Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 5, 1 May 2013 — Scholarships needed for those with learning disabilities [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Scholarships needed for those with learning disabilities

By John-Bull English

Afew months ago I wrote letters to various Native Hawaiian scholarship and grants programs on behalf of every parent who has a child with what society refers to as a Learning Disability (LD), for every parent who wants to send their gifted and misunderstood child to a program necessary to becoming a better educated and more successful person. But before I express my thoughts I would like to tell you a little about who I am and where I'm from so you ean better understand my daughter. I amthe oldest child of our 'ohana, bom and raised in Hāna, Maui. My 'ohana embodies everything Hawaiian. We do not leam in school about growing taro, building pili hale, pieking 'opihi, working in the loko i'a or aloha. We live it every day. While serving in the military I was blessed with the birth of my daughter. She began her early childhood education just fine, however in the fourth and fifth grade we noticed her grades and progress slipping. She was diagnosed with a learning disorder. I too struggled in school and didn't want the same for her. I knew the feeling that you are different and stupid, and no matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to get it. Her psychologist recommended a school but warned me it was expensive. After speaking to an administrator, I was inspired. I was going to do whatever it takes to send her there. With a grant I was able to. Every month I struggled to meet my hnaneial commitment, but I made it. The following year I was not awarded as mueh and knew I

couldn't pay my part. I offered to elean bathrooms, cut grass, eoaeh or help in any way. Shortly after, my prayers were answered. In the past year and a half, she has learned more than in the previous three years combined. She is the vice president of her school and was asked to be the captain of her

volleyball team. She gets up every day excited and motivated. She is a role model to her peers and an inspiration to me. I'm sure you know a child just like her. I think the best thing we ean do to make the most positive impact in our community is to invest in scholarships and grants for those who need to attend these specialized programs. I was deeply saddened to find out the immense amount of money for Hawaiian eollege students and not a single penny for this. Rather than continuing to put Band-Aids on our social domestic issues, let's prevent the wound from happening. When I learned the Department of Justice estimates that 66 percent of the nation's prison population has LD, I connected the dots. It made perfect sense why a child with LD often goes down destructive paths. His self-esteem lowers because he can't learn like the others, he lies and cheats to get by, he feels lonely and finds eomfort in drugs and gangs, he ends up in prison. This is a huge problem. But there is an answer. Miss Hawai'i, Skyler Kamaka, was born with LD. Her disability was recognized and treated at a young age. She received the proper tools

necessary to enahle her to succeed. She graduated from Kamehameha Schools. She graduated from eollege in Oregon and is currently continuing her higher education at the University of Hawai'i. She is a powerful and educated Hawaiian who ean now better serve our community. It is Skyler's path that

I want for my child. It is the path I dream of for every child with LD. To every Native Hawaiian grant program, this is my plea: Recognize the problem and do what is pono. Do it for our ancestors who paved the way. You have the power to cultivate and inspire the world's greatest people. Give these children the opportunity for a better life. They too are smart, they just need the tools. Enahle them by extending your base and help the parents with the hnaneial burden of these necessary services. It will be your best investment, I promise. To everyone else: learn the truth and spread the information to your neighbors and friends. See the possibilities for so many of our most creative minds. Treat them with extra love and affection. Help them to lift their spirits and heal the scars from years of psychological damage. Praise them for their efforts and understand their struggle. Do this and they will be the ones to enahle us. ■ John-Buīī English, who lives with hisfamily in Honolulu, works to bring ciwareness to learning disabilities. To learn more, visit John-Bull English on Facebook.

Give these children the opportunity for a better life. They too are smart, they just need the tools. Enahle them by extending your base and help the parents with the hnaneial burden of these necessary services. It will be your best investment."

KUKAKUKA ^ www.oha.org/kwo | kwo@OHA.org i DISCUSSION F0RUM y NATIVE HAWAIIAN » NEWS | FEATURES | EVENTS