subject: Everyone Deserves The Chance At A Good Education [print this page] Although most people are aware that having ADHD is considered a learning disability, many do not know just how many things can effect a persons ability to learn and receive a proper education.
A lot of times, when parents and teachers see a student not paying attention, staring blankly at the paper set before them even after instructions had been given, and seem completely unmotivated, they immediately jump to the assumption that it is the student's lack of drive or willpower to complete the assignments given them.
However, quite often this is not the case at all. The student may very well have a learning disability, and unfortunately, because they tend to get discouraged in their schooling, many students with a learning disability don't go on to get a higher education simply because of the struggles they faced early on.
There are so many different factors that can create a learning disability and even establish itself later on in a person who had previously never had a problem. Some of these things include:
*Stress
*Anxiety
*Depression
*Schizophrenia
*Bipolar Disorder
*Dyslexia
*ADHD/ADD
*Autism
*Abuse
*and Addiction
On top of these conditions, simple things can play a part in ones ability to learn and pay attention such as lack of sleep, poor diet, and even family issues.
Luckily, there are many schools and colleges that offer excellent programs and resources to make furthering your education easier to achieve.
A few key strategies have been discovered by teachers who specialize in the care and teaching of students with learning disabilities which include, but are not limited to:
*Breaking the learning up into steps that are simple to understand.
*Engage the student in the learning process by asking direct questions.
*Give the student feedback often. Offer suggestions to help them and praise on a job well done.
*Lead by example. (i.e. modeling the instructions given)
*Use pictures or diagrams to augment what you are teaching.
*Encouraging independent practice.
The teachers at the aforementioned colleges strive to help all of their students achieve their learning goals and use a plethora of methods and techniques to assure the information they are given truly "sinks in".
You may think that these colleges are few and far between and therefore difficult to find, but on the contrary, it is literally at your fingertips. You can find many schools across the globe that offer extra help and specialized programs to assist those that need it as easily as browsing the internet. Don't let a learning disability hold you back from getting the education you want and deserve.
