Learning Strategies for Disability

Students that endure learning disabilities often have difficulty understanding words, since their decoding process is different from others. Recently, studies are pointing to phonemic, or computer related learning tools has shown progress for children with learning disabilities.

The tools offer pictorial tutoring, coupled with easy to learn wording. Some experts believe that these disabilities are because the child is over zealous to understanding the meaning of words. Other experts believe that the children have mental ailments that hinder them from learning.

The problem lies between individuality and education however. When a child is not grasping the meaning of words, in my studies, it has been because the definition was not clear. This is not always true of everyone with learning disabilities.

After working with a woman suffering bipolar maniac depression for more than a year, I noticed this woman was eager to learn. The woman seemed to have logic underneath her disabling diagnose. The problem was she lacked self-confidence and self-esteem that hindered her from believing her own logic. She had dropped out of school and lacked education, but by no means was she a dumb person.

The woman from experience showed signs of intelligence, yet again because she lacked certain developed qualities, she failed to see her abilities. I noticed too that the woman strived for attention and would accept superficial love from anyone, even if abuse were involved.

The observational learning led me to believe that if we helped this woman with developing skills, we could help her learn. In other words, her personality was flawed. Outside of bipolar maniac depression, I concluded that a personality disorder was underlying the problem. Another problem I notice with learning disabilities or inabilities is that the person shows emotional scaring.

In other words, the emotions are taking control of the persons mind. This means that stressors must be reduced to help the person learn. When the mind is in chaos learning becomes a struggle. Since, experts are struggling with the term disability; we can deduce another issue is the concern.

Unfortunately, certain mental illness has different levels and different symptoms. Some bipolar patients are less severe than others are and can learn effectively. Some bipolar patients fail to learn because they are in denial. They often fail to see the importance of learning, since they feel they have nothing to offer. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patients are another subject of study.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has been at the top of the list of study for some time. The patient will offer show signs, including failure to pay attention. Other signs include hyperactive behaviors, such as blurting out spontaneous, interrupting others.

The ADHD patient may fail to see why his or her behavior is inappropriate. These people will hurt others feelings and appear to show disregard. After the symptoms cease however, I notice the person will show remorse. Most ADHD patients will claim they are bored after playing for a short time. They rarely illustrate the ability to focus on one task at one time. Some cannot stay seated at a computer for lengths of time.

This leads me to believe that phonics may not be suitable for everyone that has a different learning ability. Most of these individuals with ADHD are smart individuals. There mind races 90 miles per hour, making it difficult for them to focus. This brings forth a new understanding, since these people do not need to focus to learn. They learn by observation.

Observational learning skills are most likely beneficial to anyone with ADHD, vs. any one type of disorder. Learning is a process and when a person lacks certain skills, it becomes difficult for the person to learn. This does not necessarily mean that the person has a learning disability. Rather, this may lead to new strategies that help different minds learn on their own level.

The mind is difficult to understand, since everyone is different. Studies have proven however that ADHD patients often progress when individual study is utilized. Children of dyslexia have proven to learn sufficiently when individual study was involved. It is important to help a child with learning inabilities find his individuality and learn on his own level of understanding.