4 myths about learning difficulties

Usually, When we say that a minor has learning difficulties, a series of preconceived ideas automatically appear in our minds about what the boy or girl in question will be like, as well as their academic and professional career.

From this perspective, instead of accompanying them adequately, the negative judgment they receive from their closest environment can negatively influence their academic and personal development.

Therefore, it is essential to know what are the warning signs that we can observe and, instead of staying with that negative image, carry out a deeper analysis and evaluation to understand what is happening to them and know how to help them.

To do this, we would like to dismantle some of the beliefs or myths that surround people with learning difficulties.

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Myths about learning disabilities very harmful

The one you will see below are several erroneous beliefs that should be discarded.

1. "He behaves very badly, he is only interested in attracting attention"

Bad behavior is the main alarm signal for different neurodevelopmental disorders, including those related to learning. When a minor presents disruptive behavior, it is necessary to assess if there is something beyond that may be affecting him.

For example, if a child is having difficulty acquiring language, it is likely that when their classmates want to tell them something, do not understand them and can act inappropriately with them (pushing or hitting) to get what they want she wants. Therefore, we must not stay on the surface and judge this child solely for his behavior, but to help him develop communication skills that favor interaction with peers.

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2. "He doesn't make an effort, he is very lazy"

Neurodevelopmental disorders can affect the learning process of a boy or a girl in various ways, making it more complex. Thus, if they have difficulty acquiring or developing language, maintaining attention, organizing information or understand abstract concepts, among other aspects, when faced with tasks schoolchildren the effort they make is very great, but on many occasions they do not reach the expected result.

Therefore, after making efforts that are not recognized or rewarded, they reach the conclusion that it is better not to make an effort by verbalizing themselves “what for if I am not going to get Approve?".

3. "Everything happens, he doesn't want to study"

Taking into account the previous idea, if a boy or a girl is trying for a while without obtaining satisfactory results, the emotion you feel constantly is frustration.

Over time, this frustration can generate insecurity and build the idea of ​​"inability", an aspect that on certain occasions leads them to drop out of school.

Therefore, it is essential to understand that children and adolescents with learning difficulties they do want to learn, but they cannot do it in the same way; that is, they need another methodology or adapt the pace of learning.

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4. "You're not going to get anything in life"

Assuming that a boy or a girl who has learning difficulties is going to fail in school and, therefore, her professional development is not going to be fruitful, is one of the biggest mistakes.

The fact of having a difficulty in the learning process does not imply that they do not have the capacity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to overcome the different academic stages and choose what you want to dedicate yourself to. The only difference is the way in which they need to carry out this process, therefore, the formula must be to provide them with strategies and tools with which they can compensate for their weak points.

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In conclusion...

Boys and girls with learning difficulties, beyond the adaptations they require in the learning process, they need to be understood and accompanied emotionally so that the development of their identity is adequate.

Author: Victoria Jariego Cordero, General Health Psychologist, member of the TAP Center.