Strengths and Weaknesses

All too often, children with learning disabilities are seen through their weaknesses.

Like anyone else, however, they have many strengths. It is of the greatest importance to focus on the strengths that your child has and show them to other people. It will not only to help others who are involved in her life understand her better, but it will help the child herself know that she is loved and valued for who she is.

I always found that one of my biggest questions was, "How do I see all of my daughter's strengths, in addition to her weaknesses, so I can get a picture of her as a total person?" The answer lies in what is called 'quality time.'"

Here are some important way is to spend quality time with your child.

1) Do things with her. What activities do you both like? Do things with her that she likes to do, and ask her to do things that you like to do.

2) Go places with her. You don't have to travel far. Just go outside, or downtown, or to the mall, or to a movie.

3) Sit quietly with her. Silence says a lot.

4) Hear her when she speaks. Don't just listen - hear what she has to say.

5) Listen to and try to understand her frustrations.

6) Talk with her to find out about her likes and dislikes.

7) Know what is going on with her outside the home. Allow her to talk about it without being judgemental.

8) Provide a safe, understanding atmosphere that allows her to express her feelings and preferences.

9) Provide positive feedback when she talks about the good things she does.

10)Provide a structure that allows her to make mistakes and learn from them.

Allowing your child to have friends play with her at home can give great insight into your child's strengths and weaknesses. When we allowed Michele to have friends over, we could see that she was a great organizer of creative activities and was very social, but we also saw that she got very defensive at times. Having this information allowed us to know what to help her with. We also communicated this information to her teachers, so we could all work together on this issue.

Providing an opportunity for positive, open communication with her teachers and the other professionals that work with her allow you to get a picture of her strengths and we. There may be times when there will be disagreement, but these issues can always be worked out. Listen to the opinions of the others on the team. And don't be afraid to add your viewpoints. It is only through this honest, open communication that you will be able to see the total picture of your child's strengths and weaknesses.

To get a good picture of her academic strengths and weaknesses, the school is the place to go. As your child's parent, you are entitled to have access to her records at school. You have probably received copies of that information, but you do have the right to view what is in her records in the school office. Past and current report cards give you some information, as do any notes, reports, etc., that have been written by her teachers. The results of special education testing are also great indicators of what she does easily and what she struggles with. All this information should be in her school file. If you don't understand what those results or reports are trying to say, talk with the special education professionals who do understand it.

Remember, your child is not just a partial person. She is not just made up of weaknesses. She is a whole person. Her strengths are a large part of her.

Value her strengths; work with her on her weaknesses. But you can't do either of these things unless you know what they are. Take charge. Find out.

By Sandy Gauvin

To Test or Not To Test - That Is the Question

Little Suzy has really been having a hard time getting some of her assignments done. When she reads in class, she struggles with many words, and her mother reported at conference time that Suzy spends hours each night on homework.

At the same time, Suzy carries on intelligent conversation, and when you ask her about what she learned from the class, she has some good feedback. She is getting excellent grades in math class and, when she does experiments in science class, she knows exactly what to do and gets great results.

You've thought about referring her for testing, wondering if a learning disability is getting in the way of her reading - a skill that underlies everything a child does in school. You know she struggles with reading, yet she does so well orally and mathematically. Should you test her?



Little Johnny can't remember his multiplication facts. Much of the time, he struggles with subtraction facts as well. His reasoning skills for determining whether he should add or subtract, multiply or divide, are faulty. And when he writes a math problem on paper, there are no columns. The numbers are all over the place. He gets very confused with the entire process as well.

But, boy, can he read. He reads books that are way above what the other students in his class read. The words in them are harder, and they are more difficult to understand.

Does he have a learning disability? Should his teacher refer him for testing?

Do either of these scenarios sound familiar? The decision regarding whether to refer a child for testing can sometimes be a difficult one to make. There are many factors to consider, not the least of which is whether the child perceives a stigma attached to the testing.

As a teacher of students with learning disabilities, teachers often consulted with me when they questioned whether or not to test. After looking at all the facts, if there was still any doubt, I would tell them that I would rather err on the side of caution. If the child is not found to have a learning disability, at least we will discover his learning styles and how best to help him with his problem. If his does have a learning disability, we can proceed to get him the special help he needs to be more successful in school. Either way, he wins.

And who can question a win-win situation?

By Sandy Gauvin

Aptitude, Achievement, Processing Deficit - What Does It All Mean?

You are sitting with the professionals who know about learning disabilities. They have been explaining what they will be looking for when they test your child.

"We look for an aptitude-achievement discrepancy as well as a processing deficit," one of them explains.

Your eyes glaze over and you begin to feel you're not too smart. It's like they're speaking another language. You haven't a clue what these people are talking about.

Actually, I've always felt that special education does use a foreign language.

That doesn't, however, mean that you can't learn it. Like any language, after a while, you'll get it.

When you meet with the Pupil Evaluation Team, or the Case Conference Committee, or the Child Study Team, or whatever it's called in your area, you will probably hear the sentence mentioned above.

Let's chop that sentence into pieces:

"We look for an aptitude-achievement discrepancy..."

Your child's aptitude is his ability to learn. When I was in school, we called it an IQ. In order for someone to have a learning disability, he has to have at least average aptitude for learning. In other words, he needs to have the ability to learn as well as any average child of his age.

His achievement refers to how well he is learning, or the extent to which he has received information and mastered certain skills. This may be where problems show up.

The evaluator looks at whether there is a big difference, or discrepancy, between those two scores - aptitude and achievement. Is there a big difference between what he SHOULD HAVE learned and what he really has learned?

Let's say your child has an aptitude of 100, which is exactly average. That means that he should be able to learn things as well as any average student of his age or grade. But let's say that the test found him to be achieving only at a level of 60 in reading. That's 40 points below what he SHOULD BE doing in reading. That's important information.

"...as well as a processing deficit."

The next thing the evaluator looks at is a "processing deficit". The term "processing" refers to the way your child's brain works. Can his brain handle information better through what he sees (visual channel) or through what he hears (auditory channel). Can he remember a list of 4 or 5 things, or does he forget them quickly? How well does he find information he has stored in his head? How quickly can he process information?

A deficit in processing means that he has trouble with one of the ways his brain handles information.

Now, let's put it all together:

"There has to be an aptitude-achievement discrepancy..." The evaluator has found a big gap between your child's ability (100) and his achievement (60) in reading. That tells you that he hasn't learned what he needs to learn in order to be successful in reading.

"...as well as a processing deficit." The evaluator has found that he has a real problem remembering letters and sounds. And what is more necessary in order to learn to read than remembering letters and their sounds?

Now you know that he should be able to read like the other children in his class, but his brain isn't remembering letters and their sounds the way it should. That's what's standing in the way of his being able to read as well as the other children.

Chances are the team will decide that your child has a learning disability in reading and that he is eligible for special education services. He will be able to get extra help from a special teacher. There will be things you can do with him at home to help him as well. He will be able to receive help from people who know what will work best for him and who care enough to give him the skills he needs to be successful in life.

For more plain talk about learning disabilities,
please visit us at www.ldperspectives.com.

By Sandy Gauvin

Beginning the Special Education Process

Like anything else in life, there's a method to the special education process. It was put in place to help people who deal with learning disabilities get the best services possible. In order to help you understand this method, here's a simplified version of the Special Education process.

1) Request for evaluation

Someone sees that the child is having difficulty in school and asks that testing be done to find out what's causing the problem. This request can come from parents or educators. If the parents make the request, the district must agree to give a full and individual evaluation. If the request is made from someone else, such as a teacher, a team of educators and an administrator will meet to review the reasons and decide whether to pursue testing. No matter who makes the request, you as the parent, must give written permission for this testing to be done. At this point, you will be informed of your rights and those of your child.

If the district decides not to test, then it must let you know that and inform you of your rights. You can continue to pursue the option through a due process hearing if you wish.

2) Results of the testing

You have the right to be notified of the results of the testing before the meeting. If you don't understand what is being said in the report, you have the right to have someone explain the results to you.

When the testing is done, you will meet with the team of professionals to be told of the results. If your child is found to have a learning disability, and you agree that he should receive special education services, then you must give written permission for this to happen.

If he is not found to have a learning disability, you and his teachers will still have valuable information about him and the ways he learns best.

If you disagree with the results either way, you have the right to have him tested by someone outside the school district. The district must pay for the evaluation or show at a special hearing why it refused.

3) Placement

If you and the school district agree that a learning disability was found, then you and the team will decide the best program for your child. The team will make up an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that will include goals and ways to measure those goals during the year. It will also list the services your child will get and any special aids or helps your child can get, such as special transportation or speech therapy if he needs it.

Your child is entitled to receive his services in the "Least Restrictive Environment. "That means that he will receive the services that are best for him in the place that's best. For example, he won't be placed in the resource room for help with math if he needs help only with reading. He won't be asked to stay in the mainstream for spelling if he has a learning disability in that area. In other words, he will only receive help in things he needs help in.

It's important to be active in this process for your child. If you know the process, you can make sure that it's followed correctly and that your child's rights are recognized. This doesn't mean that you always have to be on the attack, but it does mean that you need to keep a watchful eye. Again, it all comes back to acting on behalf of your child, since he can't do that for himself. And, in the long run, he will be more successful because of you.

For more plain talk about learning disabilities,
please visit us at www.ldperspectives.com.

By Sandy Gauvin

How to Study For the GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

It is true that the GRE exam is a tough one, but getting a fairly good score is not impossible. Here are a few tips and techniques to help you plan your study and tame the GRE beast.


1.Prepare for the exam by practicing sample questions. Give yourself at least two-three months to practice daily. The time you should give to prepare really depends on your level. If you need to clear your basics first, you need another 2-3 months.

2.Familiarize yourself with the format of the test before taking the actual test. If you know the format before hand, you will sail smoothly throughout the test. You will get less confused and feel more confident if you know the type of questions you are going to get.

3.Concentrate on the sections in which you think you are weak. For example, if your arithmetic is poorer than your algebra, practice arithmetic more often and clear all your doubts while doing so. There are four parts of the GRE test - analytical writing, research, quantitative, and verbal. Find out the section which is the most difficult for you. Only you can find this out. You must work on this section by putting as much effort as you can.

4.Set your target GRE score, that is, the score you wish to obtain. By setting a score goal for yourself, you will give yourself an idea of how much preparation and study time you will need. Setting a goal will channelise your work.

5.Remember to see if there is any distraction while studying. If yes, take necessary steps to put an end to it. While studying, stay away from television, mobile phone, and music, if they distract you.
6.Practice daily. Think of it like a sports that you enjoy playing. You will need to practice this sport everyday to improve Similarly you need to practice GRE sample papers daily to do more and more better in the GRE.

STUDY ABROAD: A PRODUCTIVE OUTCOME

It is rare to find a student who participated on a study abroad program and didn't think it was an amazing experience. Study abroad teaches you about foreign politics, foreign culture, and often a foreign language. It also helps students gain new insights and learn how to adapt to new situations. Because of this, study abroad helps increase your job marketability.
Students study abroad for many different reasons. Some are bored at their school in the U.S., while others want to experience life in a new country. No matter why you want to study abroad, you will have an amazing experience and learn about yourself and the world than you every expected.
While choosing a location for your study abroad experience you should select places which match your personality, as you have to be happy wherever you go. For example, if you don't like big cities, you probably won't be happy in Madrid, Rome, or London. So, before you decide where you want to study abroad, think about what types of places make you the happiest.
Another important decision you have to make before you decide on a study abroad program is whether you want a small group or a large group. With a small group you will get more personalized attention and have more flexibility. With a large group you will meet more people, but not get as much attention from the staff.
Academic Studies Abroad is a trustworthy website which provides helpful information to students in choosing their right study abroad location. You can log in to their website at http://www.academicstudies.com to gain more details about their study abroad programs, which offer excellent opportunities and options for those wishing to study abroad.

The Future Of Books?

Books are outdated; anyone can agree that books have been around for thousands of years and really haven’t changed much. Very little has changed about the book itself except for the author, picture and content. I wonder if the ancient Romans also hated paper cuts. Let’s face it: paper really isn’t a very good record keeper; it’s flammable, ink fades, sun damages the paper, oils from your fingers are destructive to the pages, etc. But recently a new creation was born to take over the world of the book: Digital Book Reader.

A Digital Book Reader” is a device that is similar to the Pads” found on Star Trek. These electronic devices are usually tablet in shape and house a screen that is as easy on the eyes as a paperback would be. Actually better for those folks that would like to either enlarge or decrease font size. These digital readers can also save your page so you never need to remember where you were or where your bookmark is.

These digital readers allow for vast amounts of titles to be stored into the device’s internal memory. Then there are models that allow for expanded memory and the storage capabilities become virtually limitless. No longer is the need to carry 50 pounds of textbooks anywhere these readers often way less than 15 ounces! The amount of information that is accessible with one of these devices is staggering at best. You can be on-the-go and have all your favorite books, magazines, and even blogs brought to you daily and effortlessly. Reading when traveling has never gotten easier! These readers allow you to bring ALL your books along with no problem and no extra bulk in your suitcases.

Some models of Digital Book Readers offer the user wireless download of books from anywhere at anytime without the need to connect to a computer or even a network connection; the reader does it all on its own. Now that’s impressive; you can search, pick, download and start reading your book in under a minute anytime, anywhere.

These devices usually have a screen that can be viewed and read from even under direct light; just like your standard paperbacks. Also like paperbacks, digital book readers can be operated with one hand allowing the other free to do what it pleases. Pages can be turned with the single click of a button. Some models also allow for a full hands free approach with text to speech. Tired of reading? Simply tell the device that you want it to read to you!

Downloading books to your digital book reader is not just a snap but it’s also cheaper than buying the actual book. This, of course, is due in large part to the fact that there is no need to buy paper. Publishers save printing costs and you save directly on purchases of your favorite books. Bestsellers can go as low as $9.99!

It’s safe to bet that the future of book reading is soon on its way in. Once prices of Digital Book Readers have dropped enough that everyone can afford it (not to say its so expensive now) we’ll be seeing this device slowly replace the conventional book. Our planet also thanks us for this effort as less books means less trees being chopped down!