Tips for educators & parents

1. Praise effort over performance. Children with learning difficulties may not always achieve high marks but if they’ve put in a lot of effort, it deserves recognition.
2. Put things in perspective.
3. Share your own experience.
4. Keep them motivated.
5. Give them time.

Types of Learning Disabilities

• Dyscalculia. A specific learning disability that affects a person’s ability to understand numbers and learn math facts.
• Dysgraphia.
• Dyslexia.
• Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities.
• Oral / Written Language Disorder and Specific Reading Comprehension Deficit.

Common signs that a person may have learning disabilities include the following:

1. Problems reading and/or writing.
2. Problems with math.
3. Poor memory.
4. Problems paying attention.
5. Trouble following directions.
6. Clumsiness.
7. Trouble telling time.
8. Problems staying organized.

And some individuals don’t realize they have learning disabilities until they are adults. With the right support and interventions, however, children and adults with learning disabilities can succeed in school and life. Recognizing, accepting and understanding your learning disability are the first steps to success.

Being a good communicator

1. use accessible language.
2. avoid jargon or long words that might be hard to understand.
3. be prepared to use different communication tools.
4. follow the lead of the person you’re communicating with.
5. go at the pace of the person you’re communicating with, check you have understood and be creative.

What causes a learning disability?

• An inherited condition, meaning that certain genes passed from the parents affected the brain development, for example Fragile X.
• Chromosome abnormalities such as Down’s syndrome or Turner syndrome.
• Complications during birth resulting in a lack of oxygen to the brain.

A severe learning disability will be identified at birth or in early childhood. Someone who has a severe learning disability will: have little or no speech. find it very difficult to learn new skills. need support with daily activities such as dressing, washing, eating and keeping safe.

a learning disability constitutes a condition which affects learning and intelligence across all areas of life. a learning difficulty constitutes a condition which creates an obstacle to a specific form of learning, but does not affect the overall IQ of an individual.

One study published in the journal Pediatrics found that children with learning disabilities often experienced behavior problems related to reduced self-confidence and increased anxiety and stress. 1 Other symptoms such as aggressive behavior and social isolation were also common.

Challenging behaviour can include tantrums, hitting or kicking other people, throwing things or self-harming. Behaviour is challenging if it is harmful to the person and others around them, and if it stops the person achieving things in their daily life, such as making friends or concentrating at school.

Friendships and socialising are important to people with a learning disability. People with a learning disability have fewer chances to take part in leisure activities or socialise with their peers, and so may have fewer friends.

about 16 hours and 40 minutes

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