How can attitudes and lack of understanding impact individuals with specific learning difficulties?

How can attitudes and lack of understanding impact individuals with specific learning difficulties?

The “knowledge” and “understanding” that does exist can often enforce negative stereotypes and make life even harder for people with a learning disability. A lack of familiarity and insecurity around learning disability appears to be causing hostility.

How does learning disability affect a person’s life?

Having a learning disability means that people find it harder to learn certain life skills. The problems experienced vary from person to person, but may include aspects such as learning new things, communication, managing money, reading, writing, or personal care.

What you should be aware of about learning disabilities?

Difficulty listening, speaking and/or understanding oral language. Difficulty decoding words and understanding written language. Difficulty spelling and expressing ideas in writing with math computations and problem-solving. Difficulty planning what needs to be done and following through.

How specific learning difficulties affect adults?

Without a learning disability diagnosis, the adult may be largely unaware of their needs and blame their problems on their own lack of ability. This can affect career choice, lead to low self-esteem and feelings of low self-worth, which in turn can develop into emotional and psychological issues such as depression.

How does learning difficulties influence the learners schoolwork?

Children and adults with a learning disability may struggle in all areas of school. For example, language processing disabilities can make reading and writing slow and challenging, and memory issues can result in a student having to reread a piece of text or listen to spoken instructions many times.

How does learning difficulties affect behavior?

One study published in the journal Pediatrics found that children with learning disabilities often experienced behavior problems related to reduced self-confidence and increased anxiety and stress. 1 Other symptoms such as aggressive behavior and social isolation were also common.

What are the attitudes of people with learning disabilities?

Some people will have negative attitudes: 6% of people say they would feel uncomfortable using the same swimming pool as someone with a more severe learning disability. Only 61% of people strongly disagree that people who have a learning disability are a burden on society.

How are positive attitudes improve care and support?

How positive attitudes towards those with mental health conditions, dementia or learning disabilities will improve the care and support they receive Having high but realistic expectations of people’s ability is part of valuing them as people and recognising their strengths and resilience.

How does a family member with a learning disability affect the family?

Having a family member with a learning disability can have a significant impact on those around them, both positively and negatively. Individuals with learning disabilities often require far more support than those that don’t and may never be fully independent. This can create a lot of stress in the family unit.

How does the Care Act 2014 affect people with learning disabilities?

The Care Act 2014 made it the duty of local authorities to ensure the wellbeing of individuals with learning disabilities. If somebody appears to require care, the local authority must carry out an assessment focusing on their individual needs, outcomes and wellbeing and involve the person in the process (person-centred planning).