Sinyard3

All students are created equal
By DeAnna Sinyard

Nicole (whose name has been changed) attends high school and acts much like every other 16-year-old in this country. She is concerned with her looks; she craves attention from boys; and she wants to eventually graduate and go to college. The difference between Nicole and other students is that Nicole has a learning disability. This disability requires her to be in classes with other students who also have learning disabilities. She is isolated from students who can learn like most other people and often has to deal with discrimination not only from her peers but from the school system as well.

There are many students in this country who live with learning disabilities. These students often find themselves squirming in their seats or having difficulty concentrating on the material they are learning. Due to the lack of finances in schools, these students are often put in second-hand classrooms and not given the attention some of the other students receive. Many teachers find it difficult to deal with the student's lack of motivation, which is actually often symptomatic of various types of learning disorders. These teachers sometimes have to do the best they can, with little or no training regarding the skills needed to teach these special students.

Parents could play a big role in making the school system and the state government aware of the lack of attention these students receive. If you are a parent of a student who has a learning disorder, a good way to help him or her is to visit the classrooms in which they are taught. If these are unsatisfactory or if you feel there could be something done to make them better, make suggestions to the school. Become acquainted with the teachers so they can keep you up to date with your child's progress and discuss his or her strengths and weaknesses. Interestingly enough, many of these students greatly improve when one or both parents are directly involved with his or her education.

Writing letters to local politicians is another way to bring attention to our school systems’ needs. Many politicians, such as Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, used education reform in their election campaigns and will often be open to suggestions regarding how to make schools better. Be persistent when writing your local politicians and expect them to help make your school system better -- after all, it is part of their job.

Like other students, Nicole has goals and aspirations that she wants to achieve. She may have to work a little harder, but her goals are no less important than any other student’s.

Nicole's parents keep her motivated and continue to believe that she will achieve her goals. While she may not seem appreciative when her parents help her with homework every night, she knows this will help her in the future. Nicole feels better about herself when she does well in school and this also helps keep her motivated. Her parents expect her to do well and that expectation never falters. This makes it hard for Nicole to lose initiative when it comes to schoolwork. As you can see from this example, parents who are actively involved greatly increase their child's chances of improvement.

Schools also play an important part in a student's success. Schools can help by giving special needs students one-on-one tutoring. Some students are shy and have trouble discussing problems in class and this sometimes leads to a misunderstanding of the material. In addition, the school can replace what the student may be deprived of at home. Some parents are unable to set aside the time to help their children with homework and others simply might not have the knowledge to provide assistance.
Some parents do not know they can expect from their children more than what they have accomplished themselves. Teachers have a great opportunity to take these needs and to encourage students to have a belief in themselves that their parents were unable to instill in them.

By working together, school systems and parents of these special needs students can give confidence to a group of young adults who deserve it. These students still have an excellent opportunity before them to get a good education, and, with our help and support, can graduate with an ability to succeed in achieving goals and meeting the expectations they have learned to set for themselves.

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DeAnna Sinyard is a substitute teacher in a metro Atlanta school system and is a Psychology major at Kennesaw State University. She has been teaching students with learning disabilities for three years and hopes to make a career out of helping adolescents and teenagers make a better life for themselves.

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