Learning
- The facts
- What are learning difficulties?
- What causes learning difficulties?
- How are learning difficulties identified?
- Learning difficulties and school
- What if it's more serious?
- Ruth's story
The facts
Children with learning difficulties normally can and do overcome them, but they can't do it on their own. A little teamwork between you, your child and your child's teacher is sometimes all that's needed to make progress, while in other cases specialist support may be required.
What are learning difficulties?
Children with learning difficulties find it significantly more difficult to learn than other children of the same age.
Sometimes learning difficulties can be resolved with a lot of patience and understanding, as well as a little extra help. Children with more severe learning difficulties may need specialist help throughout their school life. In either case it helps to identify any issues as early in their education as possible.
What causes learning difficulties?
Different types of learning difficulties can be caused by different factors. Some examples include:
- emotional or behavioural problems
- physical difficulties, such as poor hearing or partial vision
- problems with specific activities, such as reading, spelling, numbers or language, or with general
- learning, such as following instructions, remembering things and so on
- neurological problems, perhaps as a result of premature birth, trauma at birth or surgery as a baby
Sometimes, an underlying condition can cause learning difficulties, for example:
Autistic spectrum disorder
The terms autism and Asperger's syndrome have now been replaced by an umbrella term: autistic spectrum disorder, or ASD. Children who have ASD can experience varying degrees of difficulty with learning. They may be very skilled in some areas, such as maths or drawing, but slow to learn in others, such as talking.
ADHD
ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children who have this disorder show three main characteristics: hyperactivity, impulsive behaviour and difficulty in paying attention. These characteristics do not affect a child's intelligence, but can seriously interfere with their school and home life, and affect their learning.
Dyslexia
People who have dyslexia have difficulty with spelling, writing, reading and sometimes speaking, but otherwise their ability to learn is usually completely normal.
How are learning difficulties identified?
Parents may spot a learning difficulty if, for example, aspects of their child's development are very different to older siblings. Sometimes early learning difficulties are picked up by health visitors if, for example, a child starts to fall behind with developmental milestones, such as talking. Often, however, learning difficulties aren't identified until a child starts nursery or school.
Learning difficulties and school
If your child's teacher sees that your child is falling behind with his learning, she will make an appointment to talk to you about it. She will explain her concerns and draw up what's called an Individual Education Plan (IEP) to help your child overcome the difficulties. If your child is struggling with reading, for example, she may recommend that he has extra help with literacy for a while. She will also advise you on how you can help your child at home. This strategy is known as School Action.
Your child will also be put on the school's special needs register. This sounds worrying, but it's simply a way for the school to record their concerns and the action they have taken. Once special measures are in place, they should be reviewed regularly, ideally every term.
What if it's more serious?
If your child still does not make progress, the school may seek advice from an outside specialist, such as an educational psychologist or a behaviour specialist, on how best to help him or her. This is known as School Action Plus.
If your child receives this help for a reasonable amount of time without success, you may want to consider having your child assessed for a Statement of Special Educational Needs. This is a written document prepared by an educational psychologist, who will talk to everyone involved with your child, including you. Talk to your child's school to request an assessment. It sets out exactly what kind of help and support your child needs and commits your Local Education Authority to providing it.
Ruth's story
Ruth, mum to Harry, seven
"When Harry was at nursery, one of the nursery workers pointed out that Harry 'didn't know his letters yet'. At the time he was only four and I thought she was being ridiculous. Then, when Harry was in year 1, his teacher took me to one side and said that she thought Harry would benefit from doing some extra reading. He joined a special daily reading group with other children from his year and the teacher also encouraged us to read more with Harry at home. At the time I was a bit worried, but Harry didn't mind at all and he has made really good progress. In fact, a year on, I would say he is probably one of the better readers in his class."