Introduction to Learning Disability and People First Language.

Learning disabilities refer to a disorder that has imperfect and limited ability in certain areas of learning such as writing, reading and solving the mathematical problem. It could also be defined as a reduced intellectual capacity which leads to difficulty in handling everyday activities such as socializing, household tasks that would affect one’s entire lives.

Causes

Learning disabilities can cause by genetic disposition from birth and tend to run in family, which mean parents who with a learning disability are more likely to develop a child with learning disability too. ( Watch the video for more information).

Apart from that, alcohol or drug use can also affect the developing of the fetus in the womb and lead to a higher risk of learning disability or disability. Sometimes, learning disability could also due to the brain injury which results from fever or accident. Besides that, if our body becomes exposed to mercury, either by breathing the air or by eating the food we consume, our body must be able to eliminate it or it builds up and becomes harmful. The amygdala is the main objective of this toxicity. Especially children are at high risk of learning disabilities and autism may due to excessive exposure to mercury and the body's inability to get rid of toxin（White,2011).

All these factors will affect one’s receive, processes and transform the information.

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Q 1. What are the two main categories of learning disabilities that may be present in children?

What are the common learning disabilities classified under these two main categories?

Learning disability that present in children can categorize into: Developmental Disability & Specific Learning Disability

Developmental Disability

It is a serious and long-lasting impairment that leads to life-long mental and physical disabilities. Self-sufficiency, mastering flexibility, responsive and articulate expression, self-care, and self-directing could be troublesome for them.

Examples :

· Down syndrome

· Autism spectrum disorder

· Cerebral palsy

· Attention Deficit

· Intellectual disabilities

· Fragile X-syndrome

· Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Specific learning disability

Specific Learning Difficulties is information processing impairment. It interferes one’s ability to read, think, speak, write and calculate, which impact one’s education performance and the acquisition of literacy skills. They are neurological, usually, run in families, and often co-morbid, regardless of intelligence. In other words, people who have specific learning difficulty doesn’t mean they have a low level of IQ oppositely some of them even have a high level of IQ. It just likes having too many bridges out as well as too many overlapping pathways along the “information highways” of the brain which made them learn differently from others.

For example

· Auditory Processing Disorder: A specific learning in understanding speech

· Dyslexia: A specific learning disability in reading

· Dyscalculia: A specific learning disability in mathematic

· Dysgraphia: A specific learning disability in writing

· Dyspraxia: A specific learning disability in coordination and movement

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Q2, What is people-first language? Give an example. Why do we emphasize people-first language?

People First Language

According to Social Statistic Bulletin, Malaysia, 2018, In 2017, 453,258 people are registered persons with disabilities at the Social Welfare Department, Malaysia. The highest number of the person with disabilities in physical categories was 35.2%, followed by the classification of learning disability (34.8%) and visually impaired (8.9%). The lowest registration was 0.5% in the language group. Disabilities can affect a person in different ways, thus it is important to take care of our word to avoid offence.

People-first language is a form of linguistic diagnosis that places a person before a diagnosis, explaining what an individual "has" instead of stating what a person "is." In other words, it emphasizes the person first not the disability. It is used when addressing an individual with chronic disease or disability, in order to prevent marginalization or dehumanization either intentionally or unconsciously.

For example, Instead of saying disable person and handicapper person, it is best to use the term like people with disabilities as it shows a way of respect to the individual with a disability.

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Q3, What are the possible misconception about specific learning disabilities?

Misconception about specific learning disabilities (SLD)

They can’t learn. They must be stupid/ low level of intelligence.

In the first misperception that people with SLD cannot learn as a disability means unable, the word disability is the first problem. Students with a learning disability are not the same as intellectual disability. SLD students can learn just that they learn differently and need more time to gain general recognition and even longer to change ( Ourkids, n.d.). For example, a person with an SLD in mathematics (dyscalculia) could have trouble performing basic calculations in algebra, but could also be excellent in reading and writing.

They are lazy! They could do better if they just tried harder

One common misunderstanding is the lack of perseverance and laziness for students with learning disabilities. Yet the contrary is true! Students with SLD often work twice as hard as normal students. Let say you are dyslexic and try to read a sentence that could obscure words on the page. It is a huge effort to read the same content given as other students. This is why SLD students require changing the way they study or access content. Students with SLD can achieve the same task as their classmates through accommodations, like large printing texts, inbound words, annotating spaces, or reading aloud ( Study.com,n.d.).

Medication can be used to treat them

Many mistakenly believe that stimulating drugs, such as ADHD, can be used to treat learning disabilities. Medicines have, however, little effect on learning disabilities. If the child also has ADHD, therefore stimulants may help to control symptoms related to attention, but it is important to diagnose and treat learning disability individually ( Attitude, n.d.).

Students with SLD can’t go to college or university

In fact, students with poor performance at School were often automatically placed on a vocational/technical track before learning disabilities were well understood as they now are. As a result, many students not attending school with learning disabilities. Students with learning difficulties can nevertheless succeed in college when coping techniques, academic competences, literacy and self-defence are properly learned during high school. Most colleges offer to learn disability support services.

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Putting in the nutshell, learning disabilities is a field that constantly changing. It is hoped that people will become more aware in identifying children at earlier ages to prevent the emotional and social difficulties that can be associated with learning disability.

References

Ourkids. (n.d.). Ten misconceptions about learning disability. Retrieved from https://www.ourkids.net/school/ten-misperceptions-about-learning-disabilities

Study.com (n.d.). Common misconceptions about learning disabilities. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/common-misconceptions-about-learning-disabilities.html

Attitude. (n.d.). 10 damaging myths about learning disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/what-are-learning-disabilities/

Churchill. (n.d.). What is a specific learning disability? Retrieved from https://www.churchillstl.org/learning-disability-resources/specific-learning-disabilities/

Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2018). Social statistis bulletin Malaysia 2018. Retrieved from https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.phpr=column/cthemeByCat&cat=152&bul_id=NU5hZTRkOSs0RVZwRytTRE5zSitLUT09&menu_id=U3VPMldoYUxzVzFaYmNkWXZteGduZz09

White.R. (2011). Mercury poisoning found to cause learning disabilities. Retrieved from https://brainathlete.com/mercury-poisoning-learning-disabilities/