‘Lazy’ label can mask learning disabilities

Yes, CRCT scores are up in Georgia, but at what price?

Are our children learning more or are the teachers finally versed on how to teach to the state test?

High-stakes testing has rewritten public school curriculums —- for the worse. Are we teaching creative thinkers who will invent the next life-saving vaccine, the better computer and the environmentally cleaner car?

Or are we teaching students how to pass a test so that teachers, principals and school districts look good?

As an occupational therapist, I work with learning disabled children who are average to above average in cognitive/intelligence, with a “glitch” in one or two areas of learning. They need help and yet they are often denied services, told by their teachers they could do it if they want to and just need to try harder.

These children look bright, they seem to be listening, they can repeat what the teacher is saying and for all intent and purposes, seem as if they understand. But when the connections are not secure, the communication is like hearing a phone conversation with static on the line, and some crucial information is missed.

This can happen if a child has an auditory processing disorder, attention deficit, sensory motor issues or a myriad of other “soft” developmental disabilities. These children “look” so good that the natural assumption is often that they’re not listening and just need to “try harder.”

But a child who is poorly organized, habitually late with assignments, sloppy, dependent and easily distracted may cause the teacher to assume that he or she is lazy, inattentive or uncooperative when really the child might be confused, angry, withdrawn or feeling inadequate.

It is hard to spot these children. For the most part, they blend in with the typical crowd, except that they fall out when grades are given.

Because these kids often barely pass, they don’t qualify for services until they are two years behind the chronological age/grade performance expectation. Then, it can be too late to get them back on track.

I am working with a 15-year-old who is reading and doing math on a fifth- grade level. She is polite, smiles readily and “seems” on task. However, she stalls out at the first mistake, making problem solving impossible.

Finally receiving services, she is now writing and interacting in class, and teachers are reporting that she is beginning to ask for help instead of sitting quietly, sinking in a sea of confusion.

I see kids with IQs that astound me become angry, shut down and eventually turn into marginal learners. Denied services by the public schools because they are not failing, these kids begin to believe that they cannot succeed and they give up. Many of these children never finish high school.

We are a use-and-toss society. We cannot afford to use and toss children who learn differently. It would be unconscionable to leave a child behind on a field trip. We are ignoring the fact that everyday is a learning field trip and standardized test results sadly prove that we are leaving too many children behind.

We need to redesign the paradigm. Make motor development and occupational consult a part of every k-2 curriculum. Provide hands-on teaching to the teachers so they spot potential concerns before they become issues. If we take the time to frontload the learning so that every child really gets a head start, then getting to the finish line will be a faster, smoother and more successful experience for both students and teachers.

Susan N. Schriber Orloff is an Atlanta occupational therapist and author of “Learning Re-enabled: A Guide for Parents, Teachers and Therapists.”