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Understanding | Misunderstanding |
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Misunderstanding Children Who Have Difficulties With Learning
Individuals who struggle with learning are especially vulnerable. Their difficulties may be hard for them to understand, and may go unrecognized by others. Many soon experience the embarrassment, confusion, and humiliation that goes hand in hand with falling behind their peers in school. Behavioral and adjustment difficulties - from isolation or withdrawal to clowning or acting out - can mask the original, less visible signs of learning difficulties.
Because learning difficulties are frequently not recognized early, the following signs may also be clues that an individual is experiencing difficulties with learning:
- having difficulty paying attention
- hiding, losing or avoiding schoolwork or homework
- being especially sensitive to criticism, mistakes, or poor grades
- giving up easily, appearing poorly motivated
- showing anger and frustration when engaged in schoolwork, homework or other settings
- having attendance problems, developing school induced sickness (ex. "Monday morning sickness"), becoming school phobic
- avoiding schoolwork through over involvement in other activities
- adopting "masks" in school - the class clown, the social butterfly, the kid who doesn't care, the charmer
- becoming withdrawn, shy, anxious, helpless, hopeless, or depressed
- making excuses, externalizing blame
- lowering personal expectations for performance, anticipating difficulty or failure
- attributing difficulties to other causes, such as disinterest in the subject matter or teacher
- demonstrating lowered self esteem, difficulty taking risks, devalued sense of personal worth
Most importantly, those who are "mismatched" with the learning environment in school may come to see themselves as slow or stupid, or feel that something is wrong inside them. They may conclude that their efforts don't make a difference and stop trying. All too soon, they may give up hope that they can find success in school and in life. Their perceptions may be reinforced by insensitive comments and reports, or name calling.
The failure to recognize, understand, and address learning differences has a profound impact on individual lives. Collectively, it is a national problem of profound proportions, affecting every institution and system in society.