| Successful intervention is dependent on
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| | accepted that a child must start at the
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| finding the cause or causes of a problem.
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| | lower levels of education and then
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| Most problems can only be solved if one
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| | gradually progress to the higher levels.
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| knows their causes. A disease such as
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| | If human learning had not been a
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| scurvy claimed the lives of thousands of
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| | stratified process, if it had taken place
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| seamen during their long sea voyages. The
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| | on a single level, this would have been
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| disease was cured fairly quickly once the
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| | unnecessary. It would then not have been
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| cause was discovered, viz. a Vitamin C
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| | important to start a child in first
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| deficiency. A viable point of departure
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| | grade. It would have been possible for
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| would therefore be to ask the question,
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| | the child to enter school at any level
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| “What causes learning disabilities?”
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| | and to complete the school years in any
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| In the literature on learning
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| | order.
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| disabilities, it is generally assumed
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| | Even more astounding is that this very
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| that learning disabilities are caused by
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| | important principle of learning is hardly
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| a neurological dysfunction. This theory
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| | noted in any of the present-day theories
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| has so far, however, been unable to
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| | on learning. In fact, when this principle
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| produce any tangible practical results.
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| | of learning is mentioned, it often
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| Another popular theory is that learning
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| | happens by way of an en passant reference
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| disabilities are genetically transmitted.
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| | to discarded notions from the past:
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| According to an American study the risk
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| | Baldwin (1896) introduced the concept of
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| that a child will have a reading problem
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| | a hierarchy of senses and proposed that
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| is increased from four to thirteen times
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| | sense perception ability varied from
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| if one of the parents has a similar
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| | person to person. As we ascend Baldwin's
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| problem. This tendency for learning
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| | pyramidal scale we find that each
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| disabilities to “run in families” has
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| | capability rests on, and is
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| been confirmed by numerous studies.
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| | chronologically and psychologically
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| The tendency for learning disabilities to
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| | dependent on, all the capabilities below
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| “run in families” does not
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| | it (for example imagination, which could
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| necessarily prove, however, that a
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| | not act but for its predecessors
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| learning disability is genetically
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| | perception and memory). This notion of
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| determined. The ability to speak English
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| | training competencies hierarchically was
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| also runs in families, yet nobody would
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| | the premise on which perceptual training
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| attribute this to genetics. We all know
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| | and perceptual motor training were based.
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| that a child learns to speak the language
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| | When this principle is noticed, then its
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| that he hears on a daily basis.
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| | significance is often distorted by
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| A straight line is the shortest distance
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| | reductionist thinking such as,
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| between two points. However, the
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| | “Cognitive abilities develop in a
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| seemingly shortest route from one
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| | sequential fashion that cannot be
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| conclusion to the next is not necessarily
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| | altered,” or, “Another prerequisite
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| the best — or the correct — one. It
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| | for reading includes a certain level of
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| sometimes turns out that a problem may
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| | physiological development of the
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| have an explanation and a solution that
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| | brain.”
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| may seem so obvious and so simple that
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| | The stratified nature of learning is an
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| people tend to overlook it.
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| | age-old — but ageless — principle.
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| The theory below is of this nature. For
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| | This principle was already pointed out by
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| its understanding one requires no
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| | Herbart (1776-1841), and it is based on
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| specialist knowledge of the intricacies
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| | the further principle that
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| of the human brain. Decades of experience
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| | One never…apprehends anything in
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| has shown that for the successful
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| | isolation, but always in terms of one's
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| application of this theory one does not
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| | background of previous experience and
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| even need to have the vaguest inkling of
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| | learning. So the first consideration in
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| what genetics is about.
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| | properly organized learning would be to
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| In this theory it is not denied that the
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| | make sure that the learner had the right
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| brains of learning-disabled people might
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| | background (my italics).
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| be different from the non-learning
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| | A simpler example, which explains the
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| disabled. In fact, it is conceded that
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| | stratified nature of learning, is the
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| they probably are. The
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| | fact that one has to learn to count
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| “chicken-and-egg” problem should,
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| | before it becomes possible to learn to
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| however, not be overlooked: are the brain
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| | add and subtract. Suppose one tried to
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| differences the cause of the learning
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| | teach a child, who had not yet learned to
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| disabilities, or is it the other way
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| | count, to add and subtract. This would be
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| round? Furthermore, in this theory it is
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| | quite impossible and no amount of effort
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| conceded that genes may well play a role
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| | would ever succeed in teaching the child
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| in the origin of learning disabilities.
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| | these skills. The child must learn to
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| However, I hold the optimistic view that
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| | count first, before it becomes possible
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| neurological differences and negative
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| | for him to learn to add and subtract. In
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| genetics merely increase the educational
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| | the same way, there are things that a
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| responsibility of parents and teachers. A
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| | child must learn first, before it becomes
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| learning disability is therefore not a
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| | possible for him to learn to read, spell,
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| permanent condition. By following the
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| | write, et cetera.
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| correct method of instruction and with
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| | Bartoli, who says that it is “the
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| sustained practice according to this
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| | actual practice with the real task of
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| method, any person can overcome a
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| | reading that leads to more skilful
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| learning disability.
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| | reading,” is only partially correct.
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| THE CAUSES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES: AN
| |
| | “Of course,” she adds, “any soccer,
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| ALTERNATIVE THEORY
| |
| | tennis, or basketball coach will tell you
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| To understand this theory on the causes
| |
| | the same thing: If you want to get
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| of learning disabilities it is important
| |
| | better, you have to play the game — not
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| to take note of the fact that there is
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| | just practice skill drills.” Now, I
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| nothing that any human being knows, or
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| | know very little about tennis and
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| can do, that he has not learned. If you
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| | basketball, but I do happen to know about
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| dump a little puppy into the water, it
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| | soccer. The game of soccer consists of
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| will swim. Do the same with a human
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| | many fragmented elements or skills —
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| child, and it will drown. The child must
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| | passing, control, shooting, dribbling,
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| learn to swim.
| |
| | goal keeping and heading. Before any
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| There is yet another, equally important
| |
| | child is expected to play in a full-game
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| fact, which is also a sine qua non
| |
| | situation, he should first be trained to
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| towards the understanding of learning
| |
| | pass, head, control, dribble and shoot
|
| disabilities, and which has also so far
| |
| | the ball. In fact, until these skills
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| been overlooked, viz. that learning is a
| |
| | have been automatized, the child will
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| stratified process. This is a
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| | have two left feet on the soccer field.
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| self-evident fact, yet its significance
| |
| | The reading “game,” just like the
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| in the situation of the learning-disabled
| |
| | game of soccer, rests upon certain skills
|
| child has apparently never been fully
| |
| | and until these skills have become
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| comprehended. Throughout the world in all
| |
| | automatized, the child will have “two
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| educational systems it is commonly
| |
| | left eyes” in the reading situation.
|
