How the World Looks to Kids With Learning Disabilities

The world seen through the eyes of children with learning disabilities can look very different than it does for others without learning struggles.

Of course we'll never know exactly what it's like but we can try to understand through simulations and exercises. Probably the most famous of these is, “How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City Workshop: Understanding Learning Disabilities,” by Richard Lavoie.

The video has adults do exercises that simulate being "learning disabled." Just like children with learning difficulties, the people in the exercise are smart and can read and understand what's going on but they are put in situations that mimic what a child goes through in school. It's truly amazing and heartwarming to watch, while humorous at times.

To get a taste of what it's like, here's a learning disability simulation that accomplishes the same thing. It only takes a second and can be done at your computer. Print out the image and show it to a teacher. It may help them see the light.

Happy Birthday ADA

On July 26, 2010, millions of Americans will celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Since 1990, the ADA has been helping deserving Americans with disabilities get help and fight discrimination.

More information can be found on their website at:

http://www.ada.gov

Happy Birthday ADA!

IEP Goals and Objectives

What are IEP Goals and Objectives? There is always some confusion with parents, especially those who are new to the IEP process, about what exactly are IEP Goals.

Basically, IEP Goals are the part of the IEP that states what the child will do and by what date they will do it. The components of the IEP Goals are usually prepared as "smart" goals:

S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Realistic
T – Timely

So what is the difference between IEP Goals and Objectives?

Goals are written for the entire year and should be completed by the end of the IEP year or session.

Objectives, on the other hand, are subsets of the Goals and are presented on a timeline between the time the IEP is written and the end of the school year or annual IEP. If the IEP is written in October, there may be two Objectives between that time and the end of the year.

If the Goal by June of 2010 is to learn 80 sight words on a 3rd grade level, Objective #1 may be to learn 30 sight words by December 15, 2009 and Objective #2 would be to learn another 30 sight words by March 15, 2010. By the end of the year in June 2010, all 80 sight words will have been learned and the Goal will have been met.