Learning problems. Identify, treat and help a child who does not learn

Learning problems. Identify, treat and help a child who does not learn

Learning disabilities affect 1 in 10 school-age children. These problems can be detected in children from the 5 years and are a major concern for many parents, as they affect the school performance interpersonal relationships and their children. A child with learning disabilities usually have a normal level of intelligence, Of visual acuity and hearing. 

Is a child who strives to follow the instructions, focus and behave at home and at school. Your challenge is to capture, process and master the tasks and information, and then later develop. The child with this problem simply can not do the same as the others, although their level of intelligence is the same.

Detecting learning problems in children

The child with specific learning disabilities presents unusual patterns, when perceiving things in the external environment. His neurological patterns are different from those of other children of the same age. However, they share some kind of failure in school or in your community.

When a child has trouble processing the information received, he betrays his behavior. Parents should be vigilant and observe the most common signs that indicate the presence of a learning disability:

- Difficulty understanding and track tasks and instructions.

- Trouble remembering what someone just said.

- Difficulty mastering basic skills of reading, Spelling, writing and/or math, and thus fails in school work.

- Difficulty distinguishing between right and left, To identify words, etc. You can present tendency to write letters, words or numbers backward.

- Lack of coordination walking, playing sports or perform simple activities such as holding a pencil or tying a shoelace.

- Easy to lose or lose their school supplies, books and other items.

- Difficulty understanding the concept of time, Mistaking the "yesterday", with "Today" and/or "tomorrow."

- Tendency to irritation or to express excitement easily.

Characteristics of learning problems

Children with learning disabilities often occur, according to the list obtained from When Learning is a Problem/LDA (Learning Disabilities Association of America), Features and/or deficiencies in:

Reading (vision) The child is very close to the book, says words aloud; notes, substituted, omitted and invests the words; sees double jump and read the same line twice, do not read fluently, has little understanding in oral reading; omitted final consonants in oral reading; blinks excessively, you cross when reading; tends to rub eyes and complain that itch, presents problems of visual impairment, poor spelling, among others.

Writing Invest and vary the height of the letters; leaves no space between words and does not write over the lines, grab the pencil awkwardly and has not determined if it is right or left handed, move and place the paper in the wrong way, try to write with finger, has a poorly organized thinking and poor posture.

Auditory and verbal The child shows apathy, cold, Allergy and/or asthma often, mispronounce words, breathe through your mouth complains Ear Problems And you feel dizzy, goes blank when spoken, speaks loud; depends on other visually and closely observes the teacher, can not go more than one instruction at a time, put the TV and radio too loud.

Mathematics The student spends the numbers, have difficulty knowing when, poor comprehension and memory of numbers, math facts does not answer.

Attention and concentration of children

The environment a child is full of information, news and stimuli. Perhaps, therefore, it is difficult for them to maintain a attention and a concentration in school and in their work in a particular way.

The general attention required by any relevant change in his life has sometimes difficulties learning.

Attention: base learning

Through attention, our mind can focus on one stimulus from among all those around us to ignore all others. With the concentration of the skills fundamental knowledge in the process, keep the attention focused on a point of interest, for as long as necessary. Concentration is practically impossible without learn anything, therefore, the concentration is essential for the learning.
Tips to promote focus and concentration

1. Avoid distractions. Dispense with anything that may distract the child, personal problems, family, lack of focus, noise, etc.

2. Diversifying tasks. Change of subject or subject study intervals. The changes help you start the process of care and so the child can stay focused longer.

3. Create routines and study habits. It should start study every day at a set time to get a good cerebral performance. If a person gets used to make the effort to focus every day at the same time, after a few days will you make your mind to focus more easily then.

4. Mark times. It is necessary to set a time for each task or activity and do it exacted on schedule.

5. Organize tasks. Should perform the most difficult tasks when the child is most rested.

6. Focusing the mind. To be fully performance The concentration requires preheating, which may consist of a few minutes (no more than five) to cross out some letters (pick one) of a sheet of paper. You can then move on to the scheduled activity.

7. Set goals and objectives. It is very important that children have clear goals to be achieved. When we want something real and strong, mobilized many of our resources to try to reach it. Therefore, if the child has a clear goal in the study, most of you will to get it.

8. Collate breaks. The care process which usually follows a decay curve over time. Therefore, it is desirable to insert breaks to regain focus.

9. Synthesize and summarize. Mentally summarize what has been heard for an explanation and short phrases pointing details of more interest is a good technique to exercise care.

Difficulties of children in the study: strategies for change

Getting children strive Is focus, learn realize their goals and achieve in school, is not an easy task for them or their parents. For children to succeed in school, need to possess the brainpower to study, they are motivated, they gradually acquire knowledge and know master work and study habits.

Getting good grades is a matter of effort and discipline. Having luck on exams means doing what is good and has worked with some guidelines for organization and basic techniques necessary for the study and will be easier to get good grades. Here are some tips, Aimed at identifying the most frequent difficulties in the study and implement the most appropriate intervention strategies in each case.

Patterns of organization and study skills

1. Difficulty planning
Occurs when the child studies, but does not devote the necessary time. In other cases, attempts to study at the last minute or in the hours passed, therefore is more tired, and you get the impression that you have studied and worked when, in fact, not the case.

Strategy. Planning is based on determining a daily schedule for the study. Spend time every day to study and realization of homework Will help the child to keep up with their studies. For an elementary schooler, half an hour to an hour would be a reasonable time, while one of Secondary should spend about an hour and a half. Children should perform each task on a schedule.

2. Memory difficulties or fixing of the contents. Not the same understanding that only memorize the lesson. The learning process involves understanding what you want to assimilate and then memorize it, and is done through repetition of content. The lack of concentration and proper technique for setting the content (which is achieved by reading, underline, outline and summary) also makes investigation.

Strategy. The intervention is, in these cases, improving attention and concentration, using mnemonics, and reviewing the issue. Parents can ask their children the lesson to check the results.

3. Difficulty with attention and concentration. It occurs when a child has a hard time concentrating and to study. Any stimulus attracts around his attention and waste time. Its performance is poor and takes too long to do their jobs.

Strategy. To help, you need to remove the stimuli that may be capturing their attention while he studies (television, food, brothers around). It is advisable to do the most difficult tasks when you are more rested, and to study at the same time every day to get a good cerebral performance. It is recommended that the study interleaved with moments of rest, for the child to regain concentration.

4. Difficulty in reading. The child does not have enough speed in the reading or understanding of what they read. Have difficulty knowing the meaning of words used quite common, so its vocabulary is rather poor. Also presents difficulties for texts with correct structures and clear, has a tendency to postpone tasks and averse to reading. Furthermore, cases of children with dyslexia will be treated in an appropriate way and special.

Strategy. To intervene in this case, it is best that the child begins to read aloud to acquire a correct intonation, which will help you understand what is being read. After reading, you should ask the child about the most important ideas of the text he has read. It is also advisable to correct a defect of reading and encourage him to seek out unfamiliar words in the dictionary.

5. Lack of basic. It is characterized by difficulties in subjects whose contents have a strong connection between parts and others, as is the case mathematics. The child fails to assimilate the basic structures of the contents of the various areas.

Strategy. To change this situation, it is necessary to address this issue with tutoring. An older brother, parents or a tutor can help the child regain the missing. Thus, we will be enhancing their study skills in all subjects.

6. Test Anxiety. The child may be a good student, but fear to suspend him anguish overwhelms him and eventually lose confidence in himself. Feel nervousness and anxiety in the days before the exams, and creates negative thoughts about their results. As a result, you can make stomach ache, insomnia, Sweaty palms, inappetence and muscular tension, and palpitations. Some develop automatic actions as nail biting, For example.

Strategy. To alleviate this situation is appropriate, first, help the child explaining what happens so you know that everything is hopeless. Then, teach him to develop positive thoughts, focusing on what we need to do here and now, without comparing him with others. It is necessary to teach the child to relax to overcome the situation to avoid attend the review, even if it seems difficult.

Why children fail in school? Learning problems. Identification and treatment of the child who does not learn

Why children fail in school?

Often, we hear in the news figures school failure almost eerie, suspense, low esteemThe low level of learning seem to be the traveling companion of many schools in Spain. The latest polls tell of a 29% failure rate is well above the European average, despite the demographic decline. Do they have children less brainpower in Spain than in Sweden? Obviously, no.

There is talk of school failure when a child does not achieve the performance level expected for their age and level, and not the lack of intellectual capacity, which means you really are failing educational models offered to children in schools . 

The way to evaluate the child are the marks obtained at the end of the course through testsBut are rarely taken into account other aspects such as more individualized attention the child with difficulties and potentialities, the detection of learning problems or other personal or emotional. We are sorry, but many times we see the wolf ears when our children are still small and we prefer to hide our eyes rather than take action.

I talked to some parents of my children home from school on this important issue and many think that the level of demand in schools is less than before and many of us are obliged to Tutorials home for our child understands a concept or make tasks. 

Personally, I have found as many children automate without understanding math problems or make mistakes without learning from them later. When my oldest son tells me that he has dropped the note because he has had one or two failures, I always ask if you have had a chance to see the faults that had never to commit or learn from them. 

I almost always say no, give the note and just. There are many shortcomings to be rectified! Yesterday I heard on the radio to an important figure in the field of education (I can not remember his name) who spoke of being offered the children an educational model that has the sole objective: learn by playing. This gentleman, very critical, said something that he understands education as a game, play to educate. 

And I think you're right, there is learning, especially at early ages, which are much easier through the game, but there are certain disciplines that are written only using the memory and effort, despite explaining in a pleasant and will encourage the child to perform the learning. 

Learning does not come alone, you have to want it and we must strive to get good results. We must all homework in this respect on our part, it is essential to be alert to developments and needs of our son in school and teach good work habits. 

Learning problems. Identification and treatment of the child who does not learn

The learning problems can have negative consequences for the intellectual development and affective of children. If not identified and treated early, the self-esteemThe personal assessment, the socialibilidad and generally child's daily activities may be affected. An early identification is essential to start treatment early. Contrary to what might be thought, learning disabilities do not have a direct relationship with the child's IQ, but with his ability to work, the interest paid to technical studies and sets off to learn.

Evolution of learning problems

Their effects range to widen and deepen with time. For example, a child who does not learn addition in elementary school, you can not understand algebra in high school. The child, trying very hard to learn, becomes increasingly frustrated and develops emotional problems derived from low self-esteem to many failures. Some children with learning disabilities misbehave in school because prefer that others think are "bad" before they think are "stupid".

In 1983, the American Bar Association said there is a clear link between learning problems not diagnosed early and juvenile delinquency. The child and adolescent psychiatrists indicate that problems learningcan be treated and deserve a personalized assessment by an expert who can judge the different factors affecting the child. A child and adolescent psychiatrist can help coordinate the evaluation, also working in collaboration with school professionals and teachers to clarify if a learning problem.

Treatment for learning disabilities

The treatment begins dialogue with the child and family to assess the situation. Here, we review the educational testing and consultation with the school for the child and adolescent psychiatrist recommended if necessary to carry out special aid as speech therapy or special education. Set the steps to be followed by parents to help children and recommend the most appropriate therapy for your child to achieve their maximum learning potential, it is essential to start treatment.

Sometimes, we recommend following individual or family psychotherapy. In some cases, require drugs if it detects a ADDH or Attention Deficit Disorder and Hyperactivity. In general, it is important to reinforce the child's confidence in itself because increase self-esteem influence their development and help parents and other members of the familyto entiender better situation to deal with the reality of living with a child with learning problems.
 

The genius and learning

Throughout history, we find several characters who, despite having had problems in learning, successfully highlighted in their lives. These people contributed significantly to the development of the human race. They serve as a model and indicate the potential that our students can achieve if they are diagnosed and treated promptly put them. Some of these are: Thomas Alva Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Beethoven, Winston Churchill, John F Kennedy, Walt Disney or Tom Cruise, among others.

Source consulted:
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)

Learning to learn

In many cases, children have very good available for study and, however, in practice for a long time to pass memorize a lesson or to understand a concept. Spend their time without picking up the fruits of their efforts and, therefore, end up demotivated and delay the time to study. Unfortunately many times the failure or inefficiency in the study is caused by a lack of strategies to do so and a low intelligence or problems attention.

In the first years of primary school, our children are faced with the challenge to start study. It is worth to attend classes and meet; need to memorize, understand, synthesize, relate and explain. The learn to learn now make their life easier ... the rest of his life.

What can we do as parents? As always, complement what our children learn in the school, Closer to their minds and realities show that learn with enthusiasm because they are extremely useful, because we are not going to assess on them. Too many children spend hours and hours "Studying" without good results, in a spiral of effort 

- poor performance 

- motivation, mark them academically and, eventually, often professionally. 

Is it so difficult to learn to learn? I think learning to learn is how to learn to sell, learn to planned or learn to decide. These things are absolutely vital, which is taken for granted, and that neither we nor our educators have devoted explicitly the time it deserves. 

Learning to learn not recipes Or Recetillas. You have methods, Which must be acquired, assimilated and utilized. I will quote some of which are key for me to learn: 

- Distinguish concepts: objects or words to differentiate, look for differences. 

- Perform definitions: we start by saying that "no" are the things to go delimiting the scope or play to give clues to hit an object or animal. 

- Linking ideas: using mnemonics that allow us to remember a name or thing in relation to more everyday 

- Focus: Do not lose the thread or the central idea that we study 

- Outline: make outlines or trees in which some concepts belonging to other 

- Synthesize: making summaries or to respond to a few central questions 

- Meditate: to reflect on their learning No subject in school to try these activities our mind And yet we need to perform them throughout life, it is important that from the beginning we put our children on the trail of how.

How do I know if my child has stress?

A child stress tends to have an attitude of anxiety and depression, sleep problems and feeding, To have a impulsive behavior and low academic achievement. These are the main symptoms childhood stress. It is when the child "shouts" with their behavior and capabilities "You can not anymore."

It is very important for your children family environment be as balanced as possible, without too many demands or very permissive. Without too many controls or much indifference on the part of parents. You can not educate a child with much or little. Too many activities, concerns, and even lonelinessCan take the child to have stress, the consequences can alter their physical and mental health.

Prevention and treatment of childhood stress are usually effective. 

Researchers at University of Malaga (UMA) have created a new method aimed at measuring the childhood stress, Known as "Everyday Stressors Inventory." 

They say kids today are very aware of their physical appearance, the extracurricular activities, And in solitude for a long time, and that these conditions represent a risk of stress. 

This new method holds up to 25 items of everyday situations in the areas of health, school, Family and peer relationships, relevant aspects in the development of children. In addition, data are contrasted with those of teachers and parents, especially when related to school grades and health problems. Just as an indicator is associated with hormonal and predicts the "socioemotional adjustment" of children. 

All this information allows psychoeducational intervention guidelines and improve the survival of a child with his environment, and allow him to develop adequate tools for managing daily stress throughout their lives. Moreover, as parents should keep away from our problems and our commitments, and provide them with more relaxing activities such as play, Dancing, singing, walking.