Educational Support For Children With Learning Difficulties

Educational support for children with learning difficulties is crucial for having an inclusive school. In today’s school, there are several measures that encourage:

1. Full integration of all students
2. The right to a good education in ordinary schools or, in exceptional cases, in special schools.

Educational support for children with learning difficulties

Students with special educational needs have at their disposal a series of specific resources, such as:

• Personal support
• Special measures
• Curriculum adaptations
• Flexibility
• Individual attention

These are all in place to help students overcome their learning barriers and give them fair and equal treatment. Thus, the most important people responsible for teaching these children are the head teacher and the special needs teachers.

Educational support from the head teacher

The class teacher is responsible for creating an understanding of diversity by promoting knowledge, mutual respect and accepting differences.

To do this, the person must implement a series of measures adapted to the degree of learning for all children in the class, according to an inclusive method. In that sense, the person can choose between the following:

• Adapt methods and materials to the needs of all students
• Have flexible groupings
• Suggest activities for children with intellectual disabilities that are similar to those learned by their peers, but with some modifications, such as:
  • Give more time to perform the tasks
  • Simplify the content or its presentation
  • Give explanations step by step
  • Provide help and guidance
  • Reduce the number of tasks required
• Create a work routine that helps these students to be independent and to promote self-determination.

• Spend more time on certain goals or important content for all students, but especially for those with intellectual disabilities. In these they should work with:
  • Communication
  • Reading comprehension
  • Psychomotor skills
  • The ability to use numbers and basic arithmetic
  • The ability to establish relationships with others
• Establish, in exceptional cases, significant learning adjustments. These consist of:
  • To remove content and goals that are NOT considered necessary
  • Change the evaluation criteria

If all this is to be effective, it is important that the teacher avoids using negative labels and comparisons. The teacher should know how to deal with any frustrations of students with intellectual disabilities in order to prevent any aggressive behavior and self-harming behaviors.

Educational support from special teachers

Special needs teachers are extremely important in the development of individuals with learning difficulties. They are often one of the most important sources of teaching support in the school environment. They are in continuous communication with the head teacher to strengthen and consolidate the learning.

Therapeutic pedagogy and hearing and language adaptations are responsible for:

• To select, develop and adapt the teaching material
• Facilitate assimilation of knowledge and information
• Implement individualized training support programs

In the same way, students with learning difficulties who cannot cope on their own need the help of a caregiver or a student assistant throughout the school day. This is to provide educational support, but not teaching.

As a result, they must be knowledgeable in tasks related to:

• Autonomy
• Availability
• Transport
• Health
• Security
• Attention, vigilance and nursing

To sum up, having a student with learning difficulties means that you must implement specific and personal educational support.