Response 1

A stigma can affect a child with a learning disability because many cultures are still very sensitive to the stigma surrounding “leaning difference” (Kayama & Haight, 2014). Special Education services can be an extremely effective intervention for students that are struggling with an LD at school, however the associated stigma can also cause emotional harm not only to the child but to the family as well (Kayama & Haight, 2014). In many situations, this has a lot to do with how the family is handling the diagnosis and specifically how the parents are dealing with it both towards the child as well as each other (Kayama & Haight, 2014).

Students that need significant intervention at school oftentimes have parents that do not know what to do and are flailing themselves (Chan et al., 2017). One potential perspective a parent may have about themselves is that they are their child are defective (Chan et al., 2017). Because the stigma is one created in the family system, families can feel defective when their child is labeled as “special needs” (Kayama & Haight, 2014).

If a child has early years of feeling defective and largely doing so in various important environments such as in his school and at his home, he or she is going to vulnerable to more pathology as well as addiction and interpersonal struggle across the lifespan (Chan et al., 2017). Children that have stigmatized themselves as defective have found themselves worthless and failures, which is the type of thinking that is at the cornerstone of depression and substance abuse behaviors (Chan et al., 2017).

One idea to promote positive identity response in these children is create positive language at home and at school around people having strengths and weaknesses. In order for the child to be able to comprehend their diagnosis they are going to lean on adults to guide their reaction, so if the adults are able to find positives while also a lot of compassion for their child, they will be teaching them through a difficult period where a lot of learning can happen (Chan et al., 2017). Families that are able to come through this difficult period with better communication and by helping their child navigate their issues with a certain amount of independence find themselves with children that have healthier self-esteem and self-worth (Chan et al., 2017

References

Chan, Y., Chan, Y. Y., Cheng, S. L., Chow, M. Y., Tsang, Y. W., Lee, C., & Lin, C.-Y. (2017). Investigating quality of life and self-stigma in Hong Kong children with specific learning disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 68, 131–139. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2017.07.014

Kayama, M., & Haight, W. (2014). Disability and stigma: How Japanese educators help parents accept their children’s differences. Social Work, 59(1), 24–33. Disability and stigma: how Japanese educators help parents accept their children’s differences by Kayama, M., & Haight, W. in Social Work, 59(1), 24-33. Copyright 2014 by Oxford University Press – Journals. Reprinted by permission of Oxford University Press – Journals via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Powell, S. R., Seethaler, P. M., Cirino, P. T., & Fletcher, J. M. (2008). Intensive intervention for students with mathematics disabilities: Seven principles of effective practice. Learning Disability Quarterly: Journal of the Division for Children with Learning Disabilities, 31(2), 79–92.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Response 2

A stigma can affect a child with a learning disability because many cultures are still very sensitive to the stigma surrounding “leaning difference” (Kayama & Haight, 2014). Special Education services can be an extremely effective intervention for students that are struggling with an LD at school, however the associated stigma can also cause emotional harm not only to the child but to the family as well (Kayama & Haight, 2014). In many situations, this has a lot to do with how the family is handling the diagnosis and specifically how the parents are dealing with it both towards the child as well as each other (Kayama & Haight, 2014).

Students that need significant intervention at school oftentimes have parents that do not know what to do and are flailing themselves (Chan et al., 2017). One potential perspective a parent may have about themselves is that they are their child are defective (Chan et al., 2017). Because the stigma is one created in the family system, families can feel defective when their child is labeled as “special needs” (Kayama & Haight, 2014).

If a child has early years of feeling defective and largely doing so in various important environments such as in his school and at his home, he or she is going to vulnerable to more pathology as well as addiction and interpersonal struggle across the lifespan (Chan et al., 2017). Children that have stigmatized themselves as defective have found themselves worthless and failures, which is the type of thinking that is at the cornerstone of depression and substance abuse behaviors (Chan et al., 2017).

One idea to promote positive identity response in these children is create positive language at home and at school around people having strengths and weaknesses. In order for the child to be able to comprehend their diagnosis they are going to lean on adults to guide their reaction, so if the adults are able to find positives while also a lot of compassion for their child, they will be teaching them through a difficult period where a lot of learning can happen (Chan et al., 2017). Families that are able to come through this difficult period with better communication and by helping their child navigate their issues with a certain amount of independence find themselves with children that have healthier self-esteem and self-worth (Chan et al., 2017

References

Chan, Y., Chan, Y. Y., Cheng, S. L., Chow, M. Y., Tsang, Y. W., Lee, C., & Lin, C.-Y. (2017). Investigating quality of life and self-stigma in Hong Kong children with specific learning disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 68, 131–139. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2017.07.014

Kayama, M., & Haight, W. (2014). Disability and stigma: How Japanese educators help parents accept their children’s differences. Social Work, 59(1), 24–33. Disability and stigma: how Japanese educators help parents accept their children’s differences by Kayama, M., & Haight, W. in Social Work, 59(1), 24-33. Copyright 2014 by Oxford University Press – Journals. Reprinted by permission of Oxford University Press – Journals via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Powell, S. R., Seethaler, P. M., Cirino, P. T., & Fletcher, J. M. (2008). Intensive intervention for students with mathematics disabilities: Seven principles of effective practice. Learning Disability Quarterly: Journal of the Division for Children with Learning Disabilities, 31(2), 79–92.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.