Cerebral Palsy and Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities were not part of the everyday educational lexicon in the 1970s. Today, the topic is an accepted condition in the educational profession. It is estimated that one-tenth of kids in the United States exhibit a learning disability. Recognizing these issues, Congress passed several laws over the past thirty years providing federal funds under infant, preschool and school-aged programs. The most recent legislation provided for special programs benefiting disabled children and a re-scoping of goals regarding special education for cerebral palsy patients.
It's sad but true that the educational establishment assume cerebral palsy with learning disabilities, when in fact a small percentage of children with cerebral palsy are not learning disabled. Contingent on the nature and impact of the cerebral event, a child may have a learning disability so undetectable as to not impact their learning potential, while others may be more negatively injured. Many suffer a lifetime of severe challenges, resulting in needing special education services and guidence during their childhood.
A significant number children require more individualized services in one area, while some will use assistance in all areas. A variety of factors affect a child's learning ability. Vision problems, motor coordination, speech problems and delayed language skills can all impede a child's learning progress. Children with learning disabilities may require a variety of prompts and assistance in completing an academic task. Parents need to make their child's educational assistance team aware of their child's learning abilities and strengths as well as challenges.
Clinical determination of children with cerebral palsy is necessary for selecting the best learning approach. Early educational assessments evaluate current abilities as well as detect existing issues and challenges.
Federal regulations identify the and process involved in the calculating services. The National Center for Learning Disabilities issues special education evaluations showing ratings for each State Performance Plan. This approach identifies factors in the consideration of educational services for affected children. Many factors go into the determination process. This process is known as Special Learning Disabilities (SLD) Determination. Schools and educators use these guidelines to evaluate determine a child's eligibility for special education services. Depending on the state or city you live in, you could find yourself battling with the school district to get the special education assistance your child has a legal right to. Locating local and state resources can be challenging; which is why the Cerebral Palsy Family Network created up-to-date state-by-state Survival Guides for parents.
Before sending your child off to school, you need to know if he or she qualifies for special education assistance. The school may assume one of a number of scenarios. Some children with cerebral palsy with developmental delays may be able to attend a normal school, possibly with an aide assigned or adaptive equipment and services as part of their academic program. Others may require enrollment in a special school that provides specialized instruction such as physical, speech, and language skills training administered by staff with specialized training and certification in special education. In the case of profound learning disabilities, the the educational program may center on on mobility, life skills and self care.

Article Source: http://www.largedirectory.info

I am a mother of 4 great kids, ages 21 to 25, including my oldest, Danielle, who has severe spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. I am an editor and writer for Cerebral Palsy Family Network. Through CP Family Network and as editor of our Cerebral Palsy Survival Guides, I have the ability to make a contribution to other families.

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