Richard Lavoie’s F.A.T. City (Frustration, Anxiety, and Tension) video models situations from the perspective of the LD, learning disabled, child. It is a great way to witness what a LD student experiences in class. Very revealing.
“This unique program allows viewers to experience the same frustration, anxiety and tension that children with learning disabilities face in their daily lives. Teachers, social workers, psychologists, parents and friends who have participated in Richard Lavoie’s workshop reflect upon their experience and the way it changed their approach to L.D. children. 1989.”
Signs of a Learning Disability
This is a list of common signs of a learning disability from The National Center for Learning Disabilities, www.ncld.org. If a student has difficulty with any of these topics, they may have a learning disability.
- Organization
- Knowing the time, date, and year
- Managing time
- Completing assignments
- Locating belongings
- Putting things in order
- Carrying out a plan
- Making decisions
- Setting priorities
- Spoken or Written Language
- Learning or pronouncing words
- Discriminating between sounds
- Relating or writing stories
- Understanding questions
- Responding to questions
- Following directions
- Reading comprehension
- Spelling
- Memory
- Remembering directions
- Learning math facts
- Learning new procedures
- Learning the alphabet
- Identifying letters
- Remembering names
- Remembering events
- * Studying for tests
- Physical Coordination
- Manipulating small objects
- Learning self-help skills
- Cutting
- Drawing
- Handwriting
- Climbing and running
- Mastering sports
- Attention and Concentration
- Completing a task
- Acting before thinking
- Waiting
- Restlessness
- Daydreaming
- Distractibility
- Carrying out requests
- Social Behavior
- Making and keeping friends
- Impulsive behavior
- Low frustration tolerance
- Sportsmanship
- Accepting changes in routine
- Interpreting nonverbal cues
- Working cooperatively
Supplementary Materials
- Richard Lavoie article about the F.A.T. City video content
- Follow up video
- Richard Lavoie: Beyond F.A.T. City (DVD)
- Richard Lavoie, creator of the original F.A.T. City Workshop, reviews the history & philosophy of the project, the major trends & issues in the field of learning disabilities since 1987, and the challenges ahead for parents & educators. - from the Richard Lavoie web site
