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Only 5% of American children learn to read
without effort. Another 20% to 30% learn to read with relative
ease once exposed to formal instruction. That leaves 60% for
whom learning to read is a major challenge. For twenty
to thirty percent of those, reading is one of the most difficult
tasks they will have to master throughout their schooling.
The ability to read provides the foundation for all school-based
learning, and without it, the chances for academic and occupational
success are severely limited.
- Approximately 15% of the population has
a learning disability. In an average-size classroom this
means approximately 3-4 children.
- People with learning disabilities are
generally of average or above average intelligence, but
their learning disabilities result in an unexpected gap between
their potential and their performance in some academic areas.
- A learning disability is caused by differences
in brain structure or brain functioning and leads to difficulties
with specific types of learning. A learning disability interferes
with the ability to process, store, or produce information.
- A learning disability can affect the
ability to read, write, speak, or do math. It should not
be confused with mental retardation, autism, deafness, blindness,
or behavioral disorders.
- Early identification of children with
a learning disability makes a critical difference in their
remediation.
- Thirty-five percent of students with
learning disabilities drop out of high school because of
long-term difficulties in school.
- Students who do not receive appropriate
intervention and support may experience loss of self-esteem
and anxiety.
- There are several types of learning disabilities
that affect achievement in different areas, such as: oral
language, reading, spelling and writing, math and motor
planning.
- Some individuals with learning disabilities
also have co-existing disorders, such as attention deficit
disorder, and difficulties with social interactions.
Dyslexia is
the most prevalent type of learning disability and affects
the ability to acquire skills related to reading and written
language.
- The most common characteristic of individuals
with dyslexia is difficulty with oral language processing
related to phonological awareness. This underlying phonological
processing disorder leads to problems in developing word
attack skills which are necessary for reading and spelling.
- Difficulties with other aspects of receptive
and expressive oral language involving vocabulary and grammar
may also be present.
- Problems with automatic retrieval of words
and memory for non-meaningful symbols such as letters and
letter patterns are common.
- Individuals with dyslexia may also experience
difficulties with spelling and writing, although problems
in these areas can also occur when reading skills are good.
- Dyslexia is life-long and often occurs
in families.
- Prognosis depends on the severity of
the disorder, the appropriateness and age at which intervention
begins, the individual strengths and weaknesses within the
individual, and the individual’s motivation.
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