Dealing with Learning Disabilities

Aimee.Meertens, 2011-04

Most children in international schools are able to cope with the standard academic curricula; however, there are always one or two in the back of the classroom that struggle to keep up. If your child is not able to succeed academically despite all their effort and hard-work, he or she could be suffering from a learning disability. Time to intervene! 

Dr Amanda Dahir, educational psychologist, board certified behaviour analyst and clinic director for Essential Learning Group in Shanghai, has worked for years with children who have learning disabilities and believes that teachers and parents must work together to help identify at-risk children. “Usually, a child’s classroom teacher is the first person to observe that a child is struggling with academics, not completing assignments, or having trouble making or keeping friends,” Dr Dahir says. “This student may be exhibiting behaviour problems or having trouble paying attention.”

For students that are starting to fall behind, Dr Dahir believes that teachers and educational support staff should use a variety of intervention methods to help the student. Providing the right support is challenging for all Shanghai-based international schools, since the standard curriculum is not required to include special needs education and schools simply don’t have the capability to offer help in all areas. However, many schools are improving their resources by making extra support staff more available and training educators in early diagnosis. Organisations like Intervention Central often provide methods and tools to teachers and assist educators in making adjustments in their teaching.

Dr Dahir, who also serves as a board member for the Shanghai International Mental Health Association, acknowledges that even these educational support methods might not be enough to help children with learning disabilities succeed in their current environment. “It may be time to call in a specialist or try more intensive intervention,” she says.

Private agencies like Essential Learning Group collaborate with parents and educators to identify, assess and develop strategies and find the school that can meet the child’s needs. ELG provide this extra support through on-site school programs, one-on-one sessions with specialised therapists and their clinics in Puxi and Pudong. For the more severe cases, ELG offers a full-day program called Creative Garden. 

For parents, it’s most important to get a clear picture of the child’s strengths and weaknesses. Pay attention to warning signs and call in the help of a professional to diagnose and determine what kind of support is needed. Dr Dahir says, “There is no ‘one size fits all’ for education, so as a consumer of the schools in Shanghai, ask lots of questions, find out what resources are and are not available and try to find the best fit.”

When the outcome of a diagnosis is a learning disorder, it can be very upsetting and frustrating for parents because it may stand in the way of a child’s success. It takes constant advocating for your child to receive the extra support from outside the school, therefore it is essential that parents educate themselves about the possibilities in Shanghai. The process involves a lot of extra hard work, paperwork and remaining optimistic, but it helps to remember that you are not alone in this and share experiences with other parents. Moreover, researchers and professionals are developing new and better treatments every day, enabling children to succeed.

What is a learning disability?

A learning disability (LD) is a neurological disorder affecting a person’s ability to recall and organise information. Most children diagnosed with an LD have dyslexia or another language-based LD that includes spelling, writing, reading and/or speaking difficulties. Some may have trouble solving maths problems (dyscalculia), while others aren’t able to understand what is communicated to them despite normal functioning of hearing and vision. ADHD/ADD is often confused with an LD, though it is an attention disorder that – in many cases – simultaneously occurs with an LD.

Warning signs

It is often easiest for teachers to spot those who are struggling in class, though parents are usually the first ones to sense that ‘something isn’t right’. Follow your intuition and look out for these warning signs to identify an LD at an early stage:

• Language difficulties: speaking slowly, problems with pronunciation, not being able to express oneself verbally, not being able to remember words by sight/sound, difficulties with reading comprehension
• Not being able to follow instructions, not understanding what is being said, having trouble communicating thoughts
• Difficulties with maths problems
• Poor coordination/motor development, delays in learning how to walk, sit or use tools
• Problems with forming letters and/or numbers, or basic spelling and grammar issues
• Poor memory, problems with routine and daily activities, losing materials, forgetting to do certain tasks
• Delays in playing and socialising with other children