Status may not be able to solve the problem of learning difficulties, but it may help open the door to resources unavailable to many families. Thanks to articles such as this and the outreach provided by NCLD, parents with the financial resources have been able to share a wealth of information and their experiences for the benefit of children. In addition to NCLD, we also found www.brightsolutions.us and www.ldonline.org to be valuable resources for information. There is no magic bullet, but armed with the appropriate resources and information, children can progress and flourish to develop their individual strengths and talents.
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Facing A Problem Status Couldn't Solve
When My Child Was Diagnosed With Severe Learning Disabilities, We Had The Fight Of A Lifetime On Our Hands
From the magazine issue dated Jan 17, 2000
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Don't worry," my father told me, "we'll find the best doctor possible. No matter what it costs, we'll find a cure for Allegra."
That was the night I finally told him that my daughter had been diagnosed by a prominent New York pediatric neurologist as being "borderline retarded." The doctor had recommended that she be institutionalized. She was 5 years old.
I knew immediately that I couldn't institutionalize Allegra. She wouldn't die if I took the doctor's advice, but to lock her away for the rest of her life? Was that so different from death?
A year later her diagnosis was changed to severe, multiple learning disabilities. I realized that my father's vow to find a cure would be futile.
This was 1978, a time when there was very little known about learning disabilities. Most pediatricians knew nothing, one school after another rejected her and even I was reluctant to speak about her disability to my closest friends.
Most people equate a learning disability with dyslexia--reversing letters and words. But there are many other kinds of learning disabilities of varying levels of severity. LD is a neurological disorder that causes the brain to perceive even the simplest information as a chaotic jumble of words, numbers and thoughts. Every aspect of a child's life can be affected: reading a book, playing a game, interacting with other children.
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