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.
There is no single interpretation or consensual definition of the terms learning difficulty/learning disability
Each organisation or local authority appear to have adopted their own definition of the term.
This is the Mindroom version:
In short
Difficulty – obstacle
Disability – something that incapacitates
LEARNING DIFFICULTY- any learning or emotional problem that either affects or substantially affects a persons ability to learn, get along with others and follow rules.
LEARNING DISABILITY – people with a learning disability have a significant, lifelong condition that started before adulthood which affected their development and which means they need help to:
-understand information
-learn skills
-cope independently
We see it as a spectrum.
Starting with the less complex description of LEARNING DIFFICULTIES and then moving on to LEARNING DISABILITIES.