Glenn

I was interested to see the responses to my listing.

Just a little more information - the latest literacy testing of my  
student shows a reading improvement to a level of 5.6 from 2.0 over 3  
years. So, while there are a lot of obstacles and while we still  
struggle for an approach to improve her numeracy, I am far from  
giving up - and very far from disposing of her in favor of someone  
who is easier to work with.

I took on a responsibility to help her so far as I am able. I am  
disappointed that academics and politics are deemed more important  
and discussable than strategies for success for real people. She may  
not be qualified as disabled under the governmental definitions - but  
then, I am not teaching a definition, I am teaching a person.

Laurie

On Feb 24, 2006, at 12:56 AM, Glenn Young wrote:


> Laurie

>

> OK ... I can be the pessimist, and the pragmatist ... As well as  

> anyone ...

> I have fought for years against using the "highly successful adult"  

> as a

> model for how to address LD issues ... One of my lines in this is  

> that "you

> can't generalize from the outlier" and the highly successful  

> persons with LD

> are often the outlier (this concept of outliers is from the use of  

> the bell

> curve etc ... And standard deviations  ... Where roughly 2/3s of  

> all people

> fit under the curve with what is called one standard deviation from  

> the mean

> ... And roughly 92 per cent fits under 1 1/2 standard deviations ...

>

> Well it sounds like your student is roughly 3-4 or more standard  

> deviations

> from the mean on the lack of ability/success side, an outlier if  

> there ever

> was one ...  And everything has been tired including accommodations  

> and

> assistive technology and nothing is working ... The answer may be  

> to move on

> ... And stop trying to fix something that can't be fixed and put  

> your energy

> into something more productive ... With greater prospect of  

> success. You

> can't generalize about anything from this person ...You keep  

> calling the

> unique ---  So no generalized interventions can be offered ....

>

> Yes, I know this sound bad, and heartless and it not politically  

> correct or

> something that a tutor/teacher want to hear ... But it is possible  

> that it

> is really the right answer ...

>

> There are many many people who are so profoundly impacted and so  

> profoundly

> lacking in skills and abilities ... That they will never be  

> competitive or

> able to gain enough skills  --- so the question is ... If after a  

> great deal

> of effort and appropriate supports ... This person is still not  

> successful

> ... Well, what is going on?  Yes they may get emotional support  

> from someone

> like you ... But in the end it's a no win process for you ... You  

> get more

> and more drained and they live on false hopes given from you, and  

> you get

> burned out ...

>

> Remember the classic definition of insanity is doing the same thing  

> over and

> over and expecting different results ... If you are doing things  

> over and

> over with this person ... And you are expecting something  

> different ... Are

> you fitting into that definition of insanity? ... (remember I am  

> not saying

> give up quickly ... And have a rush to judgment ... But it sounds like

> you're way beyond this point with this person)

>

> One of the big things we need to learn is that the myth of  

> "everyone can

> read" is simply not true ... And that everyone can succeed is also  

> not true

> ... So if this is the case ... We need to put our limited time and  

> resources

> helping those how have a chance of success, rather than endless  

> working with

> someone who has continually shown that they will not move much if  

> at all ...

> And work with them to get SSI or some other support ...

>

> Remember the definition of a person with a disability as far as the  

> ADA goes

> --- Not for SSI or Special ED but as an adult in an adult  

> setting .... The

> qualified individual (for protection under the ADA) is an  

> individual with a

> disability who Can perform the essentials functions of the task  

> with our

> without accommodations ... If this person is not succeeding with

> accommodations ... They would not be considered a qualified  

> individual ...

> --- they may have very severe cognitive impairments ... But not be  

> covered

> under the ADA concepts as a person with a disability ...

>

> It is heart breaking and very emotional ... But it is a cold fact ...

>

> When all has failed and continue to fail .. Time to more on.

>

>

>

> Glenn Young

> 505 East Braddock Rd # 608

> Alexandria VA 22314

> 703-684-1750

> gyoungxlt at comcast.net

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov

> [mailto:learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Laurie  

> Anson

> Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 7:57 AM

> To: learningdisabilities at nifl.gov

> Subject: [LearningDisabilities] Practicalities

>

> Hello all -

>

> I have been following the recent discussions with much interest and  

> - a

> letdown feeling. This is all very interesting and inspiring and  

> educational

> - and doesn't give me any help at all with the adult I am tutoring.  

> I have

> one of many adults who were pushed through school with the end  

> result of ~

> 2nd grade reading level and some uncertainty about how to count (no  

> skill at

> all in basic math facts.) So what do I do with an adult with a)  

> learning

> disabilities of an unspecified sort I am unable to learn because  

> she doesn't

> know and no records are available to us and b) brain trauma from  

> physical

> abuse as a child and c) a life with a wonderful guardian who is  

> increasingly

> frail and worried about her future ability to survive?

>

> I go with the practicalities of the moment, provide the immediate  

> needs and

> model correct social behavior. I search unceasingly for any, ANY  

> information

> that might help me with this one unique person.

> My mentors are not those academically trained in LD. My husband has  

> been

> intensely involved in Assistive Technology for many years now.

> There is much to read out there about LD and yet - none of it is  

> any help

> for this one person. Our literacy program cannot evaluate each  

> student, so

> each tutor must grope for ways to reach these people.

>

> And that is what it comes down to - the individuals who desperately  

> want to

> learn and don't have the resources to help them. Not to mention the  

> tutors

> who desperately want to teach and can find few resources to help them!

>

> Any suggestions?

>

> Laurie

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