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Show Parents need to become advocates for LD children child have input into this IEP because it sets the goals and skills that the child will be expected to reach. AH IEPs should be built on successes rather than failures. Professionals need to carefully communicate information to parents in understandable terms. Both parents need to be included in IEP conferences. Immediate and relevant advice for parents is appreciated. appre-ciated. The parent's role in helping an LD child is critical. The parent needs to look always at the child's abilities. Learning disabilities can be minimized by emphasizing a Editor's note: This is the second in a two-part series on learning disabilities. Part one discussed what a learning disability was. This article will describe how the disorder dis-order is diagnosed and treated. As mentioned in the first article, between five and eight percent of our population has a learning disability. These individuals are not intellectually handicapped. Often their IQ's are above average. Many are gifted and have learned to compensate com-pensate for a weakness they have in one area only. Katie Davis, Davis School District school psychologist, said some tip-offs that help identify a child with a learning disability are they don't develop language skills early. An LD child may be unable to speak in sentences by the age of three. Some LD children are hyperactive. hy-peractive. Others have short attention atten-tion spans. Many children are able to mask their disability uniil they reach school. A teacher is often the one who notices an LD child because of an inability to sit still, follow directions direc-tions or complete tasks. LD children are not usually gifted with social skills. Girls usually are able to hide the learning disability better than boys because they are not as aggressive and tend to be more quiet and not disruptive in class. Sometimes LD girls are in the third or fourth grade before they are identified. Once it is suspected that a child has a learning disability, a representative represen-tative from the school contacts the parents to request permission to test the child. Each school in Davis District has a testing team that consists con-sists of a resource teacher, the school psychologist and the speechlanguage pathologist. Tests are given in a one-to-one situation. The test is highly standardized standar-dized and structured to make sure the child gives the best response possible. The person giving the test will visit with the child before the test to become acquainted and make the child feel at ease. If the child feels uncomfortable, the test is stopped until the child is ready to go on. Testers are well trained with master's degrees and preparation in dirferential diagnosis of children. LD children remain in regular classrooms. They work with resource teachers to "overleam" through drill and practice those skills that disable them. An IEP (individual education plan) for all LD children is written by the school resource team in cooperation co-operation with the parents. It is essential that the parents and the child's strengths. Private lessons in music and dance help build self-esteem. The opportunity to participate in organized sports or to learn an athletic skill like swimming or gymnastics can give an LD child needed confidence. Private tutoring can also be helpful. The most important role a parent plays is that of an advocate. LD parents need to become involved in the school programs, constantly keeping in contact with the classroom and resource teachers. The Davis County LDA chapter meets monthly every third Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Layton Public Library, 155 N. Wasatch. |