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CalWORKs Social
Services Case Managers Edition
Winter 2001-2002. Vol. 2#3
Invisible
Disabilities Can Trip CalWORKs
Clients, Too. Since
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, there has
been a concerted effort to make "reasonable accommodations ...meaning
modifications or adjustments... that enable a qualified individual with
disability to perform the essential functions (of the job or
activity)." (ADA regulation, Section 1630.2(o)) Many
such accommodations have been highly visible (wheel chairs ramps), and
others less visible (tactile and voice activated technology). Unfortunately,
these efforts address only those visible -or "overt"-handicaps
that have been diagnosed. There is another category of invisible or"
non-overt" disabilities that also occur in the welfare populations,
including CalWORKs clients. According to a report issued at the May 10-12
Welfare-to-Work/TANK/ Disabilities Meeting, the "non-overt"
disabilities found in welfare populations share several common factors,
including:
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They are not well
understood by most welfare, literacy and job-training programs, nor
the general public.
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the diagnoses of the
disorders are difficult, and often it is not clear where to make the
distinction between the issue being a "disability" or
something else such as a person being a "slow learner" or
having a "lack of control."
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The disorders are not
easily addressed with quick or obvious interventions.
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The disability often
impacts both "social skill" and "technical
skills."
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They were not seen as
disability or civil rights issues.
A learning disability is one
such "non-overt" disability, which is afforded the same civil
rights protection as a person with any other diagnosed disability under
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 /Section 504; Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA 1990/97) (Formerly Public Law 94-142), the Americans
with Disabilities Act 1990, and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998/Sec.
188.
And an undiagnosed learning
disability can be a virtually insurmountable barrier to success in the
Welfare-to-Work Program, with its strict timeline for achieving
employment.
Fortunately, the CalWORKs
program offers a number of resources through Santa Ana College to diagnose
such learning disabilities, and then to help CalWORKs clients gain fuller
access to achieving economic independence. This is the goal which
President George H. Bush identified on June 20, 2001 in his remarks at
Summit on the 21st Century Work Force:
"Until fairly recently,
many Americans have never known paydays at all, nor the other rewards that
work brings. They have been denied jobs on account of a disability. ...We
must speed up the day when the last barrier has been removed to full and
independent lives for every American, with or without disability."
This issue of Guidepost
focuses on the ways in which Santa Ana College can help diagnose CalWORKs
clients with learning disabilities, and help them gain the tools they need
to succeed. Main
Page
Take
a Closer Look at Clients Not Working Up to Potential According
to California Community College Title V, a learning disability is "a
persistent condition of presumed neurological dysfunction, and this
dysfunction continues despite instruction in standard classroom
situations." The story related by the
student interviewed in this issue is an excellent example of how her
dysfunction continued in standard classroom situations. Yet she was
bright, capable, ambitious and industrious. She had a desire to succeed,
but something stood in her way.
According to Mary Kobane,
a Learning disabilities specialist at Santa Ana College, in order to receive accommodations for a learning disability,
students must meet
eligibility guidelines in four different areas: 1. Must show measured
achievement in an instructional or employment setting according to an
established set of criteria; 2. Have average to above-average intellectual
ability; 3. Have a severe processing deficit; 4. Have a severe
aptitude-achievement discrepancy.
Only through testing can
reveal learning disabilities, once the evaluation is completed, there is
help, and hope.
Accommodations for students
attending Santa Ana College are based on each student's educational
limitations. These include tools ranging from calculations, word
processors and alternative text-format equipment such as recording for
those with dyslexia to specialized tutoring in subjects like English and
math. Some students may require oral or taped exams, extended time for
test-taking, or a distraction- reduced setting.
But it is older clients who
may be most at risk of laboring under the handicap of an undiagnosed
learning disability. Mary explains, 'In 1975 a federal law was passed that
required us to test children in grades kindergarten through twelve. So
most students who have gone through the public education system since then
have been thoroughly tested. But before that, we didn't know much about
learning disabilities, and testing for them was not mandatory, so older
clients may have undiagnosed learning disabilities.
"A person who has been
chronically unemployed certainly should be test, because learning
disabilities affect not only reading and writing skills but can also
impact attention, concentration, planning and organization, social skills
and living/working skills."
If you have a client who is
consistently unsuccessful in workplace, you may want to determine whether
the client has been tested for learning disabilities. If such testing has
not been done, or the results are unavailable or inconclusive, and the
client is interested in pursuing further education, then a learning
disability assessment can be arranged.
The process includes an
initial screening with one of the College's program specialists. At this
intake screening appointment, the program specialist will discuss the
client's educational and medical background to identify possible areas of
concern. Then, two appointments will be scheduled for testing-one for
intellectual functioning and the other for achievement testing.
After the results of these
tests are reviewed by a learning disability specialist, a fourth
appointment will be scheduled to review the results may also be shared
with the case worker in order to incorporate the in information into the
client's individual training plan.
'Our goal is to help case
workers facilitate good outcomes for their client's," Mary explains.
To make an appointment
for CalWORKs assessment or for further information, please call: Veronica
Duenas (714) 564-5782
For Information about
RSCCD's CAlWORKs students, please call: Eileen Granosky (714)
564-6157 Main
Page
Getting
to the Breakthrough
While effort and motivation
are critical factors in achieving success in school, and in life,
sometimes they aren't enough. Charlene Wilhovsky, Ph.D., is
a licensed psychologist who has been working in the field or learning
disabilities for about 30 years. For the past 12 years she has been at
Santa Ana College where she is responsible for testing, evaluating and
counseling students who may have learning disabilities. She also
responsible for a caseload of students with diagnosed learning
disabilities, 10 to 15 percent of whom are CalWORKs clients.
One such student is Antoinette
Olivares, whose learning disability was finally diagnosed a
year after she came to the college in 1996.
When her former husband
failed to pay the promised support, Antoinette was forced to apply for
financial assistance. Showing her usual determination, she entered the
Self-Initiative Program (SIP) and began taking classes.
"I wanted to get my
certificate in accounting so I kept going to school for about a year. I
struggled so hard... I can't even tell you how hard. I took most all my
classes twice. The first time I took them just to know what was going on.
Then I took them again to do the work. It was going to take forever, but
what else was I supposed to do? I couldn't find a job because I didn't
have the education, and this was the only way to get the education.
"And then I met a
friend, Diane, who also has a learning disability. She told me, 'You know
what? You should get tested. Maybe something is wrong.' And that's what I
did, and I found out I did have a learning disability."
Her symptoms would have made
it almost impossible to succeed in school or on the job.
" I couldn't organize
the material; I was getting locked in the oral direction. It just wasn't
getting through. The teacher had just so much time to cover the material.
When I asked questions, I was told 'See me after school.' And I did; I
went to the teacher after class the time and she said, 'Something must be
wrong!' Finally she gave me the number to her psychologist. I think
I saw her first because I was full of anxiety. I didn't know why I
couldn't do the work.
" Finally I went
through what was a long process, actually, to find out exactly what was
going on. And once I knew what was going on, I started calming down."
Testing revealed that
Antoinette has trouble understanding what she reads, and following verbal
directions.
"I'm more of a visual
learner; I need to see or be shown, and then I can catch on. I can't
follow what's being written on the chalkboard and verbal directions at the
same time."
Antoinette's saga is sadly
familiar to Dr. Wilhovsky, a Learning Disabilities Specialist.
"I would say that many
of the CalWORKs Clients we see have some sort of problem; otherwise, they
would not be in our office. Our testing doesn't always reveal a learning
disability. A client may be developmentally delayed, or have a language
problem. They may have poor organization or time-planning skills."
But in addition to getting a
diagnosis, testing may also indicate the most effective avenues of
instruction and training. 
Dr Wilhovsky explains,
"For example, they may be more visual or hands-on learners than
language or auditory learners, and that's tough when you're in a college
setting. It's even tough when you're out there in the world. But
identifying the problem correctly can be a breakthrough, and a client and
their support system can use the information we give them to guide them in
the right direction."
Dr. Wilhovsky continues,
"People react in several ways when a learning disability or other
problem is identified. To some people it's a relief because they've been
struggling and they don't know why they have been struggling. For others
it's a relief because they don't they aren't stupid. And for others it may
be a little disappointing because it means, 'Gee, there's something wrong
with me.'"But one of the most important parts of our program is
helping these individuals understand themselves and accept themselves and
see where their strengths and weaknesses are. Some of them have very
unrealistic expectations and that just gets them into trouble because they
are going to continue beating their heads against the wall and failing.
Antoinette didn't care if she had to keep hitting her head against the
wall. She was willing to do it, but how long can you do it?"
Dr. Wilhovsky praises
Antoinette as "a model student. She was open to learning new skills,
and she applied them."
After one semester in the
learning disabilities program, Antoinette had mastered the skills
she needed to organize her notebook and to keep a planner to organize her
time.
"I learned how to
'borrow' time from one activity for another," she explain. "And
I learned how to use a syllabus and apply new learning strategies. As a
result, my grades improved greatly."
Dr. Wilhovsky also praises
Antoinette's continuing personal growth. "She takes advantages of
every opportunity. She takes personal development workshops in every area
that's offered, including stress management, self esteem, personal
development and overcoming procrastination. Of course, these issues affect
success both as a student and an a person. Our primary responsibility here
is to help individuals succeed as students we also are giving them the
tools to succeed in society."
But the proof of her success
came when she wanted to do Work Experience. "She was doing such a
good job that we offered her a position in our program," Dr.
Wilhovsky recalls. "Now she's regular employee."
In addition to her
administrative duties, Antoinette teaches other students learning
strategies, study skills and organizational skills. "And she's really
good at it, because she's been there," Dr. Wilhovsky explains.
No Longer just content with
getting a certificate in accounting, Antoinette now plans to pursue a
college degree. "I'm the first generation in my family to go to any
college," she says. Her journey also is taking Antoinette into a
world that she never even knew existed. "I didn't know anything about
the world outside my own little part of Orange County," she admits.
Although Dr. Wilhovsky
praises her skill as a mother, Antoinette believes that better
organizational and time management skills also have helped her family.
And when she thinks about
it, she gets emotional because "I'm scared to think where I would be
without this program. What I've learned here has changed life for me and
for my kids." who already know they want to go to college before they
get married, or have children.
However, there is a trick to
achieving such model results. "Everybody needs to be on the same
page." Dr. Wilhovsky says. "That's why it's so important that we
sit down with the client AND their case worker or whomever is going to
help them make decisions and review our findings.
Once the testing is
completed, the information is ready to be shared orally or in written
reports. "We talk about a client's strengths and weaknesses, make
conclusions as to how he or she learns best, and suggest what kind of
training or education might be appropriate for them. In order to take
action based on the comprehensive information we have gathered, it's best
when the case worker, the client and the evaluator go over the results
together and explore potential directions.
"I'm sure case workers
want to do what's best for the client. That's why we want to give them as
much information as possible. The more information they have, the more
realistic and appropriate their recommendations can be." Main
Page
Learning
Disabilities: Getting the Right Diagnosis
by Eileen M.
Granosky,
L.M.F.T
Student Services
Coordinator, CalWORKs 
It
is estimated that 15 to 20 percent of adults have learning disabilities,
and 30 to 70 percent of students in adult education and literacy programs
have learning disabilities. Yet the number or adults whose learning
disabilities are properly documented is estimated to be less than one
percent! Clearly, learning disabilities are much more common than id
generally understood, and it's a life-long disability that, when properly
documented, gives individuals the same civil rights protection as a person
with any other disability. Here are some of the reasons diagnosing and
properly documenting learning disabilities is so important:
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A learning disability is
not low intelligence; it's not mental illness; it's not autism. It is
not a form of mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or laziness.
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Learning disabilities
are intrinsic to the individual and may affect learning and behavior
in any individual.
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Living with a learning
disability can have an ongoing impact on friendships, school, work,
self-esteem and daily life.
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People with learning
disabilities can succeed when solid coping skills and strategies are
developed.
Many adults with learning
disabilities have graduated from high school, college, trade schools or
universities, becoming successful in business, the arts or in their chosen
profession. But for many, success has not been easy. Even though they are
intelligent, some adults are conditioned to believe that they are stupid,
lazy and defeated, resulting in disappointment, low self-confidence and
failure. Being assessed by a professional trained in learning disabilities
can make a difference in these individuals by helping them take control of
their lives and achieving their potential.
Students with learning
disabilities often develop unique ways of learning effectively, yet they
share the frustration of coping with a disability that is invisible and
often misunderstood. It is a weakness in the processing system to be
considered along with the strengths and talents of each individual
Rancho Santiago Community
College District has a full array of resources to offer students who are
diagnosed with a learning disability. Our Learning Disabilities Program is
designed to help students who have average or above-average potential for
learning, and who exhibit significant difficulties in at least one
academic area. The expected goal of participation in this program is to
enable the student to successfully complete college courses. Evaluation,
individual educational plans and tutoring are provided. Progress in basic
skill acquisition and college classes is monitored.
Additionally, our district,
under the direction of Dr. Lynne Stedman, holds the contract for
Orange County Social Services CalWORKs assessment. Learning Disability
pre-screening is done and an in-depth evaluation can be arranged. Main
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CalWORKs
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