Learning Disability

Dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia or trouble with reading, writing and math in that order are the three main types of learning disabilities. Children with learning disabilities are more commonly enrolled in special education services and plans such as 504. Boys, at 66%, are more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disorder than girls and in many states there is a disproportionate amount of Black and Hispanic students characterized by a learning disability (Morin, 2017; Child Trends Data Bank, 2016). Furthermore, over 60% of parents with children that have learning disabilities feel unable to find or ask for help or worry about their children’s future.

These doubts are perpetuated by the stigma around learning disorders, much like mental ones. In fact, according to a survey in 2012 by the NCLD, almost 50% of parents say that their child has been bullied for having a learning disability. Students living with a learning disability like dyslexia have a higher drop-out and expulsion rate usually due to a school’s improper assessment of the student or its inability to cope with the educational demands that the student needs (Johnson & Myklebust, 1967) .

On the other hand, as a way of social justice for students with learning disabilities, schools have changed the very structure of special education, for both better and worse (Conner, 2013). Schools known for having amazing special education programs like Banyan Creek Elementary School in Palm Beach County have very specialized programs with highly certified professionals in order to ensure each student can be accommodated properly while learning to be integrated with the other students. However, schools without this distinction like Boca Raton Middle School in Palm Beach County fail to help the students properly. This school has a special education class but it is cut off from the rest of the school, and is prone to cases of bullying from the other students.