." (4/29/09)

New learning disability genes identified
From Wellcome Trust: "An international team of researchers, including scientists from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, showed that damage or disruption to the genes - all located on the X chromosome - was the likely cause of mental retardation." (4/24/09)

Learning Disabilities In Males
From Science Daily: "A collaboration between more than 70 researchers across the globe has uncovered nine new genes on the X chromosome that, when knocked-out, lead to learning disabilities." (4/20/09)

These Free Flash Cards Can Help You Teach Multiplication Skills
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Learn ways to use math flash cards to teach your child multiplication skills, and download free multiplication flash cards for one through twelve." (4/11/09)

Memoir explores genetic disorder, learning disabilities
From Disability News: "Quinn Bradlee, the son of former Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee and journalist Sally Quinn, has written a memoir,'A Different Life: Growing Up Learning Disabled and Other Adventures.'" (4/3/09)

Learning disabled may engage in unsafe sex: survey
From Reuters: "These findings highlight the importance of learning more about the sexual lives of people with learning disabilities, 'as they are a group of the population who may be vulnerable to exploitation and coercion.'" (3/28/09)

Anesthesia in Youngest Kids May be Linked to Learning Disabilities
From HealthDay: "Study found having 'gone under' more than once by age 3 seemed to raise risk for problems." (3/25/09)

Mel Levine gives up medical license amid abuse charges
From Disability News: "Melvin D. Levine, a pediatrician and best-selling author of books about learning disabilities, has surrendered his medical license amid charges of sexually abusing as many as 50 boys." (3/21/09)

When Kids With LD Network Online: The Benefits and Risks
From Great Schools: "Kids with learning and attention problems may blossom by using social-networking Web sites. Learn more about the potential benefits and risks for these kids." (3/18/09)

Brain Scans Shed Light on Dyslexia
From HealthDay: "Mismatch occurs between seeing letter and the sound it represents, study suggests." (3/13/09)

Spotting learning disabilities early
From Centeretown News Online: "So how does one go from being a person with a learning disability to a person sitting in a jail cell? This was the question that most interested me as a police officer and as a concerned member of society."

It's Crunch Time! The Other March Madness
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Teachers are preparing for end-of-year tests, psychologists are trying to finish evaluations and re-evaluations, schools are holding transition meetings to help kids move to the next level of school or graduation. Parents are planning break time activities. Seniors are working college entry, and many teens are filling out summer job applications." (3/16/09)

Reading Rockets : You'll love 'First Lines'
From Reading Rockets: "It's a quick prereading activity in which the teacher reads to the class (or the students read) the first line only of something new they're about to read. Based on that first line, students make predictions about the story." (2/27/09)

Experiencing college with learning disabilities
From Disability News: "CLE is a private program operating in six cities around the country that helps students with learning disabilities, particularly those with autism and Asperger's. Students enroll simultaneously in CLE and a college near one of the program%u2019s centers, and work on social skills and independent living as well as academics" (2/26/09)

A Drug for Learning Disabilities?
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Researchers at Canada's Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto believe such a drug may one day be possible. ... Scientists at the hospital have identified a protein that appears to improve synapse connections between neurons in the brains of mice with inherited learning defects." (2/25/09)

Where to Find Help for Disability Issues
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "If you need help with your child's disability or need assistance with a disability of your own, find local agencies that offer services you need." (2/16/09)

Talking to your child about learning disabilities
From Reading Rockets: "Kids with learning disabilities are a heterogeneous group of kids; there's no one description that fits them all. Lots of kids with LD have difficulty with reading, others don't. Some kids with LD struggle in math, others don't. The one commonality among them is the need for great teachers and excellent instruction." (2/11/09)

Gifted Children are Special Needs Kids
From About.com Gifted Children: "Parents of gifted children are usually well aware that their children need special accommodations, but it's often difficult to convince others of the need. A very common myth is that gifted students are smart and will do just fine." (1/21/09)

Gifted with a Learning Disability
From Eide Neurolearning Blog: Twice exceptional students are often overlooked in conventional school settings because their gifts may compensate enough to avoid identification for help, but not enough to avoid emotional problems and often gross academic achievement. (1/19/09)

Abracadabra! No More Special Needs!
Two know-it-alls think they can make peanut allergies and dyslexia go away just by saying so. (1/15/09)

Dyslexia is a wicked myth created by bad teachers, MP says
From Telegraph.co.uk: "Graham Stringer, the MP for Manchester Blackley, said the condition was a 'cruel fiction,' and 'no more real than the 19th century scientific construction of "the aether" to explain how light travels through a vacuum.'" (1/14/09)

Why dyslexia is not a 'cruel fiction'
From Telegraph.uk: "Stringer's mistake lies in chucking out the notion of dyslexia in order to argue that children don't have to be illiterate. It's not an either/or %u2013 it is quite possible to be both dyslexic and literate, but it takes time and effort." (1/14/09)

What is an Invisible Disability?
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Learning disabilities are sometimes called invisible disabilities because they are not easily seen. In some cases, people with learning disabilities consider this a positive. Others see it as a negative." (1/12/09)

Reorganize for Homework Efficiency
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "With most schools back in session after the holiday break, now is a good time to rethink your child's homework space." (1/11/09)

Is Your Child a Reluctant Reader? Ways to Help
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Is your child a reluctant reader? Many children with learning disabilities avoid reading and do not get the practice they need to improve their skills. Learn some great ways to improve basic reading skills and reading comprehension. Increase their reading time with reading activities that they will actually enjoy!" (1/3/09)

How to Cope with a Friend's Learning Disability
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Coping with a friend's learning disability can be challenge, but it need not be overwhelming. Learn ways you can deal with your friend's learning disability and support your friendship. Learn ways to cope with your feelings and theirs and to keep your friendship healthy and positive for years to come." (1/2/09)

New Year's Resolutions for Parents of Learning Disabled Students
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Losing weight, saving money, and getting a better job are usually among the top New Year's resolutions for many of us. As the parent of a child with learning disabilities, here are a few more you may want to add to that list." (12/23/08)

Work on Self-Esteem During Holiday Break
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Holidays are a great time to work on social skills, making friends, developing a positive self-concept, and creating a family identity, all important foundations for self-esteem." (12/20/08)

Prepare Now for End of Year Testing
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "End of year testing will be here in no time. Your child's performance on end of year tests is important because it helps identify areas of strength and areas where he may need more assistance." (12/20/08)

How to Talk with Your LD Child
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Communication with a learning disabled child can be challenging, especially for children who have language processing problems." (12/15/08)

Scholarships for Students With Learning Disabilities
From HEATH Resource Center: "The National Center for Learning Disabilities is accepting applications for The Anne Ford Scholarship award given to a high school senior with an identified learning disability (LD) who is pursuing an undergraduate degree." (12/10/08)

Coping with Stress of Parenting a Learning Disabled Child
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Are you parenting a learning disabled child and experiencing emotional challenges and stress? If so, you are not alone. Many parents experience predictable periods of stress as they adjust to the demands of parenting a learning disabled child." (12/8/08)

New U of Iowa program serves students with learning disabilities
From Disability News: "The University of Iowa has enrolled 18 students from five states in a new two-year REACH program for young adults with learning and intellectual disabilities. The program aims to help students become independent and develop life skills in a traditional college setting." (12/6/08)

It's Midterm - Do You Suspect a Learning Disability?
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "If your child is experiencing problems, it is best to seek help now rather than to wait until the end of the school year. This will give teachers time to implement intervention strategies that may help, and if necessary, initiate a referral for evaluation." (12/3/08)

Ten Easy Strategies to Nix Holiday Stress
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Stress management is an important skill for any parent, but it is especially important for parents of children with learning disabilities and other types of disabilities." (11/30/08)

Managing Behavior Problems During Holiday Activities
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Thanksgiving is coming up, and many of you will be traveling to homes of friends and family to celebrate. If your child's behavior leaves you worried about holiday gatherings with family and friends, you're not alone." (11/24/08)

Free Online Study Resources
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "College kids have great resources available to them at the click of a mouse. Here are some resources they shouldn't miss." (11/18/08)

Learning to Read: A Focus on Struggling Readers
From About.com Special Ed: "Learning to read may seem like quite a natural process. However, step back and think about what it's like when you pick up a newspaper, book or label that is written in a foreign language. ... This is what our alphabet often feels and looks like to a new or struggling reader." (11/13/08)

Tips for Better Grades on Multiple Choice Tests
From About.com Learning Disabilities: "Regardless of your learning disability, you can improve your scores on multiple choice exams! It's true. While test preparation takes work, you can achieve as well as or even better than other students in your class if you follow these strategies." (11/3/08)

Sitting on a Nest of Snakes
From About.com Gifted Kids: "I often hear from parents whose gifted children are not paying attention in school or who seem to have lost an interest in school work. Teachers imply that the children have some kind of problem, usually ADHD." (10/28/08)

Dyscalculia
From 5 Minutes for Special Needs: "According to the National Council for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), the term dyscalculia actually refers to 'a wide range of life-long learning disabilities involving math' and therefore can vary in how they affect different people." (10/24/08)

Teen who killed himself at school had learning disability
From Disability News: "A 14-year-old student with a learning disability shot himself to death in a restroom in his rural high school north of Los Angeles Monday. Some parents and students said freshman Jeremiah Lasater was being bullied at Vasquez High School in Acton, and that school administrators were aware of the abuse but did not stop it." (10/23/08)

Preventing Dropouts in Learning Disabled Students
Advice from the About.com guide to Learning Disabilities. (10/7/08)

Gene link to poor reading skills
From BBC News: "A common genetic variant may be partly to blame for poor reading ability, research suggests. The variant, carried by more than one in seven people, has already been associated with dyslexia." (10/6/08)

Help Your Struggling Reader
From About.com Parenting K-6 Children: "Understanding the Brain Processes that Affect Reading Skills." (10/6/08)

Charity: New technology could better support people with LD
From Disability News: "A UK charity says that many of the 1.5 million people with learning disabilities in the UK are being denied an effective voice in their care, and would be better served with the use of new multimedia technologies." (10/2/08)

What You Need to Know About Advocacy
The About.com guide to Learning Disabilities tells you what you need to know before working with an advocate. (9/29/08)

Unraveling 'math dyslexia'
From Science Blog: A neuroscientist is "using brain imaging to understand how children develop math skills, and what kind of brain development is associated with those skills." (9/25/08)

In the Forum: Going to College
Is college an appropriate goal for your child, or would you rather see a break after high school? Share your thoughts in the forum. (8/31/08)

What Are Learning Styles?
The About.com guide to Learning Disabilities offers an explanation and resources. (8/29/08)

In the Forum: CAPD
An adult with CAPD wonders if there's something she can still do to help herself. (8/28/08)

Ability Grouping
The About.com guide to Learning Disabilities looks at the positives and negatives. (8/24/08)

Precursors to Reading
Learn more about them from the About.com guide to Parenting K-6 Children. (8/24/08)

September Thoughts: Reflections on a New School Year
From LDOnline, school-year advice from learning disability expert Rick Lavoie. (8/20/08)

Teaching Social Skills by Making Friends
The About.com guide to Learning Disabilities has some ideas on how you can go about doing that. (8/19/08)

Augmentative Communication
About.com's guide to Learning Disabilities offers information on augmentative communication devices. (8/17/08)

Accusations of Sex Abuse Trail Doctor
That doctor would be Mel Levine, the pediatrician whose books like A Mind at a Time have offered hope to parents of children with learning differences. The New York Times reports that five former patients are now accusing him of sexually abusing them decades ago; Levine denies the charges. (8/6/08)

High school or the movies? One dad makes a deal
Many parents get to the point where they wonder whether forcing their child to go to high school is the best option. A new book documents a father's creative solution. (8/6/08)

Reading Strategies You Can Help With
The About.com guide to Special Education writes about mixcue analysis and how to diagnose a struggling reader. (8/4/08)

Help Your Child Build Reading Comprehension and Retention Skills
Ann Logsdon, About.com guide to Learning Disabilities, links to a number of articles that can help. (8/4/08)

Behavior Problems at Home? Learn Strategies to Help
The About.com Guide to Learning Disabilities offers a number of articles on the subject. (7/16/08)

If Your Child Has Trouble Reading
"Reading disabilities can be identified even in very young children, and should be immediately evaluated by a professional." (2/28/07)

Math anxiety saps memory needed for... math
"Worrying about how you'll perform on a math test may actually contribute to a lower test score, U.S. researchers say." (2/20/07)

New Dyslexia Theory Blames 'Noise'
"The dyslexic brain struggles to read because even small distractions can throw it off, according to a new model of dyslexia emerging from a group of recent studies." (12/26/06)

Patrick Dempsey discusses dyslexia
Dr. McDreamy's dyslexic? The actor talks to Barbara Walters about his learning disabilities. (3/1/06)

Reading problems cause behavior problems
It's not unusual for reading problems and behavior problems to be found in the same child, but is there a connection between the two, and if so, what? (2/15/06)

Ritalin for autism?
Long the drug of choice for ADHD, Ritalin may now become a common prescription for kids with autism spectrum disorders. (11/10/05)

Actress discusses dyslexia
If your child has learning disabilities, you might want to mention that actress Keira Knightley, currently starring in an adaptation of the very literary "Pride and Prejudice," has talked in interviews about her dyslexia. (11/8/05)

Possible genetic basis of dyslexia
Could an altered gene be responsible for dyslexia? (10/29/05)