My brother is 10 years old and has been struggling ever since he started formal schooling. In Pre-K he was fine. He recognized colors, numbers, and certain words perfectly. Fore the most part, better than some of his peers. Then when he started grade school the problems began. Teachers labeled him as “slow”, “special ed”, and “retarded”. We have observed him at home and notice that he has a special interest in animals, insects, law, and nature. And he easily catches on to science and reading. But, he has a difficult time with math, word problems, and basic calculations. We have helped him with his homework and he does just fine. So is it possible that the teachers just don’t want to do their job. Is it possible that the teachers just don’t want to take the extra time with him to help him with his deficiencies? Does he even have deficiencies or a learning disability (and how would we be able to tell?)?
Re: How do you know whether or not your child really has a l
Hi Candis,
Your parents need to request in writing that your brother be tested for learning disabilities and that an IEP (Individual Educational Plan) meeting be set up.
He may not have a learning disability, but testing should help determine this.
Another idea (and this is what I did). I contacted a local educational psychologist and had my son tested privately. The school may not accept the results. But it would allow your parents to know if there really is a problem and what weaknesses may be responsible for his learning difficulties.
There are very good remediation ideas on the math bulletin board on this site. Also, Lindamood Bell has a program called “On Cloud Nine” for math remediation. I don’t know too much about it, but their programs are suppose to be very good and they have centers in many areas.
I am not an expert, however, I have been dealing with a child with a learning difference for eleven years. My daughter has been diagnosed with a learning difference called auditory processing. I was being told by pediatricians and preschool educators that my daughter had behavior and attention issues. I somehow felt that this was not valid and decided to take her for formal testing. I took her to a facility in our area that deals specifically with children and the results came back as mentioned above. I was further told that she would need a specialty school to help her with her problem. My husband and I looked into these schools but felt that some were not appropriate for her. The ones that we did feel were appropriate had waiting lists. I was frustrated and concerned with how to proceed. I found a school that is not geared to children with learning disabilities but teaches children that is different from “traditional” methods. This school focuses on all the senses (multisensory). There are various books written on how a child learns. I cannot remember the title of the book I read but I am sure if you look up the topic of learning styles you should find them. My daughter also gets support outside of school. She sees a speech pathologist for her language issues (concepts, organizing thoughts, writing papers, etc.). I should mention that I was told that I would be unable to effectively measure my daughter’s IQ because of the gap between her verbal and nonverbal abilities. I was told she was not retarded or slow but that she was like a person in a foreign country that knew what she wanted to say but was unable to process the information in her brain and be able to say it. She has had outside support for over five years now and has exceeded all expectations. She is mainstreamed and still needs to work harder than her peers but she is learning to develop skills to overcome her weaknesses. I don’t know if this information has helped answer your question but I would suggest having your brother tested at a facility outside the school systems that deals specifically with children and their difficulties. You might want to contact a children’s hospital in your area. Your brother sounds capable but might be having difficulty with understanding the math concepts or he might have some other difficulty if discovered at an early age can learn to deal with as he grows and matures. I wish you and your family the best in whatever the outcome.