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christian counseling today
Vol. 20 no. 2
motor disorder, then disruptive behavior may
occur.
Students with multiple issues, such as
Asperger’s, often have fine motor delays plus
difficulties with auditory processing, resulting
in listening comprehension problems. Already
stigmatized for their social differences, they
will more readily stand out in a class where
they cannot comprehend all of the teacher’s
lectures, much less get it down onto paper.
Accommodations may include a note-taker or
recordings of classes for the fine motor diffi-
culties. The student may benefit from being
asked to give a specific example or make a visual
diagram of what the speaker is talking about.
Learning disabilities come in many forms.
For example, reading disorders may be in basic
word calling ability, reading comprehension, or
retention of what is actually read. In the latter
case, a diagnosis of ADHD should first be ruled
out as the cause of the difficulty in retaining
what is read. Dyslexia is a reading disorder with
great spillover into writing (especially spelling)
and math, especially with word problems in
the latter. Writing and math calculation and
computation also must take into account other
disorders which can affect the ability to concen-
trate, including medical issues.
Evaluators will usually consider whether there
is a problem in one or more stages of informa-
tion processing:
n
Input:
Is there a problem with vision or
visual perception, hearing or auditory
perception, or proprioceptive response?
n
Integration:
The information is received,
but does not translate in that associated
knowledge base.
n
Storage:
Short-term or long-term memory is
impeded or not retained.
n
Output:
The knowledge cannot be expressed
(e.g., either orally or in writing).
Cognitive impairments have lower incidence
rates than learning disabilities. The develop-
mentally delayed or mentally handicapped child
will have low functioning in all areas. These
children can be particularly stigmatized because
they may have no academic area that shines and
their adaptive, as well as social, skills will, in
general, be lower than those of their peers. Slow
learners, or children in the borderline range of
intelligence, are often retained and risk being
marginalized since they do not qualify for special education services. They
will often face a second retention as they move into middle and high
school. In this scenario, you may have a 15-year-old in an 8th grade class
resulting in social difficulties.
The school district can provide a full psycho-educational evaluation
if a multi-disciplinary committee deems it appropriate. Sometimes,
however, counselors may direct a parent to pursue a private evaluation
versus one offered through the school district, especially if the issues seem
more emotional than academic. A clinical psychologist may be more
trained and experienced in certain assessments, such as those evaluating
psychiatric problems. You may have a child identified with a learning
disability, but with underlying psychiatric issues that may be causing the
problem. Anxiety, depression, thought disorders, and other issues need to
be ruled out.
Some interventions/accommodations (other than special education)
include note-takers, books on tape (Learning Ally is new system), testing
in isolation, and responding to tests orally rather than through writing.
A child on the autism spectrum will need social skills training. Adaptive
living skills are also a focus for the cognitively impaired student.
Family needs of parents of children with learning disorders must
also be addressed. In a recent online Ezine article, I wrote about parents
of special needs children who shared some of their common concerns.
Isolation was a significant issue. Counselors need to be aware that the
parents of the children they are seeing likely do not have adequate support.
Even if they have plenty of family and friends in their local area, they may
feel very alone in their struggle to get to the bottom of their child’s diffi-
culties. Parents of multiple handicapped children frequently report that
other people rarely understand what they are going through. Due to a high
rate of abortion when a severe genetic abnormality is identified during
pregnancy, these children represent one of the lowest incidence groups
Takeaway
Counselors do not need to know every aspect of working with this popula-
tion or be specialists in learning difficulties in children. A good axiom is:
When in doubt—refer it out. Again, therapists need not understand every
nuance of a psychological evaluation and what some of these disorders
“look like” in the classroom and at home. Parents of children with learning
issues may feel isolated and need support. Children with disabilities and
their families may be stigmatized or marginalized by their peers and, like-
wise, need emotional support and hope that a Christian counselor can
provide—along with biblically sound advice.
✠
Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D.,
was a Licensed Clinical
Psychologist for 25 years specializing in child and adolescent treatment.
Her fiction debut release,
Return to Shirley Plantation: A Civil War
Romance
, is an Amazon Civil War bestseller. She also contributed to
God’s Provision in Tough Times
, which just recently released. For more
information, visit her at carriefancettpagels.com.
Endnotes
1
Project Ideal. Retrieved from projectidealonline.org/intellectualDisabilities.php.
2
Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved from cdc.gov/features/dsdownsyndrome/.
