Loch Primary School

Learning Disabilities & Difficulties

Learning Disabilities / Difficulties / Differences

Apart from the typical learners, typically around 75% - 80% of students, there are three broad groups  of students  in classrooms:

 

1) Learning Difficulty

Learning Difficulty is an umbrella term that describes the 15 - 20% of students who experience difficulty with learning for a variety of reasons. these can include (not an exhaustive list):

  • long absences from school
  • differences in early language and literacy experiences due to environmental opportunity
  • can be but not always linked to social gradient
  • chronic middle ear infections
  • uncorrected vision impairment and or unaided hearing impairment
  • instructional casualties (poor teaching)

2) Learning Disability

Students with learning disabilities are neuro - atypical. Their problem with learning have an intrinsic, neuro - biological basis.  These students typically respond less well or more slowly to instructional supports and may need specialist educational / clinical support. these students may receive a diagnosis such as Specific Learning Disorder, Language Disorder, Dyslexia, ADHD, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia etc

 

3) Intellectual impairment

These are students present with IQ below 70th percentile. This includes approximately 2 - 3% of all students.

 

There are many learning disabilities and difficulties that teachers are required to be knowledgeable about.  Students can present with one or many of these difficulties:

  • Auditory Processing Disorder
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Dyslexia
  • Dysgraphia
  • Dyscalculia
  • Dyspraxia
  • Language Disorder
  • Intellectual Disability
  • Tourettes Syndrome
  • Severe Behaviour Disorder
  • Oppositional Defiance Disorder

Schools and their communities must treat students with disability and their families with respect.    Schools must follow the Disability Standards for Education.

Disability Discrimination Act 1992

In Australia we have law that protect us. Laws are the rules that everyone must follow. Law are made by

  • Governments
  • Legal systems including the courts

The laws are there so that we can all:

  • Be treated fairly
  • Feel safe
  • Take part in the community
  • Respect each other

In Australia, DDA is a law that says people with disability must be treat fairly. People also have to treat you fairly if you:

  • look after someone with a disability
  • use equipment or an aide to help you
  • have a dog or other animal who helps you to get around

What is a disability?

  • Your body is not working in the right way
  • your body has something that will stop it working the way in the future
  • You find it hard to learn no matter how hard you try
  • Your thoughts and feelings make life difficult for you sometimes or all the time

If you are a student with a disability you have the right to take part in education just like all other students.  Students have the right to:

  • Go to the school they choose
  • Do the same sorts of things at school that others do
  • Be taught in the way that works best for them
  • Get the support they need to be at school, to learn and be assessed
  • Be treated with respect