Common Disabilities

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Learning disabilities come in many forms. Learning disabilities can often make it challenging for a student to read, write, spell, or to work out math problems. Learning disabilities include dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia. Sometimes they are referred to as Learning Disabilities in the areas of Fluency, Basic Reading Skills, Reading Comprehension, Math Calculation, Math Problem Solving, Written Expression.

Learning disabilities are problems that affect the brain’s ability to receive, process, analyze, store or recall information. While a student with a learning disability may learn at a slower pace than someone without, having a learning disability has nothing to do with his/her intelligence.

Successful folks with learning disabilities include: Alexander Graham Bell, Walt Disney, Charles Schwab, and Olympic gold medal winner, Michael Phelps.

If you know or suspect your child has a learning disability, contact Julie. She can help you request testing and seek eligibility for special education or 504 services in the school system.

DYSLEXIA

A student with Dyslexia, a language-based disability, has trouble processing words. He/she could face difficulty with reading, spelling, writing, pronouncing words and even expressing herself/himself verbally.

Struggling with dyslexia can take a toll on a child’s self esteem, and students with dyslexia will sometimes label themselves as “dumb” or “stupid” when in fact, students with dyslexia often have average to above average IQs. It is important to put this into perspective for your child and to work on getting comprehensive support built into the IEP or 504. With proper services, programing, and accommodations, your student with dyslexia can thrive in the school system.

If you know or suspect your child has dyslexia, contact Julie. She can help you request testing and seek eligibility for special education services or 504 accommodations in the school system.

As your Special Education Advocate, Julie can also help you identify the supports to request in your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 and write specific learning goals and/or accommodations, tailored to address your student’s Dyslexia/language processing needs.

ADHD/ADD

Students with attention deficits often have a hard time focusing and are easily distracted. They may be very active and/or have difficulty controlling their own impulses. They may have difficulty organizing, completing and turning in assignments, or even shifting from one task to the next.

Early intervention is extremely important for a student with ADHD. In 2010, a study by investigators at the UC Davis MIND Institute in Sacramento found high school incompletion rates for those with ADHD (inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity type) were over 30%. Alarmingly, this is one of the highest drop-out rates for any disability.

ADHD can be one of the most difficult disabilities to receive support for in the school system.This disability is defined by symptoms and behaviors that occur, to varying degrees, in every child: hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention. Symptoms can be dismissed as "boys being boys" or "something he/she/they will grow out of." When those behaviors and characteristics interfere with learning, however, your child may need supports through an IEP or 504 plan.

If you suspect your child needs extra support for her/his/their ADHD, contact Julie. She can help you request testing and seek eligibility for special education or 504 services in the school system.

AUTISM

Autism is usually referred to as occurring on a spectrum. Students falling on this spectrum are often characterized by varying degrees of social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted repetitive patterns of behavior. The CDC currently (2018) reports that approximately 1 in 59 people have been identified as autistic.

Children with Autism often have amazing strengths and abilities. A few examples: photographic memory, attention to detail, music ability, artistry.

Students on the Autism spectrum may need a range of supports: executive functioning support, assistive devices, specialized instruction and school-based services such as Speech, Adaptive Physical Education and Occupational Therapy in order to reach their educational goals.

If your child has Autism, contact Julie. She can help you request testing and seek eligibility for special education services in the school system.

As a Special Education Advocate, Julie can also help you identify the services to request in your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 and write specific learning goals, tailored to address your student’s special needs.

EMOTIONAL DISABILITIES

Students with a wide range of emotional difficulties can be qualified for SPED services in this category. Emotional disabilities include, but are not limited to: depression, oppositional defiance disorder, anxiety disorder, bipolar or manic-depression, conduct disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or psychotic disorders.

Having an advocate collaborate with you and the school to conduct a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and create a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) with positive behavior supports are important steps in creating a supportive IEP for a child with an emotional disability.

Supporting a kid with emotional disabilities through positive behavior reinforcement sends him/her the right message: you are valued! A child with emotional disabilities needs an education plan designed specifically around her/his needs. This plan may include in-school counseling and/or other related services.

If you know or suspect your child has an emotional disability, contact Julie. She can help you request testing and seek eligibility for special education services in the school system.

As a Special Education Advocate, Julie can also help you identify the supports to request in your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 and write specific learning goals, tailored to address your student’s emotional disability.

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

A child with an intellectual disability has limitations in mental functioning. Communicating, social skills and self care may be areas of difficulty. Students with Down syndrome or other intellectual impairments may qualify for an IEP under this category. A misconception is that children with intellectual disabilities cannot learn. This is absolutely false. Given the right supports, curriculum and opportunities, students with intellectual disabilities can thrive.

A student with an intellectual disability may take a longer time and require more effort to master a lesson. Thus, it is important that a comprehensive IEP be developed to meet the student’s individual needs and pace of learning. Specific areas need to be targeted for academic and social growth and to transition her/him from school to community settings.

If you know or suspect your child has an Intellectual Disability, contact Julie. She can help you request testing and seek eligibility for special education services in the school system.

As a Special Education Advocate, Julie can also help you identify the services to request in your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and write specific learning goals, tailored to address your student’s intellectual disability.

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an injury acquired when trauma causes damage to the brain. Symptoms of TBI can range from mild to severe, depending on the extent of damage the brain suffers.

Behavior, executive functioning, communication, physical abilities and memory are some areas that may be impacted by a traumatic brain injury.

TBI is often confused for other disabilities, such as learning disability, attention deficit disorder, behavior disorder, or intellectual disability. However, a child with TBI may demand very different services than those needed for the disabilities listed here.

If you suspect your child's Traumatic Brain Injury is negatively impacting her/his education, Julie can help you to request testing and seek eligibility for special education services in the school system.

MULTIPLE DISABILITIES

This category is reserved for students who have two or more of the 13 disabilities recognized in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

If you know or suspect your child has multiple disabilities, contact Julie. She can help you seek eligibility, or determine appropriate supports, through the school system.

As a Special Education Advocate, Julie can also help you identify the services and accommodations to request in your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 and write specific learning goals, tailored to address your student’s multiple disabilities.

WHAT DOES TWICE EXCEPTIONAL or 2E Mean?

Within education, 2E is a term utilized to identify a student who has gifted abilities (cognitive, academic, and/or creative) and also has needs that may require special education or 504 supports. For example, a student may have Autism and require executive functioning support, while also scoring very high in various areas of cognition. In this case and many others, the student may need both special education and gifted programming. It is not uncommon for one of the areas to go “under the radar,” as gifted students are sometimes able to mask their weaknesses. It is important that schools recognize, support and provide appropriate access for the student’s giftedness and special needs. Julie can support you in working to make sure both exceptionalities are recognized and supported in the school environment.