Some one recently asked about an paper I wrote that was published in the UK
... this is an part of it ... and for some reason the foot notes are lost
when I send it in your format ... but believe me there are footnotes to
support all the assertions in this paper  ... its an extensive paper and
this is just one section ... dealing with misconceptions we develop about LD
populations since we do not really have a good count of who is LD and those
counted are often the "most successful" ... so this section is countering
the "success rates reported" 

Look forward to comments ... 

THE MYTH OF SUCCESS

Counter to the hypothetical success stories and hero worship we often hear
-- stories about Einstein, Leonardo DaVinci, Churchill,  etc. -- the
overwhelming evidence that is available to us today says that what we have
been doing in schools and workplace training is not really working well for
the Learning Disabilities/Dyslexic population, even those 5% identified:  
.	Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia students (the identified ones) drop
out of high-school at a rate twice to three times the rate of the general
population  
.	Students with Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia enroll in college and
post-secondary training programs at one-tenth the rate of the general
population 
.	Studies show that persons with Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia (both
previously and newly identified) constitute at a minimum some 20% and
perhaps as high as 60% of persons in welfare programs. 
.	Numerous studies indicate that an extremely high percentage of
persons in prison have Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia, with estimates
ranging as high as 80%. 
.	Some studies that show that the Learning Disabilities/Dyslexic
population is very over-represented among runaway and homeless youth, in
foster care, in juvenile justice, among school drop-outs, involved in
illegal drug use, and in divorce. 
Some studies indicate that 70% of those in Special Education leave school
with limited or no reading skills.   This appears to be the case for all
cohorts who have been through Special Education, dating back to the time
that these records began being kept in the mid-1970's. 
While there are limited studies (U.S. Voc Rehab) showing that (identified)
persons with Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia tend to do better than those
with other disabilities in employment and education, when compared to other
disability categories, these studies only show marginal differences in
success.  Overall, the news is not very encouraging, since unemployment is
about 70% among all people with disabilities.   

Furthermore, these studies employment studies, and other studies of persons
with Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia tend to focus mainly on white males who
had been identified and had received special educational services, and had
graduated high school, and they show a clear pattern of limited success even
for this group (the tail of the curve.)  However, as stated above, NICHD
research strongly indicates that of the two-thirds of those with Learning
Disabilities/Dyslexia who have not been identified by the school systems: 
.	The majority of this unidentified Learning Disabilities/Dyslexic
population within the U.S. and England tends to be poor if not very poor,
disproportionately female, and minority, and had not been identified, had
not received services and, more often than not, had not graduated high
school.   
	In addition, the main data we have on adults with Learning
Disabilities/Dyslexia is based on self-report (the cited data from the
National Adult Literacy Survey showing 3%, for example.) 
.	However, even with the 3% self report, additional evaluation of the
NALS data (Reder) shows that upwards of 40% of the lowest level readers in
the US self-reported having a learning disability. Based on the age of these
self-identifying persons (mostly under 30 years old), it can be assumed that
most of these individuals who self-identified had been identified in schools
and provided with special education services.  
	Another indicator of success or lack of success of this population
is college participation.  Only about 5% of those identified as having
Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia in the U.S. public schools and who received
special education services go on to four-year colleges; less than 10% of
those who enter college (or less then half of one percent of the total)
received a four-year degree. (This compares to 25% of the general adult
population in the U.S. having a four-year degree.)  
.	Therefore, even those identified with Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia
are 50 times less likely to gain an undergraduate degree than their
non-Learning Disabilities/Dyslexic peers. 
	What limited focus there is on adults with Learning
Disabilities/Dyslexia tends to address the education fronts, particularly
those trying to gain four-year degrees and beyond. Most of key lawsuits in
the U.S. have focused on adults in colleges, even though that represents a
very small minority of the Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia population.  
	There have been only limited (but successful) legal actions to
protect the rights of persons with Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia who are
poor and on governmental assistance programs. These actions have lead to the
first issuances of guidance from the U.S. Federal government on steps that
need to be taken on behalf of persons with Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia in
state-supported job training programs. 
	As a result of these legal actions and some research studies, it is
now clear that there are strong indicators that a large percent of those
with Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia are mixed extensively in with the
"failed populations" who are on welfare, in prisons, stuck without success
in job training program or just eking by in some moderate to low-end
employment situation. When we include these people in our "pools of
research" the  number of "successes" looks far smaller than previously
indicated.  In fact, almost all signs indicate that our efforts until now,
in schools, and beyond, for the majority of persons with Learning
Disabilities/Dyslexia, have mostly failed.   Therefore is it Fate that is
really at play here?
	

Glenn Young
CSLD
530 Auburn Ave
Buffalo NY 14222
Cell 703-864-3755
Phone/Fax 716-882-2842
website: glennyoungcsld.com

-----Original Message-----
From: learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Betsy
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2008 5:25 PM
To: The Learning Disabilities Discussion List
Subject: [LearningDisabilities 1792] Re: Fwd: Film on Dyslexia and AD/HD

Cindy, Go to the website, http://www.headstrongnation.org/, click on 
"Learn", Click "Donate" to the left.  You can get a copy of the DVD for a 
donation of $50.

Betsy S. Gauss


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cindy Fischer" <cfischer at Harford.edu>
To: <RKenyon721 at aol.com>; <learningdisabilities at nifl.gov>
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2008 12:42 PM
Subject: [LearningDisabilities 1791] Re: Fwd: Film on Dyslexia and AD/HD



> For over a year, I have wanted to purchase this film, or at least get a 

> copy so I can show anywhere on a larger screen and have more control over 

> the parts I show.  (I think it's an excellent piece that really gets to 

> the heart of LD/ADHD).  Has anyone been successful in obtaining a copy? 

> If so, how did you do it?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thank 

> you,

> Cindy

>

> "If you believe in good things, you can  make them happen."

>>>> <RKenyon721 at aol.com> 03/22/08 9:19 AM >>>

> Hi Robbie,

>

> Thanks for sharing this film resource with us.  Have you shown this  film 

> yet

> to any groups?  If so, what was the response?  I would be  interested in

> knowing how our subscribers might make use of this film.

>

> Thanks,

>

> Rochelle

>

>

>

> Rochelle Kenyon

> Moderator, NIFL/LINCS Learning Disabilities  Discussion List

> Center for Literacy Studies at the University of  Tennessee

> _RKenyon721 at aol.com_ (mailto:RKenyon721 at aol.com)

>

> To  post a message:

> _Learningdisabilities at nifl.gov_ (mailto:Learningdisabilities at nifl.gov)

>

> To subscribe:

> _http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/LearningDisabilities_

> (http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/LearningDisabilities)

>

> To  read archived messages:

> _http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/learningdisabilities/2008/date.html_

> (http://www.nifl.gov/linc/discussions/list_archives.html)

>

>

>

> **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL

> Home.

>

(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom0
0030000000001)

>

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

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