We
all accept how unique we are, how diverse a classroom of students may be and also that many of our young people have some difficulties learning in the traditional classroom setup. While identifying these difficulties is essential in finding ways to overcome them, the labels that are sometimes attached to them can be restrictive.
When we see the evidence from around the world where learning difficulties have been diagnosed and treated for a number of years, we can appreciate developments that have aided and empowered those who have struggled to be understood and allowed them to channel their potential to great achievements. Unfortunately, there has been some negative fallout from these diagnoses: labelling, misunderstanding and stigmatising. Often, young people just need an alternative approach and have no diagnosable complaint, and for those who do warrant diagnosis, it is important that they do not feel marginalised.
As Guyana becomes more willing to accept, and seeks to understand, the various learning difficulties that are affecting our children in ever-increasing numbers, we have to be sure that labels we place on them do not become a burden, but rather lift the weight many carry for not fitting into the norm. We have to be sure that those in genuine need are not dismissed, because others fail to recognise the substance of the social sciences and their insights. Most importantly, we need to ensure a label isn’t placed on a child and then nothing is done to accommodate them.
The silent battle that many parents face daily when their child is underperforming at school or is uncharacteristically disruptive in the classroom due to a learning difficulty can be hard for outsiders to comprehend. Children can be dismissed as being naughty or spoiled when in actual fact it is a response to the frustrations and fear they feel at not understanding why they are unable to learn like their peers.
It can be a relief for a parent to finally have someone diagnose their child so they can understand what is happening and why, but this only works if support is then put in place and the child is made to understand that the label is only a part of who they are and how they learn, not a negative reflection upon themselves or an excuse not to apply themselves.
A child who believes themself to be ‘stupid’ or’ thick’ is unlikely to find a way to succeed in a setting not conducive to their learning. If a child is negatively labelled often enough, it can be an insurmountable task to reverse the idea. That child has to spend maybe six hours a day, five days a week in an environment that they find opposing, pointless and stressful. Can you imagine how that can affect behaviour, self-esteem and development?
It can be difficult for a teacher with a class of 30 children to teach to take time to understand what the problem may be for one student who is seemly disrupting an already tall task. In reality, the teacher would save a lot of time and energy, and fulfil their role as a teacher if they did just that; if they took some time out to find out what the problem is. It may be that the child can be reached with some small adjustments to teaching style.Potential could be unlocked through a few extra minutes planning to differentiate work. It may well be that countless hours of battling could be saved by taking a few moments to realise that this child just needs their difficulty to be understood and supported.
Identification is key, followed by action and a real effort to ensure that any difficulties are responded to in a positive light and kept in perspective. Learning difficulties are real and are the root of untapped potential, disruptive behaviour and wasted learning hours for everyone involved. Time invested now to address the issues is time saved for all our children and teachers in the future.
