WHAT ARE POSSIBLE CAUSES OF ACHIEVEMENT STRESS FOR THE LEARNING DISABLED (LD)?
SCHOOL FACTORS: Achievement stress may be the result as well as the cause of poor academic performance. The precise role of stress in academic performance is blurred because of the complexity of anxiety’s origin, measurement, and manipulation. However, The negative relationship between stress and impaired performance is well established. SPECIAL EDUCATION FACTORS: In addition to the great achievement demands (Elkind, 1981) experienced by all students, learning disabled children may be at particular risk for achievement stress due to frustration stemming from: 1. Insensitivity of significant others who treat these children as if they choose not to perform, when in fact they cannot perform at their ability level. 2. Self-concept confusion resulting from the vast gap between being able to keep up with the class in some modes (e.g., oral discussion, group work, artistic and creative expression, athletics, etc.) and discrepantly poor academic performance in other modes (reading, writing, bo
