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October is everyone’s favorite season for a reason: it’s right in the middle of fall, the leaves are starting to change, and everyone is settling into the new school year routine. Did you know it’s also Learning Disabilities Awareness Month? As neurodiversity becomes less stigmatized in and outside of the classroom, learning disabilities are celebrated, rather than condemned. Hopefully, as time goes on, students with all learning styles are respected—and are able to thrive academically, in traditional and special education. For the entire month, we hope you’ll use the many resources on our website and beyond to learn more about students with learning disabilities, including ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyscalculia. Taking Initiative There are over 700 million people living in the United States who learn and think contrary to the “norm.” While learning disabilities were once considered shameful and suppressed by clinicians, parents, and teachers, our community here in west Michigan and the wider global community has become much more compassionate and understanding in recent decades. Special education schools like our own are valid alternatives for students with both prevalent learning challenges, like ADHD, and those that are still lesser known, like dyscalculia, sometimes called “math dyslexia.” Making Use of Resources During Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, we hope to inspire, encourage, and motivate parents and students to use all the resources available to them. With useful websites, blogs, podcasts, and academic papers available to access, parents and students have no reason to feel alone. For children at both the elementary and high school level who have recently received a diagnosis, our doors are open for prospective students who may find our individualized curriculum, small class sizes, and lower student-teacher ratio helpful in overcoming their learning challenges. We believe strongly that neurodiversity makes the world a more interesting and colorful place, and that students with disabilities are just as capable of succeeding as their peers. Lake Michigan Academy is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for students with learning disabilities all year round, but this month we’re happy to celebrate this global initiative to spread awareness.  Photo by Carlos Flores on iStock
Although distance education has been around since the late 1800s, when the first very first correspondence course program was introduced by the University of Chicago, it did not become particularly popular until the Internet age began in the 1990s. Today, remote learning is incredibly normalized, in large part due to the fact that all students were forced into the digital classroom by the COVID pandemic lockdowns. While statistics showed that, on average, Michigan students who engaged in remote learning during the pandemic learned less than those who stayed in the classroom, neurodivergent students had a different experience. Four years on, we know a lot more about how students with learning disabilities operate under highly stressful, highly distracting academic environments. Special education staff are taking the knowledge gained from the pandemic to heart, and adapting their lesson plans as a result. Online School and ADHD It would appear as though there are two branches of students with ADHD: those who hated remote learning and those who thrived under it. Some struggled more intensely, distracted by the proximity to their phones and laptops and all the temptations that are associated with them. This group also struggled socially, succumbing to anxiety and depression due to an inability to see their friends. Others adapted phenomenally, finding that doing school from the comfort of their home was actually less distracting than sitting in a classroom full of other students. One of the most common ADD symptoms is hyperfocus: the ability to get a lot done under extreme pressure if the subject matter is interesting or there is a deadline looming. It stands to reason that one cohort of students with ADHD were able to succeed in virtual school. Getting ADHD Students Back into the Classroom While the digital classroom is unlikely to take over traditional schooling for good, it is becoming increasingly popular, along with all other alternatives to public school. Enrollment in both public elementary and secondary schools decreased in 2021, with many parents opting for non-traditional strategies to get their kids back on track. One such alternative? Special education, which provides a robust platform for students with learning disabilities to not only bounce back from the challenges of 2020 but actually thrive in a classroom—many for the first time in their young lives. Schools like ours exist to fulfill an unmet need in public education: quality education for students with special needs, complemented by individualized attention, small class sizes, and a minimum number of distractions. Our staff is highly qualified to help your child reach their full potential as a student, friend, and future productive member of society.  Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Extracurricular activities serve as catalysts for well-rounded development throughout a students’ life, whether they struggle with learning disabilities or not. Participation in extracurriculars has a profound effect on a child’s psychological health and overall well-being, since they build confidence and promote greater social-emotional learning. Engagement in extracurricular activities provides students with dyslexia and ADHD a platform to explore their interests, develop essential skills, and cultivate a sense of belonging. The Numerous Benefits of Extracurriculars Whether it’s sports, arts, music, or academic clubs, activities outside of the classroom offer diverse avenues for students to excel and make friends who share their passions. What’s more, they help to foster the development of crucial executive function skills that are often challenging for students with dyslexia and ADHD. Through regular practice and participation, students learn to balance academic responsibilities with extracurricular commitments, honing their ability to manage their time effectively and stay organized. Social Connectivity is the Key to Success Good grades are an indicator of success later in life, but they aren’t the only factor that predicts an individual’s likelihood to rise above their challenges. While straight As and Bs will certainly increase your chances at getting into a good college and excelling in the workforce later in life, social-emotional skills are also crucial for success in and outside of the classroom. Extracurricular activities provide students with dyslexia and ADHD opportunities to build social connections and develop interpersonal skills. By collaborating with peers, working as part of a team, and communicating effectively, students learn valuable social-emotional competencies that are essential for success both in academics and in life. At Lake Michigan Academy we not only possess the expertise needed to educate students with dyslexia and ADHD, we also have a wide wealth of extracurriculars available for our students. We encourage and support our students to participate in a wide range of activities tailored to their interests and abilities. We foster a holistic, student-centered approach to learning that emphasizes academic as well as social success.  Photo by Lucia Macedo on Unsplash
Many people have heard of dyslexia, but fewer are actually aware of how this condition manifests and what signs to look out for before taking your child to receive an assessment. In short, dyslexia is a learning disorder characterized by difficulties with reading, spelling, and decoding words. As a result, it can also impact speech development. While dyslexia primarily impacts reading and writing skills, it can also cause a multitude of speech-related challenges, including articulation difficulties, phonological processing issues, and verbal fluency problems. Recognizing these impacts and implementing targeted strategies can help individuals with dyslexia overcome speech challenges and improve communication skills—and the sooner, the better, as all proponents of early intervention agree. Articulation Struggles and Phonological Processing Articulation and pronunciation are two of the cornerstones of verbal fluency, which we’ll discuss more in depth later. Students with dyslexia may struggle to accurately produce speech sounds, leading to unclear or unintelligible speech. This can affect their ability to express themselves verbally and may result in frustration or feelings of inadequacy. Speech therapy techniques, such as articulation exercises and oral motor exercises, can help children with dyslexia improve their speech clarity and precision. Phonological processing difficulties are also commonly impaired in dyslexic students. Phonological processing refers to the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds of language, which is essential for both reading and speech production. Your child with dyslexia may have trouble distinguishing between similar sounds, blending sounds together to form words, or segmenting words into their constituent sounds. Speech therapy interventions focused on phonological awareness skills often include such as rhyming activities and syllable counting exercises. Word Retrieval and Coherence As we already mentioned, verbal fluency problems are also common among individuals with dyslexia. Verbal fluency refers to the ability to produce speech fluidly and spontaneously, without hesitation or difficulty. You might notice your child with dyslexia struggle with word retrieval, finding the right words to express their thoughts and ideas, or organizing their thoughts coherently when speaking. Speech therapy techniques, such as semantic cuing strategies, word-finding exercises, and narrative therapy, can help improve verbal fluency. In addition to speech therapy interventions, accommodations and support strategies can also facilitate communication for students with dyslexia. Providing extra time for verbal responses, using visual aids or written prompts to supplement verbal communication, and utilizing voice-to-print tools, can all be helpful. The dyslexic brain is unique, and we value all learning styles at Lake Michigan Academy, where your child can thrive in the classroom and beyond. |
