I had a learning disability and was told?

Question

I will never get better,I can not be helped.
Why was I told this when I was a teen in the
1970s? Are Publisc Schools today trying to
help kids with Learning problems unlike they
did in the 60s and 70s? Is it better today?
Or these kid who have trouble in school
getting left behind?

Answer 1

Public schools are definitely working on helping students to reach their full potential. Every special ed. teacher I know gives 150% to their students and they are always willing to go the extra mile to support, advocate and assist in anyway possible. Special Education still needs to develop, as does any specialty, but it has grown by leaps and bounds from where it started.

Answer 2

Kids today have it better than we did in the 60's and 70's. There are programs for all kinds of learning problems in public and private schools. Even in college they have programs that help people that have trouble with school. I went through college in the 80's and we didn't have anything like this at the time.

Some people get left behind because of the ways it is set up. If the child is bounced from school to school, then they might not qualify for a program because they are not in a school long enough for testing. There are a some people that pass through that cannot read. This is a problem and why they have No Child Left Behind and states have standard testing now. They are trying to do better.

Answer 3

In the 70's, people didn't understand learning disabilities like they do now. It's a shame that was said to you. Any teacher worth his/her salt knows that's not true. That is not the way kids are treated now. Standardized tests, and No Child Left Behind ensure that schools are held accountable for students learning. Yes,There teachers and schools that do not do good, but on the whole, students with learning problems are recognized and given help.

Answer 4

Answers vary - You know that there is now more money in the school systems for Special Ed students though it doesn't always get spent the way the teachers would wish. As a Special Ed teacher I would have to tell you that right now I feel it all comes down to the teacher you are working with. Because all students are such individuals it is very difficult to lets say bunch all your LD kids together and think one way is good for all of them. Some learning activities are good for all, yet a lot of learning needs to be differentiated to address individual needs. I have one child I have taught for K and 1, and during that time he learned to read maybe 6 sight words consistently - he had great comprehension if read to, but simply couldn't learn to read. So it took me until Christmas of his first grade year to throw out what I had been doing and try something new. I began working with word families; using picture cards, and sentences with pictures, and using drills. By the end of first grade he could actively read almost 50 words. So what I am saying is that it takes the perseverance of the teacher to find the right way to teach, and the ability of this child to keep at it and not give up. I would say that teacher education is better overall. My biggest battle isn't teaching my kids, it's fighting the political battles with my administrators to get the equipment (like computers with specific programs) and materials (like leveled readers) to make a program successful. I personally think almost everyone has a learning disability; some people just learn ways to deal with it and others need help getting there. Most people I know right now who teach Special Ed are themselves "special" people who love their jobs and advocate for their kids constantly. At my school I would say that things are definitely better because of the quality of the staff. Melanie

Answer 5

The moron who told you this should probably be shot and hung upside down in the town square. How in the world would they know whether you could ever be helped? Great advances have been made in how to help children w/ all kinds of disabilities. Many times it involves 'how' they are taught. Some children are more 'visual' than others. Some children can learn just fine if they are allowed to learn one on one with a teacher. It just depends on the disability. I can't even begin to tell you how many famous and smart people were told down through history that they had learning disabilities and would not amount to anything. Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Charles Schultz, Helen Keller, etc. the list could go on forever. Forget what that person said and get on with your life. You can do what ever you set your mind to. Many many times it has been proven that children with disabilities have a higher IQ than their peers. I can't imagine any school endorsing that kind of advice to anybody no matter what their disability.

Answer 6

IDEA the individuals with disabilities education act came about in the mid to late 70's providing guidelines for special education. As a result Sp.Ed has improved (for the most part) requiring more opportunities to be given to these kids & more training for the teachers

Answer 7

Wow, well, children with learning disabilities can definitely be helped. we do it all the time in public schools. In fact, I had a good friend in GRADUATE SCHOOL with specific learning disabilities. She couldn't read until the age of 13! but she made it to grad school. A positive perspective has a lot to do with success. On the other hand, we can't be too unrealistic or else we're just setting ourselves up for failure and frustration.

Answer 8

More kids are getting better help but it isn't always easy. Some schools have more of a commitment to help than others. Under the law all kids are entitled to an appropriate education and accommodations for their disabilities.

Answer 9

I hope you have proved that moron wrong in the last 30 years!
I heard the same thing but through hard work finished my masters and became a special ed teacher. I still am dyslexic and still have LD in math..oh well! Thank God for "spell check" and calculators! Managed a household and raised 3 kids.
Like swiss cheese: the holes are still there, I just learned to avoid them!

Answer 10

I was told my freshmen year by my counselor that I would probably not graduate. She laughed when I said I would like to go Auburn or Howard University, and suggested going to Job corp. and getting my GED. In GA they have college and tech prep, and if you have a learning disability they always put you on techincal diploma first. (even if you did want to go to college) My mom had to fight for my rights to go ahead and take college prep and leave special education. All they did at my school was try to bring me down.