[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 130 (Tuesday, October 17, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1808]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   RECOGNIZING NATIONAL LEARNING DISABILITIES MONTH AND THE NATIONAL 
                    CENTER FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ANNE M. NORTHUP

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 17, 2000

  Mrs. NORTHUP. Mr. Speaker, for millions of children with learning 
disabilities in this country, the future is brighter than any other 
time in this nation's history. That's because we know today what works 
for children learning to read. This is important because 90 percent of 
children with learning disabilities have difficulty with reading.
  Learning disabilities, or LD, are neurological disorders that affect 
people's ability to read, write, compute and participate fully in 
society. The good news is that if LD is identified early, before the 
age of nine, the majority of children can work up to their potential. 
Without early detection, the statistics are sobering.
  Thirty-five percent of students identified with learning disabilities 
drop out of high school.
  Fifty percent of juvenile delinquents tested were found to have 
undetected LD. When offered remedial services, their recidivism rates 
dropped to below 2 percent.
  According to the Office of the Inspector General, learning 
disabilities and substance abuse are the most common impediments to 
keeping welfare recipients from becoming and remaining employed.
  I have been working with learning disabilities issues in Congress for 
many years, from identifying educational needs, to calling for 
additional resources and promoting national policies that take into 
account the concerns of people with LD.
  Important progress has been achieved over the last two decades in 
identifying and treating children with learning disabilities. This is 
critical, because our nation is in the grip of a monumental and global 
change. As opposed to previous generations when the United States was 
primarily an agricultural and manufacturing-based country, our brave 
new world of technology has elevated information processing as a 
required skill in today's workers. And the future will only demand more 
information technology workers across every profession as the global 
community expands and competition for enterprise increases.
  This is why early identification of children with reading problems, 
and applying proven strategies to enable them to read, is fundamental 
to the future success of this great country's economy. More 
importantly, it is essential for the success of our children and our 
children's self esteem.
  Today, in recognition of National Learning Disabilities Month, the 
National Center for Learning Disabilities is launching a new initiative 
aimed at beginning readers. The ``Get Ready to Read'' program will 
assess the reading progress of children ages four to five. It will 
target those at risk for reading failure and provide enrichment 
activities to strengthen their skills. Parents, teachers, and 
pediatricians will be involved in creating a ``constellation of care'' 
around a child, effectively making sure that early on, before the cycle 
failure and defeat wreaks its damage, that the child is provided help. 
And you, no doubt, will hear from your constituents as this program 
progresses, because an important component of ``Get Ready to Read'' is 
for parents and others to keep their legislators apprised of issues 
affecting young children with reading problems.
  Reading is a basic building block in participating fully in society. 
In this country of opportunity and promise, we owe it to our children 
to make sure they learn to read, and read well. I applaud this effort 
by the National Center for Learning Disabilities to help our youngest 
Americans to hope, to learn and to succeed.

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