1. Enable Children to Read and Write
For productive learning and unhindered fluency of language, refined core skills are of great importance. Children with a) learning disabilities b) borderline autism/ADHD and c) academic underperformers usually face shortcomings in core skills like reading, writing, spelling, comprehending and sequencing when subjected to traditional /conventional methods of learning.
It is highly significant to understand that Children belonging to the above mentioned categories are not intellectually underdeveloped, they are just diverse learners who benefit very little from a common mainstream learning environment.
2. Coping with Mainstream Learning Environment
Children with SLD, Borderline autism or ADHD have conflicting ways of processing information, which makes the mainstream learning environment extremely strenuous and demanding. Mainstream education system is highly accelerated in terms of syllabus coverage and is unable to give diverse learners the flexibility to learn and conceive concepts in their own style and pace. The children are also subjected to a superficial assessment and grading system, which gives no insight into the core problem. Above all, most of the mainstream schools lack trained manpower or infrastructure to offer an inclusive remedial solution.
3. Independent Learning
A student is deemed to be successfully educated only when a certain level of independence is achieved in terms of learning. The core motive of any kind of academic instruction should be enabling a child to become an independent learner. Independent learning is directly proportional to the ability of a child to read, write, spell, comprehend and interpret without support.
Unfortunately, children with learning difficulties tend to be highly dependent on teachers for repeated instructions and guidance due to lack of a concrete foundation in core skills and timely intervention for their development. This dependency has a negative impact on the child’s confidence and self – esteem.
1. Accessibility of Remedial Help
We are the second largest populated country in the world with 29% constituting children who are 14 and below. Approximately 10% of the children in India suffer from Learning Disabilities which puts us at an enormous figure of 35 million. In discord with this widespread problem, there is very little awareness on learning difficulties coupled with lack of inclusive or easily accessible remedial solutions. Children diagnosed with Learning Disabilities, ADHD or Borderline Autism have their dependency on external professional help which consumes additional hours of the children’s leisure time and also causes inconvenience in terms of physical and monetary aspects for parents. The child’s comfort level might also be compromised due to placement in an entirely different environment – especially children who have borderline autism and ADHD.
2. Catering to Different Learning Styles
Accumulation and retention of information basically happen through five sensory systems namely vision (sight), audition (hearing), olfaction (smell), gustation (taste) and somatosensation (touch). Sensory systems which predominantly influence learning and retention tend to vary from one child to another.
There are four styles of sensorial learning namely
Multisensory teaching is an efficient way of implementing conceptual learning, by appealing to more than one sensory system to aid in grasping and retaining concepts. Multi sensorial learning, though actively present in kindergarten period, tends to fade over years in the mainstream academic process, which denies appropriate intervention for children with learning styles varying from the majority.
3. Labeling and Self Image
With low levels of awareness on academic learning difficulties, there are a lot of misconceptions about students who are unable to cope with mainstream academics and they often get labeled as “stupid”, “lazy”, troublemakers or/and “slow learners”.
The children start believing these labels. This affects performance and impacts behavioural development, as timely interventions are unavailable. If LD student remains undetected, chronic poor school performance, class detention, and dropping out of school ensue. This can cause LD’s to lose self-esteem, develop withdrawn or aggressive behaviours, anxiety, depression and at times even anti-social behaviours. It ultimately affects the development of their self-concept in areas related to academics, physical self, active self and social self.
4. Social Skills
Social skills encompass communication, interpersonal skills etc which are commonly seen lacking in children diagnosed with Learning Difficulties, ADHD and Borderline autism. This has its roots in diminished self esteem and confidence levels due to consistently poor academic performances and feedback. These sometimes manifest as reclusive behaviour or aggression towards peers. It is said that 40% of a sample of children with SLD are either aggressive or reclusive due to the frustration originating from trying to meet the academic standards set.
1. Stigma
Diversity, though an inevitable aspect of society takes an entirely grim disposition when it comes to mainstream education process. Specific Learning Disability (SLD), a neurological disorder which just implies that the processing of information is different, is often confused with lower Intelligence Quotient (IQ) or mild retardation.
Children with learning difficulties are often presumed to be intellectually incapable or lazy due to lack of awareness. Once diagnosed with learning difficulties, these children are excluded in the name of ‘Special care’, which in spite of good intentions, accidentally contributes to the tarnishing of their self esteem and social skills. The rate of dropouts of children with SLD from schools and colleges are seen to be increasing due to helplessness, accumulated pressure and lack of timely remedial intervention.
2. Affordability
It is a known fact that exclusive remedial solutions/tutoring, though highly productive, come with a fee structure that is not affordable for many. It cannot be denied that the money and the time spent on availing a good remedial solution for children ends up taking a toll on the physical, psychological and economic well-being of the parents. With the intervention period differing from one child to another based on their learning needs, there is no fixed fee structure in place, which implies the amount to be spent cannot be fixed or budgeted, leaving them unsure and insecure.
3. Inadequacy of Competent Teachers
Enabling children with learning disabilities, borderline autism or ADHD demands a certain level of competency in teachers, where mere qualification doesn’t work. Though many are qualified as remedial tutors, very few teachers excel and manage to bring a certain level of impact on children as their work conjoins compassion and consideration for the children. It is a herculean task for parents to find a remedial tutor of the right sort for their children, as a LD child’s dependency on the tutor is extremely high. Without proper understanding and establishment of a good rapport with the child, remedial intervention can go unyielding for a long period.