Learning difficulties
What are learning difficulties?
Well, quite simply a variation on normality.
Not being able to concentrate for long periods of time, getting bored rather easily, acting impulsively, tripping over things, trying to make sense of what you read or write, living in your own world, losing track of time, forgetting what you have just learnt, being single minded or extraordinarily talented - perhaps traits we all have?
It is when these characteristics become prominent that they turn into 'learning difficulties'.
At least 5 children in every class have some form of learning difficulty.
These difficulties don't go away and the children grow up to become adults with certain challenges.
Imagine for a moment...
...that you have been working all day on your computer. An important document has been polished to perfection and is ready to be printed out. You press the print button. Nothing happens. Arrrghh! Frustration, anger, futility, resignation. You feel them all Understandably.
Having learning difficulties can be just like that. You seem to have all the tools to work with, but your 'internal print button' is out of order. You feel frustration and failure at every turn. No wonder things often end in tears.
Falling outside the norm as Annie and so many of our children do, places you in a multifaceted and complex world. The facets include the mind, the soul, the environment, ongoing medical research, the educational system, social services, your inner most feelings and self esteem and of course your fears. The complexities are the interplay between all of the above. In some ways the term learning difficulties applies as much to society as to the children involved. Our society seems to have a blind spot - its own form of learning difficulty - towards people with special needs. Society's present inability to meet their needs is both part of, and adds to, the problem. Mindroom was set up to remedy that.
At least 5 children in every class in this country have some form of learning difficulty. Whether you are a parent, sibling, spouse, teacher, head teacher, employer,landlord, GP, dentist,politician, scientist or in fact struggling yourself, learning difficulties affect most of us in one way or another.