The classroom is the operating room of an educator, as theatre is to a doctor,it’s the place where moulding , repairs ,and remediations are done in the lives of children.
In order to be a successful educator, one requires knowledge of the challenges children have as it’s not enough to be passionate and enthusiastic.
The job of the educator is made easier by a fairly good understanding of the likely problems learners grapple with. Having the right information will make the job of an eductor less difficult, especially in a society like ours where the burden of the academic success or failure of child is placed firmly on the shoulders of the teacher.
It’s my hope that this post helps to enlighten us on the peculiarity of the problems children face as they begin their academic journey considering the fact that some children are faced with additional challenges in the classroom due to learning disabilities.
So ,what’s LEARNING DISABILITY?
It can be defined as a disorder that inhibits the ability to process and retain information, learning disabilities can vary drastically from one child to another.
Some commonly observerd learning disabilities in classrooms today are;
👉ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD):
This is about the most common disorder presented by learners in our clssrooms,the name of that very restless child readily comes to mind.Pupils who have ADHD have difficulty paying attention and staying on task.
They are easily distracted and often have difficulty in traditional school settings. Experts link ADHD with the structure of the brain, and there is evidence that ADHD may have a genetic component as well. Unlike typical learning disabilities, which need instructional interventions, ADHD can be successfully treated with medications and behavioral therapies also activities based learning.
👉Dyslexia:
It is a learning disorder that impedes the child’s ability to read and comprehend a text.
There are a variety of ways in which this disability can be manifested. Some people struggle with phonemic awareness, which means they may fail to recognize the way words break down according to sound.
Similar problems can occur with phonological processing, wherein learners cannot distinguish between similar word sounds. Other issues relate generally to fluency, spelling, comprehension and more. A proper diagnosis and special classes from a trained instructor will help the child overcome this challenge in time.
👉Dyscalculia:
Math is another major area of concern when it comes to learning disabilities.
While difficulty with reading can affect a student’s ability in math, some students also suffer from dyscalculia, which is a disorder that specifically affects one’s math capabilities.
Dyscalculia can range from an inability to order numbers correctly and extend to limited strategies for problem solving. Students with math disorders may have trouble performing basic math calculations, or they may have difficulty with concepts like time, measurement or estimation.
👉Dysgraphia:
While reading disabilities receive the most attention, writing disabilities can be equally difficult to overcome. This disability is known as dysgraphia.
Dysgraphia can be related to the physical act of writing. These learners often cannot hold a pencil correctly, and their posture may be tense while trying to write.
This leads them tiring easily, causing discouragement that further inhibits progress. Dysgraphia can also refer to difficulty with written expression. With this type of disability, learners have trouble organizing their thoughts coherently.
Their writing may be redundant or have obvious omissions that affect the quality and readability of the text. Dysgraphia may also cause learners to struggle with basic sentence structure and grammatical awareness.
👉Processing Deficits:
When children have a processing deficit, they have trouble making sense of sensory data.
This makes it hard them to perform/adapt well in a traditional classroom without instructional supports. These deficits are most often auditory or visual, and they can make it hard for students to distinguish and remember important information that is needed to succeed.
It’s worthy of note that these learning disabilities can manifest with varying degrees of severity, and sometimes different stages in a child’s life , in fact some children may even struggle with more than one disorder.
However,when educators understands these disabilities, it is then possible to find workable solutions so every learner can succeed in /outside the classroom.
Remember it’s our job as EDUCATORS\ PARENTS to make a difference in the lives of the children in our care.
Thanks.✍
Hon. Master John
