October is Learning Disability Awareness Month. During the month of October and throughout the year, our goal is to provide resources and connections, and to bring awareness and insight to the world around us about what learning disabilities are, and the impact they have on those impacted. Creating awareness, removing barriers, partnering with organizations, and increasing resources are only a small hope available allows people to feel empowered and that there is help available.
Did you know?
Did you know that 3.2% of children in Canada have a learning disability? Without proper help or treatment, this makes essential parts of life difficult. One in four Canadians live with a learning disability, according to Statistics Canada. This makes it very challenging when they are trying to complete their education and obtain jobs.
Learning Disabilities (LDs) are neurological disorders that impact the way a person processes information and can affect one or more areas of learning, such as:
- reading (dyslexia)
- written language (dysgraphia)
- mathematics (dyscalculia)
LDs may occur with other types of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Developmental language disorder (dysphasia)
- Developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia)
- Perceptual disorders that affect vision or audition
Learning Disability Association of Alberta
During LD Awareness Month LDAA (Learning Disability Association of Alberta) is a great resource for information, courses, and contacts to assist parents, educators, adults, and professionals on how to provide aid to various learning disabilities. Our Right to Read programs include multiple courses for educators which can be found on our website, under Educators. Courses include teaching foundational for literacy skills (TFLS), Literacy Essentials for Educational Assistants, and our Literacy Assessment Certificate (LAC) which includes the assessment of foundational reading skills , a screeners for deficits in fundamental reading skills: oral language, phonological skills, and skills involved in early reading.
Our current webinar series is targeted to parents and caregivers and is called ‘Supporting Children with Learning Disabilities’. Additional courses and webinar series are available including he series of 7 webinars will focus on Dyslexia & Strengthening the Lower Reading Rope.
We are continuously updating and offering more resources to ensure we reach our mission:
To support and empower people with learning disabilities, educators, professionals, and families, through education, collaboration, and advocacy.
Learning Disabilities Association of Canada
The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC) proudly announces the launch of the Canadian Faces of Learning Disabilities (CFOLD) survey. Led by a team of experienced Canadian researchers, in partnership with LDAC volunteers, the survey will provide valuable information as to the lived experiences of individuals in Canada who have a learning disability (LD), which is currently not available at this scale.
The CFOLD survey focuses on mental health impact, with questions also related to the workplace and education. Canadians who self-identify as LD and who are 18 or older are invited to learn more and complete the survey here. The bilingual survey will be open from October 1st to October 31st (Learning Disabilities Awareness Month) and takes about 5-10 minutes to complete.
Canadian Faces of Learning Disabilities (CFOLD) (office.com)
We hope that these will provide you with the resources and information to assist you on your learning path for what it means to have a Learning Disability and how to get the support you need. Feel free to share our post so that others learn more about what Learning Disability Awareness month is all about and where they can find information.
