process or express information in a dif- ferent way. Most children with learning disabilities have trouble with


reading,


writing and/or math, according to the CCLD. Common learning disabilities include:


dyslexia, difficulty with reading; dyscalcu- lia, difficulty with math; and dysgraphia, difficulty with writing. For children between birth and age


5, the emergence of learning disabilities is often expressed through unmet devel- opmental milestones, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion. These milestones may be taking a first step, waving “bye-bye” or crawling and walking. For children above age 5, learning dis-


abilities may present themselves through trouble learning the connection between letters and sounds, confusing basic words when reading, difficulty learning funda- mental math concepts,


trouble telling


time or being slow to learn new skills. And of course, every child is different and no case is the same. “Some children


are gifted in reading and have a learn- ing disability in math or vice versa,” says Tamara Byrd, special education teacher at East Smith Station Elementary. “It works


present, parents should then contact their local school system and request an evalu- ation to see if their child qualifies for any special services, Herman says. If a child


“A parent doesn’t need to feel guilty about being over anxious because early detection really has proven that many times children can overcome any developmental milestone that they are delayed in if we catch it early enough.”


-Lynn Herman


all different ways.” Lynn Herman, Phenix City Schools


consulting teacher for special education, says the first thing a parent should do when they suspect that their child may have a learning disability is to visit their family physician. “I would definitely rec- ommend that a parent take their child to get a complete physical just to rule out that there aren’t any medical reasons for them struggling,” Herman says. If no medical


issues seem to be


qualifies, then an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is written. Georgia schools provide teachers and


students with a Student Support Team (SST), which is designed around a prob- lem-solving model used to help develop interventions for students who are having trouble learning. Using the SST, teachers work with parents to create strat- egies to address any concerns parents have. In Alabama schools, a Problem Solving Team (PST) composed of


10 Valley Parent | AUGUST 2012


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