The other day, I was on the phone with my daughters’ pediatrician. I had called with concerns about my 6-year-old, Night Owl, who has learning disabilities and motor delays, and in her most reassuring voice the doctor said: “You know, we live in a highly competitive place. A lot of the kids at your daughter’s (special education) school would have been, say, “B” students at a suburban elementary school 20 years ago.”

Though well-intentioned, her comment troubled me, because not only did it downplay the significance of developmental and learning difficulties, but also made me realize that even now, when we have greater knowledge and resources than existed a generation ago, there are still many who just don’t get it. Fortunately, our daughter is getting the support she needs, but there were times when we felt like we were grasping for answers where there were none.

Learning disabilities can be mysterious and complex, as varied as snowflakes – especially in the very young. My daughter, who is an unstoppable reader, has trouble grasping numbers beyond 10, and putting the simplest puzzles together can be intensely frustrating. She may master a task one day and completely forget it the next. Distractibility is a constant theme. But because she’s quiet and compliant, people may not notice all these things without a closer look; she could easily have fallen through the cracks in a large, mainstream class. When we look at her, though, we see a bright, determined girl who remembers everything she learns about nature; has a gentle way with all creatures; and wants to be a veterinarian, actress, and mom one day.<!--more-->

It’s important to know that kids with learning disabilities are not stupid or lazy. They genuinely have difficulty in certain areas of processing and often need a different teaching approach from the rest of the class. At the same time, they may be extremely gifted in other areas. Many highly successful people struggled with learning disabilities growing up, including actor Danny Glover, chef Jamie Oliver, businessmen Richard Branson and Charles Schwab, and artists Robert Rauschenberg and Chuck Close.

Sadly, many learning disabled children will never rise above their problems in school, because they are misunderstood–or lack access to vital support services. The steps involved in getting a diagnosis may be daunting for parents, but every child has a right to an evaluation through the public school system. Help is available at younger ages, and studies show that earlier intervention can dramatically improve the outlook for a child who is falling behind.  But funding for early intervention programs is in jeopardy of being cut statewide. Check out the Insideschools special education forum for suggested steps parents can take to protest these cuts.

On April 6, Advocates for Children is holding a free workshop about the different types of learning disabilities and evaluations. Other helpful resources include The Arise Coalition, The National Center for Learning Disabilities, The International Dyslexia Association, and Resources for Children with Special Needs. And the parent group, Citywide Council on Special Education holds monthly meetings around the city.

With so many people -- including pediatricians -- ill-informed about the needs of learning disabled children, we parents have to be  especially vigilant about finding and sharing information about available resources.

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