In my previous piece, I discussed my personal frustrations with what many believed students with an NVLD and similar disabilities aren’t able to do. This is truly so disappointing to me. I know, personally, these beliefs aren’t entirely true, as most things they can do are achieved by taking advantage of all the resources available to them and through their own determination and hard work. So now I will continue explaining the different examples and how to do them successfully. Setting limitations for these students is truly a mistake.
The first example is thinking these students wouldn’t be able to go to overnight summer camps/programs successfully, as it can appear that they spent so much time with their families. For many children, the real reason for this is that it is harder for them to plan social activities independently, so they end up doing a lot with their family. Therefore, attending them is actually a great thing for these students, as these programs are very structured, so it provides for excellent social and overall personal growth. I personally know how true this is, as I attended the Eagle Hill School’s 6-week summer program for students with learning disabilities, and at first, many thought my parents were being unrealistic as I spent a lot of time with my family and others with similar learning disabilities shared experiences. Yet it was an amazing experience for me and others like me, as we love being active socially and just needed more structure compared to others. Being at Eagle Hill provided that, and it was great to have wonderful connections all summer.
Next is thinking that all students with moderate to severe NVLD’s and similar learning disabilities need to be in all of the lowest level courses. One of the reasons IEP teams believe this is due to slow processing speed being a common component of their disabilities. Unfortunately, this can prevent students from reaching their maximum potential as they can feel “too stupid” by not being in any regular level courses. In addition, two common hidden strengths for these students are determination and problem-solving skills, so challenging them as much as possible academically allows them to utilize these strengths. Therefore, the student should only be placed in the lowest level course for the main area of their disability. For example, there was no question that I needed to take the lowest level of math given my serious spatial skills deficits.
Another example is believing these students likely won’t be successful in college. Studies show that a reason for this belief is that students don’t always attend an appropriate college for their disability, which brings more challenges. Examples of this would be a higher functioning student going to a big state or private university rather than a small liberal arts college that is nationally ranked, like St Lawrence University, or a weaker student choosing to go to a community college rather than a place like Dean and Mitchell College, which offers comprehensive level disabilities support. These students often need a close-knit community. Some also need specialized support, which is given in a comprehensive disability support program, to be successful.
Also is also believed that the majority of these students can’t be fully included in school and community activities. This is far from the truth and in fact being in a few activities leads to greater social and awww personal growth as their peers have the opportunity to look past their disabilities and see they have similar interests as them. Yes, certain activities might be too challenging, like being able to get a part in the school play or making your school’s basketball team; however, there are other choices they can make, such as joining the track team or the school’s music program, where everyone is involved in the concerts. Personally, this has been a real frustration of mine, as students with NVLD and similar disabilities can and do make friends through structured activities, yet there is often very little encouragement to join them.
As mentioned in Part A, the majority of beliefs do have a lot of truth to them. However, NVLD and other disabilities range from mild to severe, so students’ goals and achievements should never be exactly the same. In addition, each student has their own hidden strengths, such as determination and resilience. Therefore, they should have the opportunity to challenge themselves academically and personally through experiences like taking the highest level courses they can and having the opportunity to have experiences away from home. I do believe that you will realize these students can have similar experiences as non-disabled students through utilizing the support offered to them.
