Learning Disabilities & the Writing Center

I just finished reading Julie Neff’s essay about students with learning disabilities.  I think this essay is really intriguing and addresses a new kind of writing center scenario that I have never previously considered.  Sadly, when I first read the title “Learning Disabilities…” my mind immediately thought about intellectually disabled individuals-those with severe social and academic difficulties.  I don’t know why, and I’m certainly not proud to admit this thought process, but I think honesty is important.  I believe this flaw in my thoughts demonstrates how easy it is to forget that some individuals struggle with common writing tasks- generating thoughts and writing lengthy papers. 

Moreover, I was intrigued by two aspects of this essay: the dialogue between advisor and student, and the metaphor of the wheel-chair student.  I thought the conversation between the writing advisor and David, was very inspirational and certainly positive in nature.  I liked the way the advisor accommodated the writer’s needs and strategically came up with a way to help David brainstorm.  However, I question whether or not the advisor was overly encouraging.  He used strong phrases like, “This is going to be a wonderful paper” and “you have really good ideas.”  I’m curious to see what you guys think because I feel like these comments similar to what I would say, being overly nice, but we have been warned against using such strong language.  What are your ideas?  Is this case an exception because David, in the example dialogue, has a learning disability?

I previously mentioned that I enjoyed the metaphor that Neff uses to compare the wheel-chair student to an individual with a learning disability.  The author writes:

“Wheelchair-bound students can get to the third floor, but they may not be able to take the stairs.  Their only routes are the elevator or the ramp.   It’s not that students with a learning disability can’t get it, it’s that they can’t get it the same way the normal learner can” (260).

After reading this passage, I felt inspired to work with a student that has a learning disability.  I think the idea of having to alter your tutoring strategy based on the writer is such an important skill- one that I would like to be able to implement.  The fact that this idea is present in Anne DiPardo’s and Steve Sherwood’s essay solidifies the importance of being strategically flexible.  We’ve learned to be artists within a session, improvising and addressing the writer’s needs on a case-by-case basis.  We’ve also learned to consider cultural diversity when tutoring.  Now, we must be able to recognize and properly address the needs of an individual with a learning disability.