What is LD?
LD is the acronym for Learning Disability. Most common are reading disability (dyslexia) and arithmetic disability (dyscalculia). Reading problems often co-exist with writing difficulties (e.g., English composition). One of my specialties is helping 1st year university students with reading/writing disability to pass their required English composition course.
How do you approach LD intervention?
We have a “Simple and Direct” philosophy to LD intervention.
We strive for a timely and non-obtrusive diagnosis for the client: Dr. Winnifred Tang can screen individuals for language-based learning disabilities in the comfort of her office where clients are made to feel at home. It is not necessary to wait for a long time to get a psycho-educational assessment before beginning Special Education Intervention. We fast-tract the entire diagnosis-intervention process to give LD children a better chance to catch up with their peers in school.
We design our intervention to suit the child. We emphasize that we do not sell packaged learning programs. The intervention designed by Dr. Winnifred Tang & Associates Learning Management Inc. is directed at the specific learning problems observed in the learner.
Is it harder for a dyslexic to learn a second language?
Yes, Chinese-speaking children learning English usually have more difficulties because English and Chinese are very different. One is an alphabetic language and the other is a non-alphabetic language.
Is it ever too late to start intervention?
Early identification and intervention is best. Intervention can take place at any age but the resources required for a student beginning treatment, say, at university age, will definitely be more.
Are you a School Psychologist or a Clinical Psychologist?
Dr. Winnifred Tang holds a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of British Columbia. She specialized in the diagnosis and intervention of dyslexia in her doctoral work. Dr. Tang focused on teaching academic reading and writing for ESL/EFL college students in her Master of Education degree; as such, she has an in-depth understanding on how non-native English speakers learn to read and write in English. This has helped her tremendously in her present work where she has to diagnose Learning Disabled ESL students who are dyslexic and not able to benefit from regular ESL instruction in school.
常見問題
什麼是LD?
LD (Learning Disability) 是學習障礙的簡稱，最常見的是誦讀困難症和計算困難症。閱讀問題通常與寫作困難並存(例如英文作文)，Dr. Tang 其中的一項專長便是幫助有寫作/閱讀問題的大學一年生通過英文作文測試。
你們對學障的治理有甚麼理念?
我們的宗旨是用簡直接的途徑來處理學習障礙。我們會儘快為學童提供最沒有威脅感的學障評估，初步的評估是由鄧博士在她的辦公室內進行，假如評估證實學童是有學障的話，我們可以即時安排治理，不須輪侯教育心理評估後才開始治理。這樣的安排能夠避免浪費學童寶貴的學習時間。
你們用甚麼途徑治理學習障礙？
治理主要包括兩方面：
1. 評估
一般來說，通過學校輪候接受教育心理學家的評估，需時大若一年半。及時適切的評估，找出問題所在，讓孩子早日接受幫助，至為重要；長遠來說，也為家長節省時間和金錢。
2. 治療
我們的目標是培養孩子建立主動和積極的學習態度，幫助曾經有負面經歷的學生重拾失去的信心。
- 把握孩子的學習問題重心及提供合宜的教導方法。
- 幫助孩子逐步掌握策略性解決問題的方法。
- 監察進展，隨時按需要調整教學的內容，以期達到最理想的效果。
經治療後，孩子會有甚麼改善？
治療後，孩子的閱讀及寫作的能力和技巧將得以加改善，應變能力提高，自信心增加，對各樣的學習更有興趣。
有閱讀障礙的學生會較難學習第二語言嗎？
是的，中文為母語的兒童學習英語時通常有更多的困難，因為英語和中文有很大的不同，一個是依賴於拼音的語言， 而另一個不是。
太遲治理的話，會否為時已晚呢？
早期識別和治理當然是最好的。在任何年齡都可以開始治理，但是如果在大學時代才開始治療的話，所需的資源一定會較多。
你是學校心理學家或臨床心理學家嗎？
鄧詠儀博士畢業於卑詩大學(UBC),專門研究讀寫困難症。在攻讀碩士學位期間,她主修英語為第二語言教學,針對加強大專學生的英文讀寫能力。因此,鄧博士對於以英語為第二語言的學生有深入的了解, 幫助她更有效的診斷有讀寫困難症的華人 ESL 學生。
你與其他特殊教育的專業人士有什麼不同之處呢？
我 堅持要走在學障教育的最前端，透過高科技的教學和學習工具，與時並進。在過去的一年裡，我參加了廣泛的專業發展，特別是怎樣去使用21世紀的電腦技術來輔 助教學和學習，因為如果我們能夠知道如何明智的使用技術，許多的學習問題都可以更容易得到解決。我每天不斷的跟進與教學相關的最新技術，並且在工作中堅持 使用高品質的電腦設備。
