http://www.ldonline.org/ en-us LD OnLine Administrator hourly 1 http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Some_of_California%27s_Most_Gifted_Students_Are_Being_Ignored%2C_Advocates_Say Tue, 13 May 2008 14:10:02 GMT With schools under intense pressure from state and federal mandates such as No Child Left Behind to raise test scores of low-achieving pupils, the educational needs of gifted students — who usually perform well on standardized tests — too often are ignored, advocates say. Nationally, about 3 million kindergarten through 12th–grade students are identified as gifted, but 80% of them do not receive specialized instruction, experts say. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Some_of_California%27s_Most_Gifted_Students_Are_Being_Ignored%2C_Advocates_Say http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/PA_Schools_Team_up_For_College%26%23150%3BPrep_Program Tue, 13 May 2008 14:09:06 GMT Students who have earned a high school diploma can enroll in the Foundation of Learning Independence through Education program wherein they will attend classes at both the Harrisburg Area Community College's Lancaster campus and the Janus School to build the skills necessarily for college coursework. Janus is a privately owned and operated school for students with attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia and Asperger's syndrome. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/PA_Schools_Team_up_For_College%26%23150%3BPrep_Program http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Canadian_Cambrian_College_Hosts_Annual_Learning_Disabilities_Conference Tue, 13 May 2008 14:07:38 GMT Cambrian College's Glenn Crombie Centre for disability services, in partnership with Nipissing University's Counseling and Disability Services, is hosting its annual Learning Disabilities Conference. The two–day conference will take place on Thursday, May 22 and Friday, May 23 at the Barrydowne campus, with separate pathways for parents, educators, and secondary school students. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Canadian_Cambrian_College_Hosts_Annual_Learning_Disabilities_Conference http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Va._Seeks_to_Identify_the_Learning_Disabled Mon, 12 May 2008 14:52:48 GMT The Virginia Department of Education will start a new program this fall to identify students with learning disabilities. "We are concerned that a lot of young people, especially those with reading difficulties, end up in special education when we know lots of reading problems can be remedied within the general education environment," said H. Douglas Cox, assistant superintendent in the division of special education. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Va._Seeks_to_Identify_the_Learning_Disabled http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Cape_Plans_To_Expand_Educational_Program Mon, 12 May 2008 14:51:24 GMT Students with disabilities who previously were educated in a "self-contained" classroom have been attending class with traditional students this year. The model, known as CWC, for class within a class, is gaining momentum in Cape Girardeau. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Cape_Plans_To_Expand_Educational_Program http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/%27I_Did_Want_to_be_Held_Back%2C_but_I_also_Wanted_to_Move_On_with_My_Friends%27 Mon, 12 May 2008 14:50:27 GMT One student's perspective about social promotion. Academics and educators agree the transition points in education, especially from eighth grade to high school, are periods marked by higher rates of failure and thus necessary points for stronger intervention and student support. Richard Llamas has attention-deficit disorder and says he can't keep pace with his classmates. The lack of support for her son infuriates Llamas' mother. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/%27I_Did_Want_to_be_Held_Back%2C_but_I_also_Wanted_to_Move_On_with_My_Friends%27 http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/523_Graduate_From_Jones Mon, 12 May 2008 14:49:31 GMT Malinda Wiklund, 34, overcame learning problems as she persistently worked four years to gain her associate degree at Jones County Junior College. Wiklund had to deal with dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder learning disabilities as she worked toward her degree in criminal justice. On Friday, she was among 523 students receiving their diplomas. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/523_Graduate_From_Jones http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Change_Beckons%3A_New_Day_For_Special_Education_Coming Mon, 12 May 2008 14:48:08 GMT An audit of Jamaica's special education needs is currently being undertaken. "Special education has been underplayed, under-represented and under-resourced in Jamaica for many years," Frank Weeple, executive director of the education transformation team. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Change_Beckons%3A_New_Day_For_Special_Education_Coming http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Proposal_Limits_Progress_Reports Fri, 09 May 2008 14:22:25 GMT At two hearings within the next four weeks, Northern Virginians will have a chance to weigh in on a controversial state plan to revise special education rules that has already drawn thousands of written comments and raised concerns among many parents of children with disabilities. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Proposal_Limits_Progress_Reports http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Dyslexia_and_The_Children%27s_Book%3A_Henry_Winkler%27s_Hero_Finds_Unique_Solutions_To_School_Problems Fri, 09 May 2008 14:21:53 GMT Henry Winkler, the actor perhaps best known for defining cool as "The Fonz," will visit Andover on Mother's Day to talk about the latest release in his Hank Zipzer series of children's books. Hank, the main character, has a learning disability and learns to adapt and persevere through painfully tough school assignments, just as Winkler did. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Dyslexia_and_The_Children%27s_Book%3A_Henry_Winkler%27s_Hero_Finds_Unique_Solutions_To_School_Problems http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Dyslexic_Makes_Good_%27bAd%27_Movie Fri, 09 May 2008 14:21:17 GMT Vincenzo Giammanco struggled mightily with dyslexia. A teacher at Monterey High declared that Giammanco would "never amount to anything," but he was wrong. At just 23, Giammanco has received accolades for his 30-minute short feature film, "bAd," which dramatizes the trials and emotions of a dyslexic child. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Dyslexic_Makes_Good_%27bAd%27_Movie http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Special_with_a_Capital_%27S%27_Describes_Retiring_LD_Teacher Fri, 09 May 2008 14:20:21 GMT Since she started full time at Houlton Elementary fifteen years ago, countless students have benefited from Louise Hermansen's unique style of finding just the right method of teaching for them. Most of the time she is creating projects, educational games and curriculum units on the fly to meet individual student needs. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Special_with_a_Capital_%27S%27_Describes_Retiring_LD_Teacher http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Briefs%3A_California_Agency_to_Study_Special_Education Thu, 08 May 2008 14:04:10 GMT The California state Department of Education announced Wednesday that it would hire an independent consultant to study special education students who fail the high school exit exam but otherwise meet graduation requirements, according to a lawsuit settlement tentatively approved by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Robert Freedman. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Briefs%3A_California_Agency_to_Study_Special_Education http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Music%2C_Teacher%2C_Inspired_Ohio_Grad_to_go_to_College Thu, 08 May 2008 14:03:32 GMT Two years ago, as a senior at Maysville High School, Matt Moody had no plans to attend college. Today he's enrolled in classes at Ohio University–Zanesville and has dreams of earning a master's degree. Labeled learning disabled throughout school, the things he's accomplishing today never crossed his mind as a high school student. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Music%2C_Teacher%2C_Inspired_Ohio_Grad_to_go_to_College http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Opinion%3A_How_IEP_Can_Cover_Sports_Participation Thu, 08 May 2008 14:03:00 GMT The parent of a 14 year old boy with attention–deficit disorder and bipolar disorder asks experts about how participating in organized athletics can be incorporated into his Individualized Education Program. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Opinion%3A_How_IEP_Can_Cover_Sports_Participation http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/College_of_Mount_St._Joseph_Hosts_Reading%2C_Dyslexia_Institute Thu, 08 May 2008 14:02:26 GMT The College of Mount St. Joseph and the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University present the Institute on Reading and Dyslexia (I REaD) at the college Aug. 4–8. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/College_of_Mount_St._Joseph_Hosts_Reading%2C_Dyslexia_Institute http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Tackle_Learning_Disabilities%2C_Ontario_School_Board_Urged Thu, 08 May 2008 14:01:46 GMT Citing "alarming" figures showing 60 percent of students with learning disabilities or behavior problems don't finish high school, a Canadian teachers' union urged the public board Wednesday to endorse a plan calling for more teachers, support staff and the restoration of early childhood educators. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Tackle_Learning_Disabilities%2C_Ontario_School_Board_Urged http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/How_to_Advocate_for_your_Learning_Disabled_Child Wed, 07 May 2008 14:23:38 GMT Parents who find themselves newly in the position as their child's special education advocate scramble to make sense of what is happening, who they need to see, what rights they have and so on. Often, the best place to start is your own back yard. Here's a list of resources. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/How_to_Advocate_for_your_Learning_Disabled_Child http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Best_and_Brightest%3A_Tutor_is_Driven_by_Past_Struggle Wed, 07 May 2008 14:22:44 GMT In elementary school, Griffin Smith struggled with dyslexia. But working with a reading specialist, he became an avid reader. In ninth grade Smith asked if he could mentor younger kids struggling with reading and writing. "Griffin has made a difference in the lives of my students by leading by example," said teacher Kathy Rugh. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Best_and_Brightest%3A_Tutor_is_Driven_by_Past_Struggle http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Perseverance_Pays_Off Wed, 07 May 2008 14:21:28 GMT "A lot of kids with learning disabilities don't think success is theirs to achieve," said Beatrice Bell. But her daughter Jessie Bell did. "I have to work harder," Jesse said. "I need extra time. But everyone has been so supportive and encouraged me" to continue — and this week finish — her degree in Information Technology. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Perseverance_Pays_Off