• There are specific areas in the brain which secretly control cognitive functions.
• These areas control specific mental abilities used extensively in education.
• Teachers typically teach in a "left-hemisphere" mode; where as most students with learning disabilities comprehend in a "right-hemisphere" mode. This reflects a possible "mismatch" among students and teachers - could teaching material in a different way allow students identified as learning disabled to learn?
• There are some children identified as learning disabled who actually to have neurological dysfunction. However, through brain research, it has been discovered that this number is much smaller than it was originally.
• Brain research has also confirmed that far too many students are being stock piled in the learning disabilities category, when in fact they are only "hard to teach" - they learn in a different way than most classroom teachers teach!

4. What are believed to be causes of learning disabilities?

ORGANIC ENVIRONMENTAL

Post-natal encephalitis Deprived learning experiences during infancy

Post-natal meningitis Deprived learning experiences in preschool

Measles Poor nutrition

Whooping cough Poverty

Anoxia (oxygen deprivation) Exposure to harmful substances

Genetic factors Inadequate prenatal care

Lack of health care for infant

5. How is learning disabilities defined? What are some concerns about this definition?
   

According to IDEA, specific learning disability is defined as follows: "...a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations...".

Problems/concerns with this definition include:

• This definition is broad-based and under-defined.
• "Basic psychological processes" - just what does this include? It implies that student’s inability to organize, associate, store, and/or retrieve can be associated with neurological functions. However, no direct links are ever made in the definition.
• "Language-Based" - The current definition states that a learning disability can include many facets of one’s language abilities - but gives nothing specific as a guideline. This is left totally up to the individuals evaluating the student, AND each student has extreme variances in language ability.

• "Inclusion Clause" - The federal definition includes examples of presumed central nervous system deficits which may, in fact, be directly related to more severe disabilities. These types of deficits which are included in this definition CANNOT even be identified through regular educational assessment.
• "Exclusion Clause" - Certain impairments including: mental retardation, emotional disturbance, visual impairments, organic hearing dysfunction’s, and motor disabilities; are not included in the federal definition for learning disabilities. This definition assumes that students who fall into these categories DO NOT have learning disabilities. Reality shows that learning disabilities can and do exist along with these other impairments - and Learning Disabled could be a possible label for some of the students who are automatically categorized elsewhere.

7. What are the primary characteristics of students with learning disabilities?

• Average or above intelligence
• Inconsistent academic performance
• Some level of field dependency
• Easily distracted
• Social "blindness"
• Problems with learning styles
• Difficulties with eye-hand coordination
• Under-developed fine or gross motor skills
• Problems in reading
• Problems in language skills