by Jacob Fuhrer |
His kindergarten teacher kept him inside during recess to complete classwork everyone else had already finished. Basic writing assignments in grade school took the entire class period. Once, Nicolas Vavuris even wrote his entire name backward.
Vavuris knew from a young age that he was different from his classmates.
A 2012 study by the U.S. Department of Education found that about five percent of children nationwide have some type of learning difference, and four percent have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as well.
Learning Differences
It wasn’t until first grade that Vavuris was tested. The junior history major would later discover he had dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD.
“They’re all very intertwined,” Vavuris said. “Typically, when someone has one of those things, they probably have others.”
For Vavuris, the dysgraphia makes writing by hand a significant challenge.
“It causes me physical pain if I’m doing it for more than 10 minutes,” Vavuris said. “It doesn’t help that it’s already illegible.”
To cope with the problem, Vavuris is allowed to use a laptop in class to type notes and avoid the pain of writing by hand.
For a time, Vavuris took medication to help with ADHD, but didn’t experience enough benefits to continue with the medication. During elementary school, he sought the help of an occupational therapist to strengthen his fine motor skills as well as learn typing.
For Vavuris, there lies a challenge beyond the physical difficulties associated with reading and writing. It’s also psychological.
“I really enjoy learning about math … it just takes me a lot longer to do,” Vavuris said. “I’ve basically lived in every math class that I’ve ever taken.”
The concoction of learning differences made it difficult for Vavuris to keep up with his classmates and even more difficult to get the proper help.
Vavuris recalls kindergarten through third grade as some of the worst years because teachers simply didn’t understand challenges he faced. He said teachers often blamed his struggles on a poor attitude or a lack of determination to succeed.
At one point, his primary school wanted to hold Vavuris back for three years straight. It wasn’t until Vavuris’ mother, who is also dyslexic, had him tested that the school had no choice but to acknowledge his learning differences.
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - problems sitting still, staying focused, following instructions, staying organized and completing homework. Not considered a learning disability but may still disrupt learning.
Dyslexia: Problems reading, writing, spelling and speaking.
Dysgraphia: Problems with handwriting, spelling and organizing ideas.
Dyscalculia: Problems doing math, understanding time and using money.
Dysphasia: Problems understanding spoken language, poor reading comprehension.
Accessible Education Services
Nikolaas Strom, a sophomore theology major, specifically chose UP because of his impression of its programs for students with learning differences.
“(UP) has a good students with disabilities office,” Strom said. “The one here was by far the best that I talked to.”
Strom, who has been diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD, mostly struggles with finishing exams in the allotted amount of time.
To get help in this area, Strom turned to the Accessible Education Services (AES) on campus.
Melanie Gangle, program manager for AES, said the office serves students with all types of disabilities, including vision and hearing impairment, orthopedic impairment, brain injury and learning disabilities.
“The largest number of students that we service are students with learning disabilities,” Gangle said. “What our office does is to ensure that a student with a disability receives equal access to University programs and activities and also equal opportunity to learn and grow.”
When it came time for Vavuris to choose a college, he met with the AES office at each college and found he could get sufficient help from Gangle’s office at UP.
Gangle said students must be proactive to utilize the AES office and services. After initiating a request for accommodations with AES, students must provide documentation of their disability. Once approved, the student will meet with Gangle and receive a letter to take to professors.
Indeed, Vavuris says he takes extra precautions to let professors know about his learning differences.
“At the beginning of every class, I try to come up and introduce myself and disclose these things,” Vavuris said.
According to data gathered by AES, about five percent of students at UP are on active accommodation plans. That equals about 230 students, 50 of which are on plans for learning disabilities.
Because of the AES, Strom gets the extra time he needs to complete exams and also receives electronic versions of tests so the questions can be read aloud.
Gangle says her office can also coordinate alternative times and settings for exams to be proctored. Additionally, AES can find volunteer notetakers for students as well as provide e-textbooks.
Improvements on campus
For Vavuris, the biggest struggle is not his personal learning differences but the lack of knowledge about the issue.
“The message I would want to get out there is that these things exist,” Vavuris said. “I would like to see some kind of community get together so we can educate students and faculty.”
Vavuris, a resident in Christie Hall, organized a panel last fall of students with learning disabilities to educate other students.
“People do want to learn more about this and be better allies,” Vavuris said. “My event was very successful.”
Vavuris says education on a larger scale is necessary to make a significant difference.
Despite some progress, Vavuris still runs into occasional trouble with professors or acquaintances.
Vavuris recalls a time when someone believed they had a “cure” for his dysgraphia and blindfolded him to see if his writing would improve if he was unable to see what he wrote. Of course, Vavuris says, there is no single cure for dysgraphia but rather continuous adaptations and improvements.
“What I always tell students is a learning disability has nothing to do with intelligence,” Gangle said.
Gangle highlighted the fact that, by definition, everyone at UP must have completed the admissions process equally. She said it's not uncommon for very bright students to go through school undiagnosed with a learning difference because their intelligence may cover up whatever cognitive disadvantage they have.
Strom is pleased with the learning environment on campus, especially compared to other universities. Strom said, overall, faculty and staff are knowledgable and easy to approach about learning differences.
“To be really honest, I think UP does a fantastic job in general of supporting students,” Gangle said. “I think we can always do a better job.”
Jacob Fuhrer is a staff writer for The Beacon. He can be reached by email at fuhrer17@up.edu or on Twitter @jacobfuhrer.
