LEARNING DISABILITIES AMONG CHILDREN

Learning Disabilities among Children



Learning Disabilities among Children

Introduction

Learning disabilities among children is one of the crucial problems in the city of Croydon (South London). A child's early years of life could be said to be one of the most physiological, psychological and emotional susceptible stages of their development. It is at this stage that the effects of poverty on issues such as, health, social well-being, education, family life and housing conditions have an ever-lasting influence on the child. "Problems during childhood cast long shadows into adulthood" (Acheson 1999 p.34).

When a child suffers from learning disabilities, there may be a distinct difference between the levels of achievement and the expectations of achievement and several difficulties in dealing with daily activities are manifested in different ways in different people. Difficulties in learning and achievement may be manifested through various phases of development and individuals also show difficulties in social and emotional skills and general behaviour. Learning disabilities in a child can affect a person's basic skills of listening, comprehension, writing, reading, speaking, reasoning or calculating (Brown, 2003; Geary 2005).

Research also suggests that between 0.45% and 0.6% of children will have a moderate to severe learning disability. This suggests that there are between 55,000 and 75,000 children with a moderate to severe learning disability, the majority of whom live at home with one or two parents within Croydon (South London) (DoH, 2002).

Discussion

Learning disabilities in Children is a special area of study as children with learning difficulties should be identified early at school to provide them with special provisions and aids. Thus early identification helps in recognizing needs of such children to help them academically, socially and psychologically (Brown, 2003).

A life course approach to disability involves a number of interrelated issues and debates across each generational stage. Key debates that stem from a critical disability studies perspective focus on the role of the family and health, the influence of policy and legislation, and the ability to enact self-determination, all of which are critical to furthering our understanding of a disability across the life course. One of the most ubiquitous and controversial debates in a life course approach to disability centers on questions about the “worth” or “value” of a life. Such questions are underpinned by medicine, culture, religion, and/or moral beliefs. These varying approaches all have a significant role in valuing and determining what should guide decisions about the worth of a life. Compounding this issue is an ongoing challenge that people with disabilities face in transitioning though generational stages, especially when the markers of success focus on autonomy and independence. Factors such as the type of disability, the availability of informal and formal supports, and economic resources influence concepts around “normal” transitions through life stages. Additionally, as medical advances change the level of information and knowledge about disability, and as the population of persons with a disability increases at birth and in aging, the issues become more complex. At times, there may be competing perspectives on what is “best” ...