Nixon is an outspoken advocate for children with learning disabilities. He experienced this situation as his own daughter went through the school system. He urges parents to become familiar with their rights and aggressively assert them. The biggest mistake he sees is that parents ignore the problem and the child suffers in high school or college because their learning disability was never adequately addressed. He recommends diagnosing the problem early and treating it early.
Special assistance can make a difference.
If a LD child can't do the work, find out why and address the issues. Too often these problems are dealt with positively. Nixon believes that LD children should be mainstreamed unless they are working on a specific skill such as spelling, math or a developmentally specialized reading program. Classroom teachers need to be aware of the IEP and make allowances for exams, audiovisual materials and for the child's style of learning. Students should have the self-confidence to call their disability to the teacher's attention when necessary.