Life Development Centre Methodology.

Learning difficulty and disabled children should not be discriminated as what most do.

Methodology

"Learning difficulty means significantly sub average general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behaviour and manifested during the developmental period that adversely affects a child's educational performance." Children with learning difficulty become adults; they do not remain "eternal children".

Learning Difficulty may be complicated by physical and emotional problems. The child may also have difficulty with hearing, sight or speech. All these problems can lower the child's potential.

To diagnose as a person with learning difficulty, the person has to have both significantly low IQ and considerable problems in adapting to everyday life. There are many psychological tests available to measure the intelligence or mental functioning of the child. The earlier the problem is detected the better it is for the child. Sometimes parents try to hide the fact until it becomes apparent to all, and by then it is too late to get timely help. If proper facilities are not utilized, a mentally deficient child will definitely develop severe social and emotional problems as well.

It has to be remembered that, tasks many people learn without instruction may need to be instructured, or broken down into small steps or segments, with each steps being carefully taught.

Severe:

The entire development of the child gets affected physically, socially and emotionally along with mentally. Some of these children cannot perform the simplest of tasks that we all seem to take for granted. Simple things like walking straight, eating or toilet training. They are not capable of doing anything and even can't take care of themselves. They can't recognize their dresses, dress up or dress off. They can't eat themselves; even it's difficult to feed them. They need help to stand up and sit down. While teaching them, they cannot concentrate, some of them have got epilepsy and special care should be taken for them. Most of the children from severe group have got epilepsy. For those children special attention and proper care must be taken because at any time they might get an accident. The development of the child is very much slower. A great amount of patience and tolerance is required to supervise and handle such a child. The development of the children is dependent upon the learning capacity of the children.

Mild

They can take care of themselves if provided with proper help. They are fast learning than the severe child. They can do simple reading and writing activities provided with more love and care. They can recognize their dresses, dress up and dress off. On little help, they can clean up their bodies as well as their rooms. They can help other children in feeding and walking. Besides this, they can do gardening and some sorts of kitchen works. They can make their living if trained with vocational trainings.

Moderate

They can do things as directed. They can be improved with great amount of help and direction. They can also do simple reading and writing activities if provided with more love and care. They can also make their livings out of vocational trainings.

Autistic

Autistic is a word that has been heard by many but not clearly understood. Autism is a disorder that impairs a person's ability to communicate and interact with other people. The cause of autism is still unknown. They are always concentrating on something and they should not be disturbed. There is no cure for autism but proper trainings may reduce symptoms and help people with autism function better.

In teaching persons with learning difficulty, it is important to:

Use concrete materials that are interesting, age-appropriate, and relevant to the children.
Present information and instruction in small, sequential steps and review each step frequently.
Provide prompt and consistent feedback.
Teach tasks or skills in that children will use frequently in such a way that children can apply the task or skills in setting outside of school.
It has to be remembered that tasks that many people learn without instruction may need to be instructured, or broken down into small steps or segments, with each steps being carefully taught.

Children and adults with learning difficulty need the same basic services that all people need for normal development. These include education, vocational preparation, health services, recreational opportunities, and many more. In addition, many persons with learning difficulty need specialized services for special needs. Such services include diagnostic and evaluation centres; special early education opportunities, beginning with infant stimulation programs and continuing through preschool; and educational programs that include age-appropriate activities, functional academics, transition training, and opportunities for independent living and competitive employment to the maximum extent possible.

Click here to view the Roles of Parents.

Children and adults with learning difficulty need the same basic services that all people need for normal development.

Many persons with learning difficulty need specialized services for special needs. Such services include diagnostic & evaluation centres; special early education, vocational trainings, opportunities, beginning with infant stimulation programs & continuing through preschool; and opportunities for independent living and competitive employment to the maximum extent .