By Erinn Klein
“A comparative study of more than 600 adolescents with and without learning disabilities found a higher frequency of risk-taking behaviors such as smoking, marijuana use, delinquency, acts of aggression, and gambling among the youth with learning disabilities” (Heward).
Can you imagine having your mind be your own worst enemy? This is a common feeling among people with learning, emotional, and behavioral disabilities. Troubles with learning often-- though not always-- leads to frustration, giving up, and acting out.
Some stats for you…
75% of students with learning disabilities exhibit poor social skills.
40% of all incarcerated kids in 2009 had a disability: learning, emotional, or behavioral.
Kids with emotional or behavioral disorders are 13.3 times more likely to be arrested before they graduate high school than kids who don’t have a disability.
And what about the kids who go undiagnosed? Who have behaviors that are really just cries for help, but nobody realizes? What happens when you have a disability… and absolutely no one knows it? It’s unsurprising to me that a child in this instance wouldn’t act out. Better diagnosis can and should lead to better help for these kids.
“A comparative study of more than 600 adolescents with and without learning disabilities found a higher frequency of risk-taking behaviors such as smoking, marijuana use, delinquency, acts of aggression, and gambling among the youth with learning disabilities” (Heward).
Can you imagine having your mind be your own worst enemy? This is a common feeling among people with learning, emotional, and behavioral disabilities. Troubles with learning often-- though not always-- leads to frustration, giving up, and acting out.
Some stats for you…
75% of students with learning disabilities exhibit poor social skills.
40% of all incarcerated kids in 2009 had a disability: learning, emotional, or behavioral.
Kids with emotional or behavioral disorders are 13.3 times more likely to be arrested before they graduate high school than kids who don’t have a disability.
And what about the kids who go undiagnosed? Who have behaviors that are really just cries for help, but nobody realizes? What happens when you have a disability… and absolutely no one knows it? It’s unsurprising to me that a child in this instance wouldn’t act out. Better diagnosis can and should lead to better help for these kids.