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Article Excerpt
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to ascertain if teachers with dyslexia and dyscalculia perceive that their learning disabilities have affected their adult lives, including their teaching. It was found that dyslexia and dyscalculia were significantly correlated with effects upon teachers' daily routines, occupational choices and psychological health/emotions. Also, dyscalculia was significantly correlated with effects on social relationships.
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Individuals with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dyscalculia have strengths as well as weaknesses. Some research reports that problems that individuals face as a result of learning disabilities tend to lessen when compulsory schooling ends, and these children mature into well-adjusted, emotionally healthy adults (Bruck, 1986; Reiff & Gerber, 1995; Shaywitz, 2003). However, others find that their weaknesses are often all pervasive and affect multiple areas of life (Mortimore, 2003; Poussu-Olli, 2001; Reiff & Gerber, 1995; Shaywitz, 2003). Weakness in organization, using codes (verbal or mathematical), memory, sequencing, time concepts, directionality, and multi-tasking often make home life, social life, and school life frustrating (Mortimore, 2003; Shaywitz, 2003). Daily routines that come automatically to individuals without learning disabilities often demand close attention, inordinate amounts of time, and intense energy for people with learning disabilities (Ryan, 1994; Currie & Wadlington, 2002; Mortimore, 2003).
Many adults with dyslexia or dyscalculia may have been told all of their lives that they are hopeless. They also may have grown up in homes where other people were struggling with learning disabilities, so home life was chaotic. These conditions can lead to frustration, anger, alienation, and lack of self-esteem (Farmer, Riddick, Sterling, 2002; Mortimore, 2003; Shaywitz, 2003). Negative experiences can result in a self-perpetuating cycle of social failures and emotional problems that lead to more negative experiences (Mortimore, 2003; Reiff & Gerber, 1995). Conversely, some individuals report that they have used their negative experiences to motivate them to succeed. Unfortunately, even these successful adults may carry around emotional baggage from their early years (Reiff & Gerber, 1995; Shaywitz, 2003).
Frequently, adults indicate that their learning disabilities adversely affect their social relationships (Poussu-Olli, 2001; Reiff & Gerber, 1995; Shaywitz, 2003). Some adults indicate that they missed out on learning social skills because they were isolated in special education settings during childhood or were so busy dealing with their disabilities that they had no time for socializing. Other adults report that their weaknesses even now get in the way of normal social interactions.
Many times, adults find that their learning disabilities also affect vocational choice and success (Brown, 2000; Poussu-Olli, 2001; Farmer, Riddick, & Sterling, 2002; Reiff & Gerber, 1995). Individuals sometimes feel that they must attend vocational schools rather than college and that their job opportunities are limited (Brown, 2000; Poussu-Olli, 2001). They often feel anxious about courses and training needed for certain occupations (Brown, 2000; Farmer, Riddick, & Sterling, 2002; Heaton & Mitchell, 2001).
Approximately one-quarter of students with learning disabilities choose teaching as their occupation (Adelman & Vogel, 1993; Vogel & Adelman, 1997; Wertheim, Vogel, & Brulle, 1998). University students with disabilities sometimes choose education as their majors because they are familiar with the school environment and remember teachers who helped them learn and those who did not (Gerber, 1992; Gerber, Ginsberg, & Reiff, 1992; Vogel & Adelman, 1992; Wertheim, Vogel, & Brulle; 1998). Sometimes, future teachers choose a teaching specialty that allows them to avoid a weak area (e.g., if they are poor in mathematics, they teach English) (Vogel, 1997; Wadlington & Wadlington, 2006). University faculty are often concerned...
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