Brenzy Solorzano, Salma Moreno, Jennifer Adame

Maria E. Hernandez, Franki Caudillo

Mrs. Rivas Gomez
English-1A
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Project # 3

Learning Disabilities
Only 19 percent of students with learning disabilities are enrolled in college
1

(http://www.usnews.com). Learning disabilities come from how the neurological part of the

brain it is structured differently affecting a person's ability to be able to receive, store, retrieve or
communicate information. Learning disability is caused by the consequences of the improper
growth in mind development of either before birth or maybe any traumatizing head injuries. It is
evident that the number of able students versus those who have a learning disability is highly
different.(www.NationalCenterforLearningDisability.org)2 There are many factors that contribute
to this huge equity gap between able students versus students with a learning disability at
community college. Some of these factors include lack of proper accessibility -such as up present
day technology-, awareness among faculty and students, lack of moral support, and neglect,
among others. These factors push students with a learning disability to either drop out or not
1http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2013/08/28/succeed-in-college-as-a-learningdisabled-student
2

even attempt to start college.It is important to mention that inequity can also be found with in the
learning diability community. What does this mean? This means that in most community
colleges, some learning disabilities receive more attention and support than others. Learning
disabilities come in many ways, therefore, each learning disability has its special needs. For
example, a student who has dyscalculia will need complete different attention than a student with
ADHD. This counter story will expose the reality that community colleges provide resources for
the most common learning disabilities but lack resources for the least common learning
disabilities.
In order to understand the information presented in this essay, we first need to know that
the top two disabilities that are most commonly found in community colleges, which are
Dyslexia and ADHD. It is interesting to note that 30% of people with Dyslexia also have at least
a mild form of ADHD3( www.Dyslexia Center of Utah.org ). ADHD is described as a chronic
condition that makes it difficult to sustain attention and include hyperactivity and impulsive
behavior.4( www.mayoclinic.org ) In America, the percentage of people with ADHD diagnosis
continues to increase from 7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007 and to 11.0% in 2011.5

3"Dyslexia." Dyslexia Center of Utah. N.p., 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.

4Mayo Clinic. "Attentio.n-deficient Hyperactivity Disorder." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.,
2014. Web. 2015

5"Data & Statistics." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 06 Jan. 2015. Web.
07 Apr. 2015.

ADHD by the Numbers

According to recent data from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention:
About 6.4 million children have
received an ADHD diagnosis at some
point.
ADHD diagnoses have increased 16
percent since 2007 and 53 percent in
the past decade.
Boys (13.2 percent) were more likely
than girls (5.6 percent) to have ever
been diagnosed with ADHD.
Rates of ADHD diagnosis increased
at a greater rate among older teens as
compared to younger children.
For more information about these data visit
cdc.gov/ncbddd/ADHD.

Dyslexia is a neurological learning disability, it creates difficulty with accurate and fluent
word recognition.6 (Journal of learning disabilities) In consequence, students with Dyslexia
struggle with poor spelling and poor reading comprehension. According to statistics on Dyslexia,
one in five students have a language based learning disability, placing Dyslexia as one of the
most common.7 (www.Understood.org) Commonly, when a student with a learning disability
6"Journal of Learning Disabilities." Journal of Learning Disabilities. N.p., 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.
7Lampkin, Emily. "Understood | For Learning and Attention Issues."Understood.org. N.p., 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.

first enrolls into college, it is ideal for them to be legitimately diagnosed before enrolling in order
to facilitate their enrolling process. However, most of the time that is not the case. Some of the
reasons why that may be is because students want a fresh start in college without the stigma
associated with a learning disability. Or they simply do not have the proper financial support. For
example, a former student at Pasadena Community college stated that she knew she had a
learning disability since middle school but did not receive the proper attention up until college
due to the fact that neither her medical insurance nor LAUSD covered the cost of her learning
disability8 (Lupe Sanchez). As a matter of fact, there is a visible pattern that shows that most
students at risk of reading failure happen to be in extreme poverty and have attended ineffective
k-12 schools.9 (www.ascd.org )
On the other hand, we have the less common learning disabilities. In this essay we will be
focusing in Dysgraphia and Non-Verbal Learning Disorder. Dysgraphia is a specific learning
disability in which the ability to express ourselves through written language is impaired. Simply
put, dysgraphia describes difficulty in writing. Dysgraphia is not the result of an intellectual
impairment, nor is it dependent upon your ability to read. Dysgraphia has the potential to cause
problems with spelling, organizing words on a page, and putting your thoughts on paper
10

(study.com). One of the least common disabilities is Non-Verbal learning disability (NVLD).

Research shows 1 in 100 people in the United States have NVLD. As far as Nonverbal Disability,
it is a disorder which is usually characterized by a significant discrepancy between higher verbal

8 Lupe Sanchez

9Jensen, Eric. "Membership." How Poverty Affects Behavior and Academic Performance. ASDC, 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.
10Williams, Yolanda. "What Is Dysgraphia-symptoms Treatment and Definition." Study.com. N.p., 2009. Web. 07 Apr. 2015

skills and weaker motor, visual-spatial and social skills 11(www.Idaamerica.org). Usually
individuals with nonverbal learning disability have trouble with math, processing auditory
information, and they cant visualize in social and academic situations, it is difficult to process
the whole setting. 12 (www. visualspatialresource.org) When it comes to having Dysgraphia the
symptoms that you will see in young adults would be
1.) Trouble in organizing thoughts on paper
2.) Difficulties with grammar and syntax structure
3.) Difficulties to understanding written ideas demonstrated through speech
4.) Trouble in keeping track of thoughts that have already been written down.

(healthsearch funding)13
Whether the students learning disabilities are common or not, students always face
difficulties such as accessibility, neglection, and even shame. Students are often afraid to expose
their learning disabilities; they tend to be quiet in their classes and they avoid their teachers and
classmates.The results of a study show the students did relate issues regarding adequate quiet
testing facilities, lack of understanding by some professors, and unwillingness of some
professors to allow extra time on test.14(Students with Learning Disabilities in the Community
College: Their Goals, Issues, Challenges and Successes) Students with learning disabilities often
11

12

13"Health and Wellness Blog Magazine - HRF." HRF. N.p., 14 Nov. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2015
14Mccleary, Jones. "Students with Learning Disabilities in the Community College: Their Goals, Issues, Challenges and
Successes." Students with Learning Disabilities in the Community College: Their Goals, Issues, Challenges and Successes.
Shareoke.org, 2007. Web. 07 Apr. 2015

suffer from low self esteem and set low expectations for themselves, in doing so they also don't
have many friends and are not able to relate to their peers. 15It increases their chances of
dropping out higher than any other student due to the fact they feel so left out and bad about
themselves for not being able to succeed as easily as the others. By doing so, they struggle to
excel academically because they do not have much guidance as to what to do in their
assignments, projects, etc. Its is proven that most students who are neglected or ashamed to
expose their learning disability will actually end up dropping out of college due to the frustration
and stress in not succeeding or understanding the class materials. A main reason for a student
with LD to drop out of college was the fact of the price to be able to accomadate. ()Though there
is a high percentage of students with LD that drop out because there wasn't any good
accommodations or no one was there to be able to give them the right information in how to
help them. Out of 86% of students with LD that are enrolled in college only 26% receive help to
continue their education.
Our narrator for this counter story, Anna Torres, is a student researcher from UCLA
working in a project towards her thesis. She will be leading her research at Evergreen
Community College. The purpose of her research is to: 1) find what resources are available for
students with learning disabilities 2) find out what resources Evergreen Community College need
to improve the accessibility for students with learning disabilities 3) investigate what type of
environment Evergreen Community College builds for students with learning disabilities.
Through her research, Anna finds out that Evergreen Community College provides resources for
the most common learning disabilities but lack resources for the least common learning
disabilities.
15

Fall-Semester:
Annas Investigation Day One: Professor Martinez first day of English class.
I walked into the classroom and carefully set up my computer. I quietly sat in the back
row; I did not want to earn too much attention from the class. Professor Martinez walked into the
classroom and one of the students bumped into him, embarrassed, he sat down. I thought to
myself, What a way to start your first day of class, young man. The instructor apologized to
the student and continued towards his desk as well. The professor was tall and wore eyeglasses.
He was wearing a golf hat, pastel blue shirt, and dark blue denim jeans. He left his suitcase on
his desk, and with a radiant smile greeted his class, Good morning my name is Professor
Martinez, I will be your English teacher this semester. He then proceeded to give his students an
ice breaker activity so that they could interact with one another and get a chance to introduce
themselves. At first, most of the students were very shy, but as the activity went on the noise
level elevated and soon enough the students were laughing and familiarizing with one another.
After the ice breaker, the professor used the last 30 minutes of class to go over the syllabus. I
remembered that previously on my research, I read an article about the importance of teachers
implementing in their syllabus the support available for students with disabilities; I paid extra
attention to Martinez procedure of delivering that information in his syllabus as well as the
students reactions.16 (disability.unt.ed) Martinez read off his syllabus, Students with disabilities,
if you need accommodations, please let me know privately asap.17 (Rivas syllabus) He looked
away from the syllabus and said, I cant stress enough the importance of this, I can only help you
if I know you need help, so do not hesitate to ask. The faster the better! With that said, class is
16

17

dismissed. See you next Wednesday. I looked around the room, not many students seemed to
have paid attention since they were busy packing up their things, however, a few students looked
embarrassed.
Annas Investigation Day One: Professor Levis first day of History class
While on my way to the next class, I came across Professor Levi, Hi Anna, how are
you? How is that research coming along? he asked. It is looking good; I have gathered relevant
information to get me started, I replied. Excellent! come on in, said Levi, as he opened the
classrooms door. Levi started by introducing himself to the class and asked the students to do
the same. The professor proceeded to reviewing the class syllabus. Unlike Martinez, Levi did not
mention anything about the support offered by Evergreen College for students with disabilities.
After the class introductions, Levi introduced the required materials for his class, and lastly, he
dismissed the class. Marissa Mondragon and Michelle Love approached Mr. Levi, who seemed
to be in a rush to get out of the classroom. As he proceeded on his way out the classroom, he was
asking the students what can I do for you? Marissa and Michelle, were walking behind Levi;
Marissa said, I need an appointment with you. Without even making eye contact Levi replied,
send me an email. How about you Michelle? I need to speak to you too, said Michelle.
Again, Levi told Michelle to send him an email as he had told Marissa. The two girls looked at
each other and grimaced as they left.
Annas Investigation Day two: Levis History Class
A few days had passed and neither Michelle nor Marissa had been able to meet with Mr.
Levi after class. As they were walking into class, I overheard Michelle telling Marissa how
frustrated she was because Mr.Levi wouldn't give her the extra support she needed because of her
Dysgraphia. Marissa mentioned that she was stressing out about that days quiz; she mentioned

that her ADHD did not allow her to concentrate, write the proper notes, or even understand the
material. 18(Health Research.org)
Professor Levi rushed in arriving five minutes late. As he settled down he began to say,
Hello students, welcome back! Are you guys ready for todays quiz? Its short and easy. If you
studied enough you will find this it very easy. Marissa looked very anxious in her desk and
began to tap her pencil on her desk nervously. Ive learned that college students with ADHD
seem to be at risk for lower achievement scores, poor academic coping skills in general but
especially in writing. 19(ADHD: in College Students; Developmental Findings) Professor
Martinez proceeded to say, As soon as all desks are cleared I will hand out the quiz, once you
have the quiz on your desk you must begin. Once everything was set for the quiz, the students
began and the class got very quiet, except you could hear Marissa tapping her pencil on her
desk

Marissa on Quiz Day

What is this? I cannot remember anything on this paper. What if I just walk out? Okay,
maybe Im exaggerating, I cant blame everything on my ADHD... What am I talking about?
Professor Levi needs to help me but he is making it harder for me to handle my disability. Anna
keeps staring at me can she tell I don't know a thing on this quiz? I need to get out. I need to
get out. I need to get out. Thats it, I have to go.

18Health and Wellness Blog Magazine - HRF." HRF. N.p., 14 Nov. 2013. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.
19ADHD in College Students; Developmental Findings." (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 6 Apr. 15.

I cant believe I walked out. This is my first quiz and I blew it. Damn it. What do I do
now?.... Well, I might as well pay a visit to the DSPS office here at Evergreen College, maybe
they can offer more help than Levi can...
Annas Investigation Day two: 3:00 P.M. At the DSPS Office
Although I was running short on time today, I had to make a quick visit to the DSPS
office here at Evergreen College for my investigation. As a coincidence, I bumped into Marissa,
who had walked out of Levis Class in the middle of the test. I greeted her, Hello Marissa! Im
glad to see that you are okay. I was worried after you walked out today. A bit embarrassed
Marissa answered, My ADHD got the best of me. Ive been trying to communicate to Levi
about my learning disability but it doesnt seem like he wants to help, so I decided to come here
and see what I can do. I told Marissa, I'm very sorry about your situation, but at the same time
I am glad you took the initiative to look for help! I can probably help you find some information
as I also do my research for my project. Marissa agreed. That day we found out that ADHD is a
chronic condition that affects millions of children and often persists into adulthood. We
discovered that approximately 11% of children ages from 4-17 (6.4 million) have diagnosed
with ADHD as of 2011. We also learned that males (13.2%) are more likely than females (5.6%)
to have been diagnosed with ADHD.20 (www.central disease.org)We are told that because of her
ADHD she needs to have meetings with the professor so the professor can tell her step by step
assignments and break down projects for her so she won't get overwhelmed. She also needs to
get a personal tutor to simplify the lessons with just the main ideas to help her succeed 21(

20Central Desiese .org

21Ross W. Greene, Sara K. Beszterczey, Tai Katzenstien, Kenneth Park, and Jennifer Goring. Are students with ADHD more
stressful to teach. Patterns of teacher stress in Elementary school sample. Web. Ebsco. Summer 2005

).

Annas Investigation: Day Two at Professor Martinez English Class

Professor Martinez introduces to his class their very first big assignment. He explains that
he wants to assess the students writing skills, and requests his pupils to write an in-class
Personal Literature Narrative. All students, except Adam Gonzalez and Lewis Johnson, the
student who bumped into Mr. Martinez, got to work on their essays right away. Professor
Martinez approached Adam and silently asked, Do you have any questions for me? Adam
said, ah?...no um I am trying to recall about my literature experiences, thats all. A little
after that, Professor Martinez approached Lewis and spoke to him on a really low voice, How
about you, do you have any questions for me? Lewis He looked at Martinez and smiled
nervously as he shook his head with embarrassment. Martinez waited for a few seconds by
Lewis desk but proceeded to keep walking around the class till he got to his desk. Towards the
end of class all students had turned in her essays except Adam and Lewis; Martinez announced
that time was up and collected both their essays.
Lastly, Martinez went over the homework and dismissed the class. He sat down and
started scanning the essays. He looked concern and I asked him, Is everything okay? He said,
Im just a little worried about two of my students, he continued, Adam did not write much,
and misspelled quite few words on his essay. As for Lewis, all he wrote on the page was his
name. I told professor Martinez, I too have been observing both Adam and Lewis behavior; I
dont want to jump into conclusions but, what if they have a learning disorder? Martinez said.
Well, youre definitely right, lets not make premature assumptions. After all, this is the first big
assignment Ive given them so far. However, on our next class, I will encourage students once

more to come see me if they know they need special accommodations. Sounds like a good
idea I said.
Annas Investigation Day Three: Martinez English Class
On day three of my investigation I stayed after class to talk to Professor Martinez. I
noticed that Adam stayed after as well to talk to Professor Martinez. I over heard Adam say, ...
Ive been meaning to tell you about my learning disability, I am dyslexic, but I didnt know how
to approach you. Im glad you made an announcement after class about the extra support for
disabled students! I struggled so much to write my first essay, I want to pass your class but my
disability is really getting on the way. As soon as Adam mentioned dyslexia, I remembered
reading an article about that said that people with dyslexia have difficulty with word decoding,
fluency, rate of reading, rhyming, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension and written expression.
22

(ncld.org) Also people with dyslexia around 33-43% of dyslexic readers will have a history of

dyslexia in their family.(health researchfunding.org)23

. Martinez then said, I'm glad you came to talk to me, that is step one to passing this
class. How about we set an appointment right now to see what we can do to help you? Adam
replied Sounds good, I appreciate your support Id just like to ask you for a last favor. he
added, Id like to ask you to be very discreet about my learning disability; I dont want anyone to
find out and feel pity for me, or make fun of me. he continued, When I was in elementary
school, my teacher sent me to a class with the handicap students; this made it easier for the
regular students to know I had a disability. They used to call me retard. I felt humiliated; I
really felt dumb and different from all the other students. Sometimes, I would ditch classes
22

23"Council for Learning Disabilities." Journal of Learning Disabilities 14.7 (1981): 424. 2014. Web. 4 Apr. 2015.

because I did not want to deal with the bullying from the students in regular classes (Nancy
Carpenter). Mr. Martinez nodded, Well, thank you very much for trusting me in letting me
know about your disability. I will do what I can to help you and make things easier for you in the
classroom. Adam thanked professor Martinez once more, made an appointment, and left.
Im glad to have seen Adam approach you! I told professor Martinez. He answered, I
am too. Now I am only concerned about Lewis, he seems to be avoiding not only me but his
peers. I am going to approach him after class for my next session. As of now, I'm going to search
a little more on learning disabilities and later head over to the DSPS to learn to how I can help
my students. I am glad to see that Professor Martinez is making a big effort to help his students.
I decided that perhaps with my research I can help not only Adam and Lewis from Martinez
class but also Michelles and Marissa from Professor Levis class as well. That day I went home
and began to do more and more research.
Annas Research
When I got home I began to look for databases, articles, scholarly journals, about
learning disabilities. I found out that learning disabilities arise from neurological differences in
brain structures and function that can affect the way a person's ability to receive, store, process,
retrieve or communicate information(NCLD.org)24 Many people who go undiagnosed in
learning disability can go on struggling for the rest of their life. When it comes to statistics 3050% of Americans have undiagnosed learning disability.Those with learning disabilities whether
they are diagnosed or not 20% of students with learning disabilities drop out of highschool vs.
the national average of 8% which makes it a less percent amount of those to enter college and
succeed without dropping out of college. (health research funding .org) I looked up some
24"DARC Is Closing." Dyslexia Awareness Resource Center of Santa Barbara, California. N.p., 2014. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.

research about all the different learning disabilities that these students are going through and I
learned that most people (91 percent) are familiar with dyslexia and two-thirds of people do not
know what Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, and Dyspraxia are. The college completion rate for young
adults with LD is 41% compared to the 52% in the general population.(NCLD.org)
probably about neglection and how that causes students to drop out? since she over heard adam
talking about his shame because of his disability.
Professor Martinez Research
Today after class I discovered that one of my students has Dyslexia, therefore I decided to
do some research about that learning disability. I learned that having Dyslexia means having a
learning disorder that makes it difficult for one to read because the brain cannot fully
comprehend the letters in context. Making it not only confusing to read, but difficult to write
essays or even do math. One in five students or 15-20% has a language base learning
disability(Dyslexia center.org ). Dyslexia is the most common in the language based learning
disability. There are a variation of dyslexia , there is Trauma Dyslexia that happens after some
form of brain trauma that affects the side that allows you to have to ability to read and write.
There is Primary Dyslexia is one that is mainly passed down from past family generations this is
when the left side of the brain does not grow therefore students reading skills never grow and get
past around a fourth grade level making the rest of the years quite difficult. The 3rd type is
Hormonal Dyslexia or secondary dyslexia which it cause by improper growth while a fetus
though this can change a little once you get older.(Understanding learning Disabilities ) The best
way to help a student with Dyslexia is to be able to give the student extra time on assignments
and especially while taking test. Also while taking the test its best to give a sheet of the letters
and lines for the student to look at to make sure their writing the words correctly.When giving

worksheets and homework assignments simplify the wording and make it short. After reading
this, I decided I needed to visit the DSPS to help me make learning and testing more accessible
to Adam so that he can succeed in my class.
Martinez Visit to the DSPS
I realized that its been a while since I last visited the DSPS office. As I entered I noticed
a bulletin board that stated Disabled students that are 18 and over are covered by ADA and
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 I wondered, what is the ADA? I approached the
front desk secretary so that I could find out what the ADA, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
were, among other things. The front desk secretary told me that the ADA (The American with
Disabilities Act) protects disabled students from discrimination, in other words, it is an antidiscrimination law. Thanks to ADA, students with disabilities can now attend college (Hamblet).
Also thanks to the Section 504 because it also protects qualified individuals with disabilities.
(hhs.gov) She explained, The ADA mandates that places of public accommodation must
provide protection from discrimination for and access to reasonable accommodations for
otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities. I then thought, what reasonable
accommodations means varies from class to class and person to person. What is reasonable for a
student in a course may or may not be reasonable for another student in that same course, or for a
student with the same disability in a different class (Cory). She answered a reasonable
accommodation is based on what one can qualify based on their needs of their disability.
I then asked her what was the enrollment procedure for a student with a disability here at
Evergreen Community College. I was surprised at the fact that the secretary did not know the
answer to this question; she referred to the schools website and read off the screen, The
student is first required to submit documentation to the Disability Service Department regarding

their particular disability from a medical doctor or other qualified professional depending on the
disability. Adult students may have testing done at local universities for a limited cost, or by a
private psychologist who charge considerably more. Higher education institutions may pick up
the cost of testing if they chose to refute an evaluation report submitted by the student, but no
law requires this. ( McCleary) I also asked her about the diagnosis procedure. The front desk
secretary explained that a student went through a back to back testing process. after being
diagnosed, they were assigned to a counselor that would help them create their very own IEP
(Individual educational plan and Educational plan. Along with that, students could also be linked
to other resources such as tutoring to help them succeed in their classes.
Although I received some information, I felt that DSPS was very vague in offering
support to students, specially the ones with less common disabilities. I recall asking, What is the
percentage of young adults completing college? They answered We dont exactly know but you
can look online to find your answer I researched information and found out that the completion
rate for young adults is 41 percent compared to 52 percent of the general population. After I
asked what type of resources do you provide, for example, tutoring? She replied, We do not
provide tutoring but they provide a specialist which helps you choose classes. I reliazed they
did not offer many services so decided I would investigate on how I can start a club to help not
only Adam and Lewis, but many other students with learning disabilities who desperately need
the extra support to pass their classes. Im sure Anna will be willing to help me in this project
because it will help her with her research as well.
Annas Investigation Day Four: Professor Levis History Class
Todays class was not different than any other day. Levi greets the students, starts the
power point, students take notes. As always, Marissa cannot stay still, she either makes noise

with her pencil or she is shaking her leg. As of Michelle, she doesn't even bother to even open
her notebook to take notes. I am eager to talk to both Marissa and Michelle today after class to
invite them to the club that Professor Martinez will soon be hosting to give students with
learning disabilities the extra support that they need.
The class is finally over and I approach both Michelle and Marissa. I tell them, Hello
ladies, Ive been willing to talk to you. As you may know, I am conducting a research on learning
disabilities here in your community college. both students listen quietly as I continue, Im sorry
to admit that last time I overheard your conversation about how Levi is not providing the proper
support you need because of your disabilities. Which is why I would like to invite you both to a
club that another professor is hosting where he plans to offer students with learning disabilities
the extra support they need through workshops, resources, counseling, and more.
Michelle and Marissa looked at each other as if they didn't know what to say. Michelle
finally said, I appreciate your concern. But at this point I feel hopeless, Im actually considering
on dropping most my courses because everything is too much for me. Ive gone to the DSPS
office and they did not even know what Dysgraphia ment, how then would they even offer me
the support I need? I told Michelle, I'm very sorry Michelle, I understand you must be very
frustrated, but you can't give up just like that. How about you give this club a try? Well try our
best to see how we can help you with your Dysgraphia. Both Students remained quiet. So I said,
You guys don't have to answer me now. Id just like to let you know that the first meeting will
take place on Wednesday in room A103 at 1:00 p.m., I really hope to see you guys there.

Annas Investigation Day Four: Professor Martinez English Class

Im sure that by now Martinez has already told Adam and Lewis about the club; I cant
wait for the end of class to see if they will be joining us. However, class has started and Lewis
desk is empty. Martinez and I make eye contact and Martinez shakes his head; I wondered what
happened to Lewis. When class ended, Adam, professor Martinez, and I stayed. I greeted both of
them and asked professor Martinez if he knew anything about Lewis. Martinez said, I sent an
email to all of my students telling them about the club. Lewis replied and told me he was no
longer coming back to school, that Evergreen Community College, and maybe even College in
general was not a place for students like him, with a Verbal Learning disability. I could not
believe what I was hearing. Adam then said, I encouraged him to go to the DSPS office so that
we could find out more about his disability but he was very discouraged when he found out that
very little support was offered to Non-Verbal disabled students, not to mention the long waiting
list to even get the process started (Lupe Sanchez)25. That is horrible. I remembered reading in
an article that one of the main reasons why students with disabilities drop out is because they
dont have the proper support.I wish Lewis would've stayed longer so that the club could help
him with his disability. By now I am noticing a pattern through my research, I can see that
students with more common learning disabilities get more support than those student with least
common learning disabilities. I only hope that Michelle from Levis class does not choose to
drop out as well.
Annas Investigation: First LD Club Meeting
It is 1:09 p.m. and Im beginning to get a little nervous if not discouraged because so far only
Adam and Professor Martinez are here for our first club meeting. I dont understand; we send
emails, we posted fliers, everywhere, we reached out to people, where is everyone? My thoughts
25

were interrupted when Marissa and Michelle walked through the door. Hello! Im so glad you
guys made it! I said. Marissa smiled and Michelle said, thank you for inviting us, it took some
convincing but Marissa finally talked me into showing up. Everyone giggled. It was 1:20 when
we had finally finished introducing one another when the door opened again and Lewis walked
in. He awkwardly stood by the door and said, please excuse my tardiness, I had a hard time
finding the room. Everyone welcomed him and little by little everyone began to feel
comfortable with one another. After introductions we we had everyone give a little feedback on
what they knew about their learning disabilities. Lewis shared, It is very difficult for me to talk
most of the time.. He took a long pause, then continued, I get very nervous and get anxiety
attacks. his voice began to crack as he tried to explain, Im sorry I just cant talk in front of
people. I feel like everyone is staring and then my mind goes blank..)He continued, When my
parents found out that I had a non-verbal disability they looked for help everywhere, but not
much was found. I am frustrated. He took another long pause to calm down, he was shaking. I
had decided to drop out after I went to the DSPS only to find out the same thing, there wasnt
enough help for people like me. That is the reason why I am here, in hope that you guys will give
me the support I need to stay in college.. After hearing Lewis story I committed myself to do
all the research possible to help every student in this club.

Annas Reflections About Her Investigation

My purpose of my research at Evergreen Community College was to find out the
following three: 1) find what resources are available for students with learning disabilities 2) find
out what resources Evergreen Community College need to improve the accessibility for students
with learning disabilities 3) investigate what type of environment Evergreen Community College

builds for students with learning disabilities. Through my research and the personal testimonies
from students with learning disabilities Ive found out the following:
Evergreen Community College provides resources for the most common learning
disabilities but lack resources for the least common learning disabilities.
Students who are discriminated against or neglected because of their learning disability
commonly end up dropping out
DSPS is very vague in offering proper accessibility to students with least common
learning disabilities
Evergreen Community College as well as its staff need to be more aware of disabled
students needs.
Annas Investigation: Final LD Club Meeting of Fall Semester

Its not even 1:00 p.m. yet and the room is already filled with most students from
our LD club meeting. I have a mixture of emotions; it makes me glad to see that
the club has grown immensely in a matter of weeks. However, it saddens me to
know that this is the last time I will see these wonderful students because I am now
done with my investigation. I am also worried whether most of the students in this
room will make it to the finish line. Even after the club was created, there are still
some students -typically the ones with less common learning disabilities- that have
a hard time finding the proper resources in order to succeed in their classes. Ive
seen students like Lewis go through so many struggles of neglect, discrimination,
depression, and more just to get to where he is and it truly saddens me. I hope this
club continues to offer the proper support to these students in order for them to
continue on, despite the obstacles just like Lewis has done.Hopefully in the future
they learn that what they should look for when it comes to getting help is Ask if

the college has a specific program available to help with disabilities, and whether it
is monitored by a full-time staff. These students should always remember that
when it comes for seeking help
Inquire as to whether there are staff members available to council LD students
through the registration, orientation and course selection process.
Find out which specific courses offering tutoring services and whether the tutoring
is automatic or requires a student's request for assistance.
Ask whether staff or students provide the tutoring services for students with
learning disabilities and if the tutors receive special training in working with
learning disabilities.
Research the type of attitude the college staff has towards students with learning
disabilities.
As it is said Learning disabilities are not a prescription for failure. With the right kinds of
instruction, guidance and support, there are no limits to what individuals with LD can achieve.
(www.NCLD.org) 26

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