Education Station

National LD Awareness

October is officially National Learning Disability Awareness Month; however, every month some child, adolescent, or adult deals with the effects of their learning disability. Among the learning disabilities, Reading Disabilities, particularly Dyslexia are the most prevalent of the learning disabilities and the most persistent over the life span. Long after a dyslexic student learns how to decode words, the speed and efficiency of reading can remain an enduring obstacle. As a consequence, reading for pleasure is frequently avoided; novels are seldom read to completion; in-depth analysis of texts takes too long; and too often newspapers are abandoned in favor of listening to a TV newscaster’s analysis.

A remedy for “reading avoidance” is available.  CD and digitally accessible books, texts, and newspapers are available to individuals with severe reading disabilities and dyslexia. A diagnosis of a reading disability is required for membership in 2 organizations that provide audio access to print for individuals with a reading disability: The Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic (www.rfbd.org) or BookShare (www.bookshare.org).

The psychologists and educators at Child and Family Development work as a team to evaluate children, adolescents and adults who struggle with reading, math, and/or written expression. Once a learning disability is diagnosed and understood,  a window opens to increased options and possibilities for managing and reducing the struggle of living with a learning disability.