One in five children in the United States are affected by a type of learning and attention disability greatly impacting their productivity. In the American public education system, there are 2.4 million students with learning disabilities (LD), with the number of students identified increasing by 18% since 2002. Children with LD often find difficulties in adjusting to the education system. Case in point: 1 in 2 students with LD will face a disciplinary action over the course of their studies, 33% of LD students will be retained in a grade, and 7% to 23% will receive below average scores as opposed to the 2% average in the general student population. Suffice it to say that children with any type of learning disability tend to earn noticeably lower grades and experience a very high rate of course failure.
Target Population
The target population will be school-age going children between the ages of 9 and 13. During this period, children are going through the formal operations stage identified in Piaget’s developmental theory. It is important to detect learning disabilities at this stage due to the rapid cognitive development that occurs over this period. The ‘imaginary audience’ makes it especially difficult for the children to cope with their leading disabilities. Also, it is at this stage that children start to develop their attitude towards most issues including education.
Geographical location
It is especially difficult for parents living in inner cities to identify learning disabilities in their children in spite of recent developments. It is important to note that poverty is usually an underlying issue for children with disabilities. Watson et al. (2012) noted that less advantaged children who receive early and structured educational interventions tend to score higher on cognitive tests. Additionally, the lower education levels of parents living in inner cities complicates their ability to detect their children’s LD. In the inner cities parents have generally lower education levels – 20% of parents inner cities did not graduate from high school compared to the 8% in other urban settings.
Annotated Bibliography
Baumeister, A., Storch, E., & Geffken, G. (2007). Peer Victimization in Children with Learning Disabilities. Child And Adolescent Social Work Journal, 25(1), 11-23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10560-007-0109-6
The study was aimed at studying the peer victimization of children with LD. The study will provide invaluable insight into the adjustment problems that faces children with LD in the education system. In summary, the researchers were able to identify factors that played a role in the occurrence of social, thought, and attention problems in children with LD resulting in disruptive behavior. Furthermore, the healthy psychological adjustment discussions for children with LD in the study will be most beneficial for the program.
Carter, E., Lane, K., Pierson, M., & Glaeser, B. (2006). Self-Determination Skills and Opportunities of Transition-Age Youth with Emotional Disturbance and Learning Disabilities. Exceptional Children, 72(3), 333-346. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001440290607200305
The article seeks to identify the level of self-determination among young adolescents (target population) from the perspective of parents, LD students, and special educators. This provides a unique perspective into the need for change in the approach for providing opportunities to increase the self-determination skills of students with a learning disabilities.
Heiman, T., & Berger, O. (2008). Parents of children with Asperger syndrome or with learning disabilities: Family environment and social support. Research In Developmental Disabilities, 29(4), 289-300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2007.05.005
Heiman and Berger (2008) highlight the need for additional social support for children with special needs including learning disabilities. The research will provide insight into the effect the different socio-economic aspect of the target population. The research further highlights the need for intervention programs to improve the coping abilities of the families that have a child/children with LD.
Stockman, J. (2013). Trends in the Prevalence of Developmental Disabilities in US Children, 1997–2008. Yearbook Of Pediatrics, 2013, 89-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.yped.2012.03.006
This article provides crucial data on the shifts in developmental disabilities in children, particularly the change in acceptance, influence of risk factors, and the benefits from early services. Trends will enable the study of the efficacy of shifts in the approach to learning disabilities over the past decades.
Watson, S., Gable, R., Gear, S., & Hughes, K. (2012). Evidence-Based Strategies for Improving the Reading Comprehension of Secondary Students: Implications for Students with Learning Disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 27(2), 79-89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5826.2012.00353.x
This article by Watson et al. describes features of evidence-based instruction for students with LD. The recommendations provided seek to improve the reading comprehension among these students. Much of the research is centered on the learning capabilities of older children with learning disabilities across the United Stated.
