- Parents, teachers and employers should aim to provide a quiet area for learning and working that is away from distractions.
- Material should be presented in small units, as individuals with learning disorders often have difficulty with long and detailed instructions but can process and follow smaller chunks of information.
- For learning disorders affecting reading and spelling, systematic training in phonics (linking letters with sounds) should be given to ensure that the person has adequate opportunity to develop these skills.
- Where possible, workloads and time frames should be adjusted to allow individuals to read the required information at their own pace and ensure they have enough time to spend on written information.
- Take care not to focus attention on the person’s learning difficulty, for example by expecting a child to read out loud in front of the classroom.
- Schools and employers should allow alternative forms of presenting work other than in written form. Individuals or their families can often negotiate with the school or the employer to see if other forms of providing information are possible such as verbal presentations or oral examinations.
- If individuals are having problems with reading or spelling they should be encouraged to use a spellcheck or to have someone read through their written work.
- When teaching children with learning disorders, where possible make the tasks highly motivating by aiming them at the child’s level of interest and understanding. This will promote persistence.
- Teachers should try to use examples and check that the child has understood.
- Avoid making negative comments such as labelling an individual as ‘lazy’ or ‘stupid’. Explain instead that you understand the difficulties and provide a supportive environment.
- People with learning difficulties often experience low selfesteem and it is important to reward effort and any successes in any areas of their life, even if they are small.
- Develop non-academic areas of competence, such as sports, art or music that will provide the individual with a feeling of competence and promote self-esteem.
Remember that people with specific learning disorders have the capacity to learn despite their difficulty. Therefore, they should be treated as individuals who, with appropriate support, can achieve and make important contributions to society.