A Comparison of Parent-Child Perceptions of Student Learning Disablities

Abstract

The perceptions of 80 learning disabled(LD) adolescents and their parents were compared in regard to the extent of their learning disablities, current levels of performance in academic and social areas, occupational status, social relationships, and problem academic cognitive, and social aspects of learning disablities persisted into adolescence with parents expressing much more concern about this negative impact. While the LD adolescents saw their skills as generally similar to those of other, parent ratings were significantly. According to the parents, their children were not likely to gradute from lower estimation of their children's social and problem solving skills. Reasons for these difference of opinion are discussed, and implications for improved parent-child communication, parent training, and family counseling are identified.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities . (1982). ACLD vocational committee completes survey on LD adults. ACLD News-briefs, No. 145, pp. 1, 5, 20-23.

Bryan, T. , & Pearl, R. (1982, March). Self perceptions: Achievement related behaviors and social interactions of LD children. paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York.

Bryan, T. , Pearl, R., Zimmerman, D. , & Matthews, F. (1982). Mothers' evaluations of their learning disabled children. Learning Disability Quarterly, 3, 65-72.

Deshler, D.D., Schumaker, J.B., Warner, M.M., Alley, G.R. , & Clark, F.L. (1980). An epi-demiological study of learning disabled adolescents in secondary schools: Social status, peer relationships, activities in and out of school, and time use (Research Report No. 18). Lawrence: University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.

Fafard, M.B. , & Haubrich, P.A. (1981). Vocational and social adjustment of LD young adults. Learning Disability Quarterly, 4, 122-130.

Kroth, R.L. (1985). Communicating with parents of exceptional children (2nd ed.) Denver, CO: Love.

McLoughlin, J.A. (1985). The families of children with disabilities. In W.H. Berdine & A.E. Black-hurst (eds.), An introduction to special education (2nd ed., pp. 617-659). Boston: Little, Brown.

Putnam, T. (1981). Post-secondary education for learning disabled students: A review of the literature. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(1), 68-75.

Schumaker, J.B., Deshler, D.D., Alley, C.R. , & Warner, M.M. (1980). An epidemiological study of learning disabled adolescents in secondary schools: The relationship of family factors to the condition of learning disabilities (Research Report No. 17). Lawrence: University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.

10.

Schumaker, J.B., Warner, M.M., Deshler, D.D. , & Alley, G.R. (1980). An epidemiological study of learning disabled adolescents in secondary schools: Details of the methodology (Research Report No. 12). Lawrence: University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.

11.

Stone, B.A. (1981). Self-concept of learning disabled children as related to parent expectancy/child performance discrepancies and socioeconomic status. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

12.

Vetter, A.A. (1983). A comparison of the characteristics of learning disabled and non-learning disabled young adults. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas, Lawrence.

13.

White, W.J., Deshler, D.D., Schumaker, J.B., Warner, M.M., Alley, G.R. , & Clark, F.L. (1983). The effects of learning disabilities on postschool adjustment. Journal of Rehabilitation, 49(1). 46-50.