Classmate, let's talk about learning difficulties

Author: (USA) Portfield
Translator: Hong Mei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: Research on learning disabilities in foreign countries has been ongoing for over twenty years, while research on this issue in China has only just begun. For this reason, we can draw some inspiration from the various special services provided for individuals with learning disabilities in American society and the rights of those with learning disabilities as introduced in this book.
Excerpt: Learning disabilities and their causes Most learning does not take place in school, and it is important to understand this. In fact, long before we start school, we have already learned some of the most crucial lessons. For example, helpless newborn babies must rely on others to meet all their needs. They cannot sit, stand up, or move around. They cannot tell others what is wrong—whether they are hungry, in pain, or need a diaper change—and they cannot expect others to fulfill their needs. The only thing they can do is cry. However, this state of helplessness does not last long, because babies have an extraordinary ability to learn. Within six months, they learn to sit, then crawl, and soon after, they can stand with support. Around the age of one, they usually learn to stand on their own and then walk. Next, without realizing it, they begin to talk. As a joke, ask your parents if they remember the first words or sentences you spoke. I think you likely started speaking between ten and fifteen months old. Like other babies, your first words were probably names of people, your favorite toys, or common objects around the house that you could point to or hold. Then, you likely learned words for things that cannot be seen or touched, such as "come," "run," or "hungry." Within the first two or three months of starting to talk, the toddling baby quickly begins to form two-word sentences, such as "milk, please" or "where is the toy?" In the following months, the baby gradually understands and learns more words. This process of learning to communicate is called language development. Language development is not simply a natural physical growth process; it is also something acquired through learning. It is just one of the many skills that babies must learn. This learning is not as easy as we might think—it can almost be considered the baby's homework, and this homework is not easy. Language is made up of symbols, and words represent concrete things. For example, the word "cat" represents a four-legged small animal with fur, whiskers, and a tail, but the word "cat" itself is not the animal. Some words are more symbolic or abstract than others. It is difficult to draw pictures to illustrate words like "toward," "because," or "justice." So, how do children learn words with such abstract meanings? If the language you learn is different from the one you first learned as a child, you will understand how complex the process of learning to speak and understand others can be. To understand what others say and to make yourself understood...