Unit 4 Gender responsive and inclusive pedagogy

7.4. Learners with specific learning difficulties

Learning disability is a general term describing specific kinds of learning problems. It is a condition that affects how a person receives, processes, understands, remembers, or uses information. It can cause a person to have difficulty learning and using certain skills. Learners with learning difficulties or disabilities are individuals who experience significant and persistent difficulties in acquiring and using skills such as reading, writing, mathematics, listening, reasoning, and problem-solving. These difficulties are caused by differences in the way the brain processes information and are not due to low intelligence, lack of effort, poor teaching, or sensory impairments. Learners with learning difficulties are intelligent enough to learn but face unexpected challenges in processing and expressing information in specific academic areas. Learning disabilities are neurologically based and may affect one or more areas of academic learning. A learner may be strong in some subjects while struggling greatly in others.

Characteristics of learners with learning disabilities

Although learning disabilities vary from one learner to another, the following are common learning difficulty types, characteristics and strategies that teachers can use to teach them. Learners with learning difficulties often struggle with reading, writing, and mathematics, as well as with memory, attention, and social skills.