Parents Slow to Address Learning Disabilities

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Misunderstandings about learning disabilities are abundant. Even parents whose children have learning disabilities often fall short in understanding some aspects of these challenges – and if they don’t always know what’s going on, who does?

According to the Tremaine-sponsored Roper Poll, parents often start with a “wait-and-see” approach. Over two-thirds of parents with nursery-aged kids who were slow to rhyme or use numbers/alphabet felt their offspring would outgrow these problems. Some 28 percent of parents said they would try to address problems privately, before approaching teachers.

Even after proper assessments with experts, misconceptions continue unabated. Half of parents with a learning disability connection feel their home environment played a role. And sixty percent ”incorrectly believe that hyperactivity is sometimes a sign of a learning disability.”

At least there has been progress, as 80 percent of Americans now believe learning-disabled children do have average or higher intelligence. Exactly 99 percent of educators agree these kids have smarts, and feel their schools are ready to make accommodations for these students.

One downside in the current era? Half of all educators are concerned with funding and agree that the quality of education “is often affected more by a school’s desire to save money than it is by the needs of the children with learning disabilities.”

More info: GFK-Roper Report — Education Week – USA Today. We encourage you to read the complete 86-page GFK-Roper Report, which reveals attitudes towards learning disabilities, and includes trends from 1995 through 2010.

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