Today
- May 27 is set aside to celebrate children in Nigeria. It’s known as
Children’s Day! It’s a day on which many children are given special attention
and love. But could it be possible that not all children benefit from the
special love and attention given to their peers who may be considered more
normal than they are? For these children who have been classed by family and
even society as not "normal" enough, it may just be that a little
more information about their condition is required in order for them to be
better understood. Understanding children with Special Needs is a great way to
accept and accommodate them fully in spite of their differences.
Special
needs in children describe a wide variety of conditions which set these
children apart as uniquely different. These conditions range from physical and
mental disabilities to various learning difficulties and challenges. This post
will focus on children with learning challenges.
Signs
of Learning Challenges in Children
Parents
or teachers normally become concerned when a child is not imbibing learning at
the same pace with his or her peers. When this happens, it would be important
to pay closer attention to the child in order to understand the specific challenges
faced. This would enable the parents to make a timely decision to start an
early intervention. The earlier the intervention, the more positive and
enriching the child's educational experience would be.
The following are some signs to look
out for:
a. A
3 year old who consistently is unable to catch a large ball.
b. A
4 year old who struggles with the mechanics of walking upstairs.
c. A
5 year old who cannot complete a simple puzzle.
d. Difficulty
recognizing rhymes or segmenting words based on sounds and syllables.
e. Improper
pencil grasp.
f. Poor
working memory despite repeated instruction.
g. Continued
struggles with visual and/or auditory information.
h. Daydreaming
during instruction.
i. Confusion
over routine tasks involving steps.
j. Failure
to fully complete age appropriate chores.
k. Speech
delays or a fear of speaking.
l. High
levels of anxiety over school work.
If these signs are observed, there's
no need to panic. A Response to Intervention (RTI) would be required which is
normally provided by a special education teacher.
A
Note to Parents
As
a parent who has observed some of the signs listed above, you need to be
careful not to label your child too quickly before he or she begins
elementary/primary school. This is because it is normal for some children to
have delays in skills for any number of reasons.
Also,
bear in mind that your child may excel in different subject areas. Some
children who struggle with math may excel in fine arts. This does not
necessarily indicate a learning challenge.
Finally,
make effort to find out your child's preferred learning style as early as
possible. Some children struggle with learning simply because their teacher has
not understood and employed their preferred learning style in their teaching
repertoire.
I'll
end this post with an interesting quote from a child with Special Needs:
"I never understood why my
friends loved to read. My mom and dad tried to encourage me with games and
puzzles. Sometimes they would get frustrated because no matter what, I didn't understand.
When I was in second grade, my favorite teacher told me I was smart, but that
maybe I learned differently, and she sent me in for some tests. I ended up
taking a lot of tests, and the doctor told my mom I had Dyslexia. This is a
learning challenge that makes reading really hard. Now that I know I have to
learn a different way, I have hope. I don't feel embarrassed anymore that my
friends catch on faster than I do." - Anonymous
Reference:
Understanding Special Education -
http://www.wcpss.net/adult-edu
