Page 20 - Part-A

Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties

Adam’s comment on the previous page sums up the way that individuals may feel and
helps to illustrate how challenging this can be in a classroom.

Someone like Adam may be unable to concentrate on one subject for very long. He
might often forget that he has homework, or he may speak or act without thinking. He
might also rush through his work without double-checking it for errors.
An adult with ADHD may find themselves constantly late for work and meetings, always
disorganised, forgetful, and overwhelmed by the responsibilities of a job.

Life can feel chaotic and overwhelming as the person struggles to stay organised by
prioritising and keeping track of everyday tasks and managing time. It’s highly likely
that an individual’s home, office, desk or car will be cluttered.

All of these things can affect relationships, as those closest to the individual may
not understand their behaviors and may have previously labelled the person as lazy,
stupid, irresponsible or insensitive.

Dyslexia

The characteristics of dyslexia are always present, but are not always obvious to a
teacher or parent.

One of the first recognisable signs of dyslexia in a child is often when they experience
difficulty in learning to read aloud or to recognise letters. In students with dyslexia,
reading aloud is often slower and less accurate than expected in relation to their age,
school level, and education received. The child may appear to have poor concentration
and confuse left and right. They might seem skilled in some ways but struggle
unexpectedly in others.

A dyslexic student in school or college may find it harder to cope with the requirements
of study and find that things like essay writing and taking notes in lectures are more
demanding and frustrating than would usually be the case. Revising for exams can
also be exceptionally stressful.

Every individual with dyslexia has a different set of symptoms and abilities with
wide variations in their strengths and weaknesses. It may be that a person is highly
intelligent and quickly grasps any new concepts or skills, but is frustrated by a lack of
ability to write things down and express themselves clearly in written form. This can be
distressing and a cause of considerable anxiety.

In the workplace, adults may find that their difficulties become exacerbated when they
are under pressure. If they have little time to complete work or tasks, they may feel
that all the effort they put into work is not reflected in their performance or results.
This can affect their progress and promotion prospects. Struggling with personal
organisation, report writing, forgetting appointments and names of people at work
can also be characteristics of dyslexia that manifest themselves in the work setting.

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