AMERICANS LIVE WITH THE

CHALLENGES OF A DISABILITY --

ACCORDING TO THE U-S CENSUS

BUREAU.2-SHANNON:LEARNING TO

LIVE WITH ONE OF THOSE

DISABILITIES CAN BE A TOUGH

TASK -- AND NOW A SCHOOL IN

LEANDER IS SHOWING STUDENTS

WHAT IT'S LIKE FIRST HAND.

KXAN'S GIGI BARNETT SHOWS US

THE "KIDS FIRST" PROGRAM.UP

FOR A CHALLENGE?TRY THIS: USE

A MIRROR TO TRACE LETTERS

UPSIDE DOWN AND DON'T GET OUT

OF THE LINES.STUDENT TALKING

TO TEACHER: "IT'S HARD TO

DO..."BECAUSE DYSLEXIA IS

HARD. HERE'S ANOTHER TASK:

STUFF A MARSHMALLOW IN YOUR

MOUTH AND SPEAK TO A FRIEND.

CAN THEY UNDERSTAND YOU?

"INDICIPHERABLE SOUNDS"NOPE.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S LIKE LIVING

WITH A SEVERE SPEECH

IMPEDIMENT. ALL OF THESE

CHILDREN ARE STUDENTS AT

REAGAN ELEMENTARY IN CEDAR

PARK.THEY'RE PART OF THE "KIDS

FIRST" PROGRAM. IT'S A PTA-

SPONSORED LESSON THAT SHOWS

STUDENTS HOW DISABILITIES --

LIKE ADHD, MOBILITY CHALLENGES

AND AUTISM -- AFFECT THE

PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEM. REAGAN

ELEM. STUDENT VIOLET

WROBLEWSKI: "I GOT

A LITTLE FRUSTRATED. CAUSE

KIDS WITH AUTISM AND ALL OF

THAT GET FRUSTRATED, TOO. BUT,

IT'S JUST HOW LIFE IS. THE

SCHOOL SAYS THAT LEVEL OF

UNDERSTANDING IS A WEAPON

AGAINST BULLYING. IT ALSO

TEACHES ABLE-BODIED CHILDREN

HOW THEY CAN HELP STUDENTS

WITH DISABILITES.HEATHER

MARTINEZ, PARENT: "HE USES A

DEVICE TO COMMUNICATE WITH, SO

HE'S NOT ABLE TO BE VERBAL YET.

HEATHER MARTINEZ'S SEVEN-

YEAR-OLD SON HAS AUTISM.SHE

SAYS MOST CHILDREN ARE PATIENT

WITH HIM -- FOR NOW. MARTINEZ:

"AS THEY GET OLDER, IT'S

EASIER TO PULL AWAY FROM

THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW. I FEEL

LIKE TARGETING YOUNGER

CHILDREN HELPS."SCHOOL LEADERS

SAY THE "KIDS FIRST" PROGRAM

IS A FIRST FOR LEANDER ISD AND

IT'S ONLY FOR SECOND GRADERS

AT REAGAN ELEMENTARY RIGHT

NOW. BUT THE SCHOOL PLANS TO

EXPAND IT TO ALL GRADES NEXT

YEAR. GIGI BARNETT, KXAN NEWS.

SHANNON:ACCORDING TO THE

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH,

BETWEEN 15 AND 20 PERCENT OF

AMERICANS ARE AFFECTED BY

LEARNING DISABILITIES AND

DISORDERS.SHANNON: THAT WORKS

OUT TO NEARLY 57 MILLION

PEOPLE. MORE THAN 4-AND-A-HALF

MILLION OF THEM ARE CHILDREN.

MANY OF THOSE CHILDREN ALSO

SUFFER WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT