1. Learning Disabilities By Jonathan Lyon

2. Agenda 1#Hello 9#Testing 2#What Is It??? 10#Famous People 3#Different Types 11#Never Give Up 4#Dysgraphia 12#Bibliography 5#Dyslexia 6#Dyscalclia 7#ADD/ADHD 8#Signs

3. Hello, There are 6 billion people in the world. They come in all sizes, shapes and colours, with different backgrounds, beliefs and values. Despite all our differences, we are bound by one gift, the gift of a mind, and the ability to think and formulate concepts. Just because we have the ability to think, doesn’t mean we all think the same way. We all think differently but some people have extreme difficulty with certain things. When a person is born this way, they are labelled learning disabled. Being learning disabled is not necessarily a bad thing, infact many famous politicians, scientists, mathematicians, philosophers and even actors are learning disabled. People with learning disabilities are often gifted in other areas. Since learning disabled people perceive things differently they often contribute unique and valuable ideas to society. If you are or think you maybe learning disabled you probably know how difficult it is to participate in school and live up to the standards set by your teachers, but giving up is the first step on the road to failure. You have to stay focused, determined and knowledgeable about how your mind works. View the rest of the slide show and you will learn all about your disability and how to get treatment and to achieve personal success.

4. What is it??? A learning disability is something that effects part of your brain. People with learning disabilities struggle with tasks that appear simple for the general public, such as reading, writing, calculating and focusing. A learning disability has nothing to do with intelligence, infact, people who have learning disabilities have gone on to be successful and important people in history, such as Einstein, Napoleon and George Washington. In the past, learning disabilities were often mistaken for stupidity and many great minds went to waste because of a lack of understanding of disabilities. Modern times have brought a new understanding of learning disabled students but we still have a long way to go. It all comes down to the determination of the parents, teachers and you.

5. Different Types There are various types of learning disabilities. The most common areas occur in the areas of reading, writing, and math. The three most common disabilities are Dysgraphia ( Writing ), Dyslexia ( Reading ) and Dyscalclia (Math). Although it is not considered to be a “learning disability” ADD and ADHD are both common in children who have learning disabilities and the occurrence of ADD/ADHD has triple over the last few years.

6. Dysgraphia Dysgraphia is a writing disorder that affects a person’s ability to write. Some signs that may indicate this disorder are: • illegible printing • inconsistency in printing • forgetting to insert words into sentences • complaining about sore hands • slow writing Having dysgraphia does not indicate that there is no future in writing for the the person, it simple means using a computer instead of printing. George Washington, a famous American President has severe Dysgraphia, but still manage to become a famous and successful dent in the side of all modern day textbooks!

7. Dyslexia Dyslexia is a reading disability that effects a person’s ability to proccess information as they read. This disability not only effects a person in school, but in the real world as well, when it comes to reading things like signs, price tags, directions, menus and bus schedules. Some symptoms of dyslexia are • reads slowly and painfully • has trouble with spelling • substitutes words with similiar ones such as: The, there, he, her, his, • has difficulty with writing language • trouble handwriting Thomas Edison had dsylexia and he still managed to become a famous inventor. He is proof that dyslexia can be overcome.

8. Dyscalclia Dyscalclia is a disability that affects the ability to comprehend math concepts. It affects the part of the brain that deals with memory of numbers and patterns. People with dyscalclia often show these signs: • difficulty understanding concepts of value, quantity, numbers and patterns • problems organizing writing and math work on page • difficulty at school in math, science and often music ( rythme patterns ) Albert Einstein had great difficulties in the areas of math but he still went on to become an important part of the 20th century. With determination disabilities can be beat!

9. ADD/ADHD ADD stands for Attention Deficit Disorder and is a disability that affects a person’s ability to focus. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Although not always considered to be a learning disability, Add and Adhd are both very common in the youth of today. Infact the percentage of people with it has nearly tripled in the past 20 years. These disabilities can cause trouble for people emotionally and socially. They can make it harder to make friends, focus in school, and make good impressions at job interviews. Some signs of ADD/ADHD: • trouble focusing • unatural amounts of time spent on simple tasks • easily distracted • Procrastinating Millions of people take ritalin to help them have a normal life. With support, determination (and drugs ) ADHD/ADD can be beat. OOOOH! Shiny!! www.greek/athens.ogr

10. Signs If you experience any of the following problems you may have a learning disability and you should seek help. • trouble spelling • reading problems • difficulties printing • problems learning math concepts • trouble expressing ideas onto paper • difficulty focusing • hyper disposition • poor motor coordination • any problems that are consistent and conflict with your ability to learn

11. Testing Brailenotes.jpg Getting tested for a learning disability is the most important step towards acheiving a happy and successful life. Once you are diagnosed for your disability you can aquire special aids in school or at work. You may be given extra time on tests, the use of a computer, a scribe, someone to read the test to you and even an accomidation for spelling and editing errors. Private testing can be expensive so if money is an issue you can use the school testing facilities. It may take longer but it would be worth it. If you could not pay attention during this presentation should should consider testing for ADD/ADHD. Succeeding in life is hard work, why make it harder, be an advocate for yourself, get tested. A exceptional testing center located in Vancouver has a Website at http://www.eatonlearning.com/

12. Famous Learning Disabled All Images Provided By: http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&lr=&q= Throughout history there are many successful people who have had learning disabilities. Even today there are thousands of people who have overcome their disability. Such as: • Robin Williams Napoleon Galileo • Cher John.F.Kennedy Mozart • Wright Brothers Leonardo Da Vinci John Lennon • Agatha Christie Sylvestor Stallone Tom Cruise • Alexander Graham Bell Walt Disney Albert Einstein • Whoopi Goldberg Magic Johnson Thomas Edison • Beethoven Winston Churchhill Stephen Hawking • George Washington

13. Never Give Up, Never Surrender • If you have a learning disability stay determined, there is hope. Millions of learning disabled people have gone on to prosperous and fruitful career’s. Modern times have brought about a revolution of new technology and information that helps learning disabled people everyday. • As a learning disabled person it is harder to succeed, and you will always be different, never perceived as normal. But, who is it that changes the world, the normal people who all think the same, or those that are different, like people who are learning disabled? It’s the people like Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison and George Washington who’ve had a real impact. • A learning Disability has nothing to do with intelligence, infact studies show that children with learning disabilities often have a higher IQ than students without them. • If you are a person with a learning disability don’t give up, keep striving to do better in school, work and life. Your not stupid, just different, and you can make a difference!!! To learn more about learning disabilities visit this web page at http://www.ldanatl.org/ or go to http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=learning+disabilities&meta=

14. Bibliography • World Wide Web • http://www.ncld.org • http://gseweb.harvard.edu/-ncsall/fob/2000/kenyon.html • http://www.schools.manatee • http://www.Idanatl.org • http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu • Published Works • “Everything You Need To Know About Learning Disabilities” Mary Bowman-Kruhm and Claudine Wirths Rosen Publishing Group New York 1999 • “Learning Disabilities” Jean M. Knox Chelsea House New York 1989 • “Living With Learning Disabilities” David E. Hall Lerner Publications Minneapolis 1996 • “Everything You Need To Know About ADD/ADHD” Eileen Beal Rosen Publishing Group New York 1998