Learning Disabilities

Learning disability is a classification including several disorders in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner, usually caused by an unknown factor or factors.

The unknown factor affects the person's ability to receive and process information. This disorder can make it difficult for a person to learn as quickly or in the same way as someone who isn't affected by a learning disability.

w 5People with a learning disability have trouble performing specific types of skills or completing tasks. With appropriate cognitive/academic interventions they can be overcome. Individuals with learning disabilities can face unique challenges that are often pervasive throughout their lifespan. Interventions may be used to help the individual learn strategies that will foster future success. Some interventions can be quite simplistic, while others are intricate and complex. Teachers and parents need be a part of the intervention in terms of how they help the individual successfully complete different tasks.

School psychologists quite often help to design the intervention, and coordinate the execution of the intervention with teachers and parents. Social support can be a crucial component for students with learning disabilities in the school system, and should not be overlooked in the intervention plan. With the right support and intervention, people with learning disabilities can succeed in school and go on to be successful later in life.

At SERC we assess the student's strengths and weaknesses and a program is designed to help the student cope with their disability. Teaching the child to become his/her own advocate and to be able to recognize their needs in the classroom and outside world is one of our goals. We also work closely with the parents and classroom teacher in order to accomplish these goals. Our instructors are trained in helping children learn to learn most efficiently.