Vol. 5, No. 4 July/August 1997	Previous Issues Subscribe to AT Messenger Download PDF Viewer
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Lessons Learned:
A Parent's Perspective

Cheryl Baxter

A learning disability is "the inability to acquire, retain, or generalize specific skills or sets of information." At the time of our first child's kindergarten testing, the above sentence was almost foreign to me. But by the end of his junior year in college, I knew exactly what this definition had encompassed.

Our first child thrilled his parents. Entering kindergarten with a "late" birthday, his test scores were in the 95th percentile. The educated educators said, "Don't hold him back; he'll be bored; he's ready." However, kindergarten became a test of wills--his, ours, and theirs. The academic world held no interest for this five-year old. Given the outdoors, mechanical, and self-chosen tasks, he was happiest.

First grade was the beginning of an eight-year battle. The battlefield setting varied, as did the people in charge. The philosophy of learning was much the same, as was the response to this child's seeming unwillingness to learn. We heard, "He's spoiled/ immature/stubborn," and "He will not accept the responsibility" necessary to achieve in an academic setting. These statements were in stark contrast to the little boy that we saw outside of school. That little boy was funny, intuitive, and sometimes slow to grasp some concepts, but so was his dad.

By high school, it was evident that the eight-year battle had taken its toll. Low self esteem, a lack of interest in learning, and feelings of failure were traits displayed upon entering the ninth grade. We experienced frustration at the system and at the lack of help provided. This child was not who they said he was...but where was the answer?

An error in placement landed our son in a highly academic history class. This error provided our son with a teacher who cultivated an environment of positive learning and the development of individual strengths and, most importantly, a "verbal learning" program. This error in placement was discovered in the last two weeks of the marking period. Steps were taken to correct the mistake. A meeting between the teacher, staff and myself revealed that a B+ average, class participation, and enthusiasm were where he stood; not with the failure anticipated by such a challenging class.

Shock was the reaction by all in attendance. How was this possible? Through gentle persuasion by parents and teacher, it was agreed that the placement would not change, with a close watch to see how the year evolved. Curiosity drove me to question what was behind this turn of events. I began to question our son, his teacher, and even a few of his friends. What was happening in this classroom that was providing such positive feedback?

When I questioned my son, I received information on history lectures, including places, dates, names of generals, and the number of soldiers participating, right down to the last detail. When checking the history notebook it appeared as sloppy and disoriented as ever. My last attempt to unravel the mystery was through a class visit. The pieces began to fall into place. On that visit, the teacher began the second lecture on the battles of the Civil War. I noticed the look of intent concentration on my son's face. As the teacher paused, a brief period of sloppy, hurried notes ensued. As soon as the lecture continued, the scribbles stopped and again an intent focus on the speaker.

Bingo!! Oral teaching! My son was no longer faced with reading from the textbook, or coding from the blackboard. The textbook was being interpreted through lecture. Previously, the process of reading, brief review, note taking and processing the new information was eliminated. The processing breakdown was coupled with poor motor skills, which lead to a focus on copying information, not absorbing it.

At my request, testing was done and revealed a learning disability. Testing, counseling and, having a teacher who not only understood, but whose teaching style corresponded to his learning style, elevated our son's academic achievement. As high school graduation approached, we investigated the direction that would best address his diagnosis and provide him with the opportunity for college success. A post- graduate year was the chosen option with a focus on training the student to work with his/her learning disability rather than fight it or try to hide it.

From this setting we were provided with assistance from counselors who helped to explore and find a college with a Learning Disability Department. As a newly admitted freshman with LD, many services were provided. These included a classroom mentor; class lectures were recorded and typed on computers. There were extended testing times for written exams, and oral exams were options. The professors were trained in the teaching techniques that students with learning disabilities require. The sophomore and junior years found our son needing less and less help, becoming more confident and developing into an adult who accepts and understands what he requires to learn and succeed.

With the senior year approaching and a degree in Commercial Art just within reach, we have come to understand how very important it is that every parent views each step and each decision with the whole child in mind. Abilities or deficits do not predict success or failure. We must take these traits, study them, understand them and finally work with them in order to become the best that we can be.