WT Leading New Research into Families of Children with Learning Disabilities

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Parents of children with learning disabilities are sought to take part in groundbreaking new research at West Texas A&M University.

Faculty members in WT’s Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences are leading new research into the experiences of families with children with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and speech and language disorder.

“This research is the first of its kind in the United States,” said Dr. Malvika Behl, associate professor, counselor education program chair and principal investigator for the project. “We’re trying to bring out awareness and help teachers, administrators, counselors and diagnosticians better understand the parents’ experience and see how they can be helped more.”

The project, “Lived Experience of Parents of Children with Specific Learning Disabilities,” is funded via a $2,500 Richard and Mary West Traylor Research Grant from WT’s Center for Learning Disabilities.

Behl is partnering with three colleagues from the Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences: Dr. Kenneth Denton, associate dean and associate professor of psychology; Dr. Betty Coneway, head of the WT Department of Education and the Geneva Schaeffer Professor of Education; and Dr. Mikyung Shin, the Bill Piehl Professor of Education.

The researchers are focusing on four common disorders that affect a person’s ability to read, write, do math and speak. They seek 33 families from across the United States to take part in interviews and an additional 33 families to complete surveys at wtamuuw.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3vHF8KnkwSEbtXM.

“When some parents go to the schools to get their children tested, they don’t even know exactly what learning disabilities are,” Behl said. “Often, they experience a lot of guilt: Is this something I gave my child? Did I do something wrong?

“If you’re advocating for your child, you want them to have all the resources that they can, but sometimes, you don’t know what those resources are,” Behl continued. “As we do our interviews, we’ll be asking parents what resources have and have not been helpful.”

They’ll also pay particular attention to how parents are coping with their child’s diagnosis.

“When you’re spending a lot of time focused on getting resources for your child, your own mental health sometimes takes a back seat,” Behl said.

That’s common, said Dr. Michelle Simmons, WT’s Lanna Hatton Professor of Learning Disabilities and director of the WT Center for Learning Disabilities.

“Parents of children with learning disabilities face many challenges and often frustration when seeking an evaluation to find out the educational needs of their child,” Simmons said. “This project will provide unique insight from the perspective of the parent and their personal experiences when seeking educational testing. Findings are expected to improve outcomes for families and better inform the evaluation process for students with learning disabilities.”

This study is an example of the impactful work done by WT as a Regional Research University, as laid out in the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $150 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: Dr. Malvika Behl, second from left, is leading research into parents of children with dyslexia and other disabilities after winning a Richard and Mary West Traylor Research Grant from West Texas A&M University's Center for Learning Disabilities. Also pictured are fellow researchers Dr. Mikyung Shin, Dr. Kenneth Denton and Dr. Betty Coneway.

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