In general, 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 view, instead of accompanying them appropriately, the negative judgment they receive from their closest environment can negatively influence their academic and personal development.
Therefore, it is essential to know what warning signs 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 exist around people with learning difficulties.
What you will see below are several erroneous beliefs that should be gotten rid of.
1. “He behaves very badly, he’s only interested in getting attention”
Bad behavior is the main warning sign of different neurodevelopmental disorders, including those that are related to learning. When a minor presents disruptive behavior, it is necessary to assess if there is something further that may be affecting him or her.
For example, if a child is having difficulties in acquiring language, it is likely that when his schoolmates want to say something, he will not understand them and may act inappropriately with them (pushing or hitting) to get what he wants. wants. Therefore, We should not stay on the surface and judge this child solely by his behavior but rather help you develop communication skills that promote interaction with peers.
Neurodevelopmental disorders can affect a boy or girl’s learning process in various ways, making it more complex. Thus, if they have difficulty acquiring or developing language, maintaining attention, organizing information or understanding abstract concepts, among other aspects, when faced with school tasks The effort they make is very great, but on many occasions they do not achieve the expected result.
Therefore, after making efforts that are not recognized or rewarded, they come to the conclusion that it is better not to put in the effort, verbalizing to themselves “why else am I going to pass?”
3. “Everything happens, he doesn’t want to study”
Taking into account the previous idea, if a boy or girl is trying for a while without obtaining satisfactory results, the emotion you constantly feel is frustration.
Over time, this frustration can generate insecurity and build the idea of “incapacity”, 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 can’t do it the same way ; That is, they need another methodology or adapt the learning pace.
4. “You are not going to achieve anything in life”
Assuming that a boy or girl who has learning difficulties is going to fail in school and, therefore, their 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 mean that you do not have the capacity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to overcome the different academic stages and choose what you want to do. 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 weaknesses.
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.
