By Geoff Roberts
Young People's Press

Can learning disabled people be successful and lead normal lives_

Ask Jennifer Karlinsky, 17, and she will put any doubts to rest. The ambitious Grade 12 student is leading an active life and recently helped to start a school newspaper. Her peers elected her editor.

Photo by Richelle Forsey Click on Image to Enlarge

Karlinsky's life has not been without challenges. She says misconceptions about learning disabilities can spawn ugly biases. "It (a learning disability) is just like anything else if you don't understand it," she says. "So you make fun of it and say people are stupid."

Perhaps because there are no physical signs of a learning disability, many youth face taunting and even physical harassment from their peers. "In Grades 5 and 6, I had trouble with bullying and problems with the other kids," Karlinsky recounts. "But basically, I stayed to myself and away from those other kids."

Laura Bripton-Neibler, 27, has an auditory-visual memory disability. She, too, experienced humiliation at the hands of schoolmates. "In Grade 5, I remember reading aloud and one word was split between lines in a magazine. I remember pronouncing it incorrectly and everyone laughed at me and I started to cry. There was no sympathy whatsoever."

Misconceptions about learning disabilities abound, among them that the learning disabled are either simple or extremely stupid. In reality, many possess extraordinary talents and are quite gifted.

Albert Einstein, who formulated the theory of relativity, was considered a slow learner by his teachers. Hollywood heartthrob Tom Cruise has dyslexia, which prevents him from reading scripts. His wife, Nicole Kidman, reads the lines to him and he memorizes them.

Most people with learning disabilities, however, are simply trying to lead fulfilling lives.

Bripton-Neibler has bucked the odds. A graduate of Seneca College's early childhood education program, she is now a daycare supervisor. In her job, she helps people identify and cope with learning disabilities, just as others helped her along the way.

As a teenager, Bripton-Neibler attended support groups at the Learning Disabilities Association in York Region. "They were there for any support that you needed, getting extra help, or to advocate for you," she recalls.

When Bripton-Neibler went on to college, she also searched out a support network. Laurie Goudge, 24, now the owner of a successful animal care business, has dyslexia. She, too, spent much of her elementary and high-school years enduring ridicule from others because she was considered "slow."

Goudge says differing learning styles require different approaches. "I often found patience is the one thing people lack," she says. "A lot of learning disabled people aren't dummies. They just need that extra bit of time to do what needs to be done."

Bripton-Neibler agrees. She is quick to point out that a learning disabled person may be weak in one area but superb in another. "I have developed great organizational skills almost to the point of bothering other people. I am able to work great on my own and tend to take projects over from other people," she says. "It (the disability) has given me an outlook on the areas I'm strong in, such as family issues."

Having found vocations to match their talents and abilities, Goudge and Bripton-Neibler are sources of inspiration. Both made it through high school and college by seeking out help and making smart choices.

Perhaps they were lucky. Many learning disabled people say schools do not adapt well to their specific needs. Adapting requires scarse extra resources and specialized teacher training.

A learning disabled child may need a teacher with specific skills and some students are bound to fall through the cracks. "I think most teachers with special training are very good," remarks Karlinsky, "but most others try to be understanding. I mean, they'll be nice about it and all, but they just don't understand."

Dr. Arlette LaFevbre, a child psychiatrist with the Hospital for Sick Children, says parents should look for signs of learning disabilities well before their child is enrolled in a demanding school curriculum. "I think the first step should happen well before the problem starts," she says.

Parents should also get involved with their child's school to develop a good understanding of what is being taught. If a child is struggling, the teachers' efforts should be supported at home. "Don't treat the schools as if they were your adversaries," LaFevbre says. "Try to work with rather than against."

Some programs are better than others in meeting the needs of the learning disabled. Karlinsky switched schools to have her academic requirements met. "At first, the schools just tried to give me extra help, but that didn't work out," she recounts. "So I had to move to another school with a special class for children with learning disabilities. What they do there is let the kids work at more than one level. For example, you could be in Grade 6, but in Grade 3 when it comes to math."

Academic pressures aside, school can be very stressful for children or teens if they don't have the support of their peers.

Usually learning disabled kids won't speak about the teasing they face. Many fear they will be blamed by teachers for their own problems or will suffer repercussions if their classmates get into trouble for bullying them.

Programs have been developed to deal specifically with the social pressures that these individuals face. Family support worker Trisha Bower praises a program called Circle of Friends.

"A group of kids get together with the disabled child after school and they have fun getting to know that person for who he or she is," she explains.

Bower has seen positive results from this program and wants more schools to take it on. "I would like to see more integration (of the learning disabled) in schools. Perhaps more support groups (should be) implemented that are like the Circle of Friends," she says.

Cameron, 16, has participated in a number of programs to help him deal with the harassment he encountered from his classmates and others. He now stands up for the learning disabled and their rights. Often, he is asked to give speeches to educators and the public.

"Accept people for who they are," he says, "and if you don't like them, stay away from them. Don't bug them."

For more information on learning disabilities or to seek support call The Learning Disability Association at (905) 884-7933.

Geoff Roberts, 19, is a high school student at the Richmond Hill Adult Community Learning Centre.