Learning Difficulties

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A learning difficulty is when children are able to do well in some areas of learning, but unexpectedly have problems with other areas. Unlike a learning disability, a learning difficulty does not affect general intelligence (IQ).  An individual may often have more than one specific learning difficulty.

Children and adults with learning difficulties are often misunderstood, and may be mistakenly seen as lazy, lacking in ability or poorly motivated. It is often said that 'they could do better if they tried harder but then there is no definitive record of how many people have learning difficulties. This is largely because most learning difficulties are ‘hidden’ disabilities, meaning that the condition is not immediately obvious to others, or even to the person themselves.

One of the learning difficulties is visual stress.  Some people may experience visual stress when reading. Text can appear distorted and words or letters appear to move or become blurred. White paper or backgrounds can appear too dazzling and make print hard to decipher.

Example of Visual Stress:

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Children with learning problems usually have to work harder than other children and often, even when they do work very hard, they can't do well. They may become tired. Giving extra homework to help them 'catch up' is an added pressure. Research and self-reporting both concur that people with learning difficulties are particularly susceptible to stress compared with the ordinary population, with the result that their impairments become even more pronounced. As a result of their difficulties, many people with learning difficulties have little confidence and low self-esteem.

On the positive side, learning difficulties are also linked to a range of skills. These include 'big picture' thinking, problem-solving and lateral thinking abilities, an instinctive understanding of how things work, originality, creativity and exceptional visual-spatial skills. Famous individuals with specific learning difficulties include Einstein, Churchill, JFK, Agatha Christie, Richard Branson, James Dyson, Sir Jackie Stewart, leading artists, architects, engineers, entrepreneurs, sportsmen and many stars of stage and screen.

Not all people with learning difficulties will have outstanding talents, but all will have comparative strengths and often demonstrate great perseverance and determination. Just remember that, children need help to find ways to manage so they can feel good about themselves, or they will soon stop trying so hard. Having some special help at school might be very helpful but other children sometimes tease them about it.

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