THE STRUGGLE TO LEARN

BY DAN SANKEY
Staff Writer

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY COLLEEN CUMMINS

A new semester spells trouble for those students who just can’t seem to do all the assigned math or reading. Something just doesn’t work when it’s time to sit down and get it done.

Inattention or problems with numbers or reading can indicate a learning disability, which can also be misinterpreted as signs of stupidity or laziness. But there are programs at City College that can help.

DSPS, the acronym on a large illuminated sign outside the offices on the third floor of the Rosenberg library, is the department for Disabled Students Programs and Services at City College.

Kathleen Kerr-Schochet, department coordinator, explained the indications of learning disabilities.

“I.Q. is a meaningless number to someone with learning disabilities,” Kerr-Schochet said. “They can score 80 in one area and 160 in another.”

Talking with her about the traits and parameters of learning disabilities, I feel a nervous giggle of personal recognition. These definitions apply to me.

For years I’ve been told how much potential I had and how bright I was, but no one understood why I couldn’t deliver upon these expectations.

In high school, I was diagnosed with Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. After rigorous testing, my school came up with the label, but no more. They had no idea how to help; years later, I find that there are programs and people at City College waiting to do just that.

“We test students with a battery of tests that eliminate other influences and to identify discrepancies in abilities in a range of areas,” Kerr-Schochet said.

Varied tests of ability and achievement, such as established I.Q. tests, aim to find students’ strengths and weaknesses.

“The full scale of the tests is not applicable to a student with a learning disorder, especially for students where English is a second language,” Kerr-Schochet said. Certain types of tests exclude cultural or linguistic influences, giving a more accurate perspective.

Diagnosis is only done after a review of educational, medical and family history, as well as informal observation.

By this point in our conversation I realized I would be making an appointment with DSPS. I had never considered myself learning disabled and had not sought help in the past because I didn’t believe it existed.

After diagnosis, which is provided free of charge at City College but can cost $1000 to $1500 privately, students meet with a counselor to establish a strategy outline.

“We need to use the strengths to help the weaknesses,” Kerr-Schochet said. This is the core concept of the programs offered and is the reality dispelling the myth that learning disorders are not something intelligent people struggle with.

DSPS provides their services to over 3000 City College students dealing with a range of issues such as impairments in mobility, vision, hearing and speech; and less obvious problems such as learning disabilities, psychological disorders and developmental disabilities.

“We’ve been fortunate to not have the cutbacks that other education programs have had recently,” Kerr-Schochet said.

Even as I write this, the irony of my incessantly wandering mind makes itself known in my procrastination in the face of a looming deadline.

The blows to self-esteem are perhaps the hardest aspect to overcome: To get over the feeling that something is wrong, something is broken in my mind.

There are people here to help and to keep these minds from slipping through an education system that can seem cold and cutthroat.

It reminds me of the pathos of J.D. Salinger’s character Holden Caulfield. Holden dreams of saving the children who come after him from the fall into adulteration, and of being a catcher in the rye.

Warning Signs

The following symptoms or signs can apply to anyone at some point, but someone with a learning disability will display these symptoms even with a concerted effort not to.

• Difficulty reading, writing, spelling and / or number use
• Poor handwriting
• Trouble taking notes or paying attention during lectures
• Easily distracted by background noise or visual stimulation
• Trouble understanding or following directions
• Confusing similar letters or numbers (“b” and “d”), confusing the order of letters in words and / or misspelling the same word in several different ways in the same composition
• Omitting or adding words, especially when reading aloud
• Difficulty adhering to simple schedules, general forgetfulness or aloofness
• Appearing clumsy or uncoordinated
• Confusing directions; i.e. up, down or left, right
• Misinterpreting the subtleties in language, tone of voice or social situations

e-mail: dsankey@theguardsman.com

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