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For information on Bridges to Practice training in your area, please contact:
Dr. Rochelle Kenyon, Project Director
rkenyon@aol.com

Focusing on the World of Learning Disabilities

Imagine having an important need or an idea that you wish to communicate, but regardless of how hard you try, you are unable to express that need or idea to someone. Imagine for a moment the noisiest and visually most distracting place that you have ever been. Maybe it was a concert or a carnival with flashing lights and the sounds of the midway. Now think about being bombarded by those same sights and sounds - all at the same time that you are being asked to focus on a problem to solve. Or try to read a newspaper written in a foreign language. The pictures may look familiar as do some of the words, but the meaning is unclear.

Although different from person to person, these types of difficulties make up the common daily experiences of many learning disabled children, adolescents, and adults. A person with a learning disability may experience a cycle of academic failure and lowered self-esteem. Having a learning disability, living with someone who is learning disabled, or teaching a student with a learning disability can sometimes result in a stressful situation.

However, individuals with disabilities have similarities with others that are much more significant or common than their differences.