Theodora Papadopoulou, PhD
theodora.papadopoulou@gmail.com
When we talk about Learning Difficulties, we often refer to dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia since these ones are the most frequently diagnosed learning difficulties by specialists (psychologists/neurologists/special educators, etc).
It is worth pointing out that Learning Difficulties should not be confused with learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps. Specific Learning Difficulties are not associated with mental retardation and/or neurological or emotional disturbances. They are not the result of family or social deprivation although they are highly associated with both of them.
The most frequently displayed symptoms of children with learning difficulties are the following:
- Short attention span
- Poor memory
- Difficulty following directions
- Inability to discriminate between/among letters, numerals, or sounds
- Poor reading and/or writing ability
- Eye-hand coordination problems
- Difficulties with sequencing
- General disorganization
To be more specific, some of the warning signs of dyslexia are:
. Spelling and Reading difficulties
- Handwriting issues ( Dysgraphia )
- Quality of written work
- Directionality issues
- Rote memory of non-meaningful facts
- Spatial organization
People with dyslexia do not make random reading errors. They make very specific types of errors. For example, when reading aloud, they read slow, often ignore punctuation, reverse, invert or transpose letters. They become visibly tired after reading for only a short period of time.
Their reading comprehension may be low due to spending so much effort trying to read the words. They substitute similar-looking words even if it changes the meaning of the sentence. When reading a story or a sentence, they may substitute a word that means the same but doesn't look at all similar. They omit, misread or add small words as well. In addition, their written work shows signs of spelling uncertainty and cross outs.
We should not forget that every individual with a learning disability is unique and shows a different combination and degree of difficulties. A common characteristic among people with learning disabilities is uneven areas of ability. For instance, a child with dyslexia who struggles with reading, writing and spelling may be very capable in maths and science.
Generally speaking, people with learning difficulties are of average or above average intelligence. There often appears to be a gap between the individual’s potential and actual achievement. The child with a learning difficulty is often a smart individual who comes to school eager to learn and participate. He/she might be a little over-excited but this is due to the fact that he/she strongly feels the need to be accepted and loved by his/her teachers and peers in a specific social environment. Soon enough, he realises that although he tries hard, he can’t reach the level of his classmates and always encounters failure. This is one of the main reasons why this child stops trying and develops a very low self-esteem.
It is worth pointing out that the social and emotional consequences of dyslexia need to be deeply examined since there is evidence that there is a strong bond between dyslexia and difficulties with regard to social interactions and emotional maturity.
Apart from the difficulties associated with reading and writing, dyslexic children face communication difficulties that hamper social interactions and emotional adjustment. They have problems expressing their feelings, showing sympathy and retaining friendships.
This is why they become isolated from their peers. It is an attempt to save themselves from the pain of rejection.
Many parents of children with dyslexia also agree that the social-emotional consequences that result from this learning difficulty, such as low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence, are the more sever and long-lasting than other difficulties such as literacy.
It is proved that as many as 70% of children with LD suffer from poor self-esteem. Children with low self-esteem are:
- more likely to have problems with peers
- more prone to psychological disorders such as depression
- more likely to be involved in bullying and aggressive behaviour
- more likely to do poorly in school
Self-esteem is the collection of beliefs or feelings that we have about ourselves, or our ‘self-perceptions’. How we define ourselves influences our motivations, attitudes, and behaviours and effects our emotional adjustment.
As a child fails, tries again, fails again, and then finally succeeds, he/she develops ideas about his/her own capabilities. At the same time, he/she is creating a self-concept based on interactions with other people. This is why parental involvement is the key to helping a child form accurate, healthy self-perceptions.
Self-esteem can also be defined as the combination of feelings of capabilities with feelings of being loved. A child who is happy with an achievement but does not feel loved may eventually experience low self-esteem. Likewise, a child who feels loved but is hesitant about his own abilities can also end up with a low self-esteem. Healthy self-esteem results when the right balance is attained.
Individuals with Learning Difficulties may appear to have ineffective social skills. Researches that have been conducted indicate that individuals with learning disabilities are more likely to choose socially unacceptable behaviours in social situations and are less able to solve social problems. They have difficulty predicting consequences and are less likely to adjust to the characteristics of their listeners in discussions or conversations. What makes social interaction ineffective is the fact that they are less able to accomplish complex social interactions successfully (i.e. persuasion, negotiation, resisting peer pressure, giving/accepting criticism, etc.).
Dyslexic students are more often the objects of negative and non-supportive statements, criticisms, warnings and negative reactions from both peers and teachers. Having experienced rejection and failure for a prolonged period of time, they have developed less tolerance to difficult situations.
Language and communication impairments are consistently related to learning difficulties and emotional disorders from infancy to adolescence.
We will examine the impact of dyslexia on the psychological development of an individual who struggles to integrate in a social group that proves his/her difference in the way he acquires, processes, recalls and uses new information.
Research evidence suggests that children with learning difficulties are usually met with academic failure, resulting in being unmotivated and demoralised, unresponsive to and withdrawal from school- related activities and peer interactions and, ultimately , experiencing social-emotional difficulties.
It is proved that motivation is a very powerful force that contributes to every person’s emotional development. Lack of motivation is the main reason why children with learning difficulties are often described as lazy, immature and disruptive.
Individuals with Learning Difficulties also experience a big amount of anger. Social scientists have frequently observed that frustration produces anger. This can be clearly seen in many dyslexics. It is common for the dyslexic to vent his/her anger on his/her parents.
They might be passive at school but once they are in a safe environment these powerful feelings erupt and are often directed towards their mother.
Depression is also indicated in children with Learning Difficulties.
Depression is also a frequent complication in dyslexia. Although most dyslexics are not depressed, children with this kind of learning disability are at higher risk for intense feelings of sorrow and pain.
The depressed child develops a completely different profile from the depressed adult. The depressed child is unlikely to be lethargic or to talk about feeling sad. Instead, he or she may become more active or misbehave to cover up the painful feelings. In other words, it is a case of masked depression.
Both parents and educators often wonder about the existence of warning signs that indicate a psychological disorder in children.
Some of these warning signs are:
- Quitting, when tasks become difficult or frustrating
- Avoiding a task or activity for fear of failing
- Clowning, to hide lack of confidence or to relieve pressure
- Controlling, to counteract a sense of helplessness
- Being aggressive and bullying, to fend off feelings of vulnerability
- Denying, in order to manage the pain they would feel if insecurities were acknowledged
- Being impulsive, finishing tasks as quickly as possible “just to get it over with.”
The biggest concern of educators is how to handle these children who are not always willing to accept their help. The biggest challenge for all of us is to make them interested in the lesson.
The way is not so difficult as it appears to be. On top of everything, the teacher should never develop the idea that these students are doomed to fail. We are the ones who will make them feel needed and approved.
We should help them develop a different idea about themselves by pointing out their strengths and helping them overcome the difficulties they face. A big mistake is to focus on our students’ weaknesses and put aside their strengths. We should not forget that our students’ strengths, which always act as motivating sources, are the ones that will help us make them interested in learning. Their self-esteem will be reconstructed on solid foundations since they will be trained to develop a different opinion about themselves.
The next step is the creation of an individualised lesson plan based on their needs. A trained teacher is always able to understand his/her students’ needs and make the appropriate adjustments. The lesson should become interesting, exciting and easy to follow. Everybody should be involved and leave the classroom feeling that he/she had an active and important role in it. In other words, the lesson should be turned into an unforgettable experience, a new but at the same time approachable world ready to be explored.
Students with learning difficulties need multi-sensory teaching methods. They need strong associations, involvement and constant motivation. That raises another question. Is there a student who doesn’t need all these things in order to excel? Are traditional teaching methods able enough to make our mixed-ability classrooms look appealing to all students? Isn’t it time we tried something new, something that would give our students excitement, joy, satisfaction and after all a reason to try harder?
Teaching students with different educational needs has always been a challenge for every teacher. The biggest challenge of all though, is to try new things in the classroom, evaluate new teaching methods and be ready to face the results of your choices.
A learning difficulty cannot be cured or fixed; it is a lifelong challenge. However, with appropriate support and intervention, people with learning difficulties can achieve success in every sector of their lives.
Guided by our desire to help all students experience success and armed with knowledge that derives from lifelong learning, we can certainly help all our students, with or without learning difficulties cope with their problems and enjoy the exciting trip to knowledge.