Coping with learning disabilities

Learning disabilities are not well known in Kenya yet they are more common than either physical disability, visual and hearing impairments or mental handicaps. With the proper intervention, however, they need not be a hindrance to academic excellence, writes FLORENCE ONYANGO

We are all different, from our likes and dislikes, to how we perceive life and the way we learn.

Some people are quick at understanding while others take a little longer to put two and two together. Yet for others, such a problem could be a result of a learning disability.

Florence Kangethe, mother of 18-year-old Sylvia Njoki, tells of her daughter’s experience with a learning disability.

"Sylvia used to be in a mainstream school with her twin sister." Florence says. "She used to have a hard time catching up in school and the teachers did not understand why this was so. They told her to go sit at a corner in the class. One time she was left there sleeping. It was so hard for her that she refused to go back to the school. It was then that my husband decided to go to Kenya Institute for Special Education (KISE) to find help."

It was a long process but eventually, the two heard of a school where their daughter could be assisted. Today, Sylvia is a student at the Grangeville School in Nairobi and is doing well.

"I am happy here," Sylvia says with a wide grin. "My favourite subjects are Maths and English. I hope to be a teacher someday."

Sylvia is also artistic, plays the piano and enjoys beadwork.

A learning disability is the inability to receive and process information in a typical manner thus being unable to learn as quickly as an unaffected individual.

The problem is perceived to be an imbalance of the central nervous system affecting listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning and the mathematical learning process.

Learning disabilities are not well known in Kenya yet they are more common than either physical disability, visual and hearing impairments as well as mental disability.

"In Kenya, a few studies have claimed that a large number of children are non-readers. Some of these children may be having learning disabilities while others have general learning difficulties," explains Dr Mary Runo, the chairperson of the Special Education department at Kenyatta University.

Low esteem

Studies reviewed have shown that about 30 per cent of children in Standard One experience learning difficulties. Even though the children look ‘normal’, they are unable to perform commensurate with their age and ability. These children become disenfranchised because their educational needs are not met adequately. Many develop low self esteem and eventually drop out of school. Early identification leading to early intervention causes a seventy percent recovery.

The lack of awareness on learning disabilities in schools could have negative psychological effects on children with learning disabilities.

Florence talks about the hurt she experienced in the way the teachers handled Sylvia’s situation in her old school. Being a teacher herself, she urges teachers not to be hasty in dismissing students and to try and to be supportive and encouraging as opposed to being negative.

Though it is a condition often diagnosed in early childhood, learning disability is something that can last a lifetime.

"It is not an occurrence at early childhood period alone," Dr Runo says. "But with the right support and intervention, the child can succeed in school and have a successful career later in life. This is by means of fostering the child’s strengths and knowing his/her weaknesses. He/she should be helped to develop their strong points to the fullest of their potential."

Defying odds

Considering the understaffing in many schools, teachers are often overwhelmed and it may prove difficult to keep an eye on all students. Nonetheless, teachers ought to consider the possibilities of their students having learning disabilities.

"Teachers should encourage the learners with a learning disability to aim high and think of life success rather than school success," advises Dr Runo. "A teacher should teach the life stories of eminent individual who had learning disabilities and eventually became successful contributors to society."

Learning disabilities are conditions that affect people worldwide and some of those who have been diagnosed with the disablity have gone on to be presidents, such as Woodrow Wilson and billionaire Sir Richard Branson. Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton, both said to have had learning disabilities, went on to defy the odds to achieve what they did.

Teachers are not the only ones who can encourage students with learning disabilities; parents play the most important role in being supportive and encouraging.

"It is advisable that parents consult experts if they see that their child is not developing well. Unfortunately, most parents do consult medical doctors first. Quite a number of parents have told me that they were advised to wait because their child will ‘outgrow’ the small problem. Some parents who finally come to me have moved from one doctor to another looking for solutions for their children," Dr Runo says.

Since most of the children with learning disabilities are in good health, the parents get confused why their children are not performing well in school.

"Waiting for the problem to go away may never happen and many years go by before the problem is dealt with," says Dr Runo.

Parents, therefore, should take their child for assessment in order to establish their educational level. Assessment can be done by specialists such as psychologists or specially trained teachers with a bias of learning disabilities, among others.

There are individual learning institutions that recognise learning disabilities. Among them are the Grangeville School, the Kenya Community Centre for Learning (KCCL)and Gibson’s School, all in Nairobi.

KCCL was started in 2001 by parents who had formed an outfit called Parents helping Parents, borne out of a desire to see their children receive training they would not normally receive in the mainstream education system. It provides programmes designed to address challenges such as dyslexia, autism, communication disorders, attention deficit disorders (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotional disorders, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy and other delayed developmental milestones.

"Children with learning disabilities, who would be termed as slow learners need individualised attention and therapy," says Ciriaka Gitonga, an educational psychologist and head of the centre in an interview for KenyaKidz.

"The children do not understand why they don’t learn therefore a teacher has to be understanding, patient and even empathic... it is a unique calling," Ciriaka adds.

Their programme is literacy and numeracy based. To move from one level of education to the next (elementary, middle, senior) depends on how fast a child is able to master milestones in the class.

Mental age

When the children get to 21 years of age, they are introduced to vocational training programmes to specialise in.

The Grangeville school was started in 2009 by parents with children in need of special attention and is among the few schools in Kenya that focuses on learning disabilities.

"Sometimes you find that a child is a few years below his/her actual age or performing lower than the age mates," says Mr Mwangi, the principal.

For example, you may find a 15-year-old learner who doesn’t seem to have problems in communication and may be having normal or above normal intelligence but has serious difficulties in academic work and socialisation and presently performing close to a child with the mental capacity of a 10-year-old.

"Here, we perform assessment to establish the mental age, strengthens and weaknesses of a child and from there we are able to design an Individualised Educational Programme (IEP) and to come up with a method of teaching that is unique to the child," says Mwangi.

"The challenge we face is that we need more teachers who are committed and well trained," he laments.

Every classroom is restricted to six students. There is a single long curved table so that the students sit in a semi-curve around the teacher. There is a lot of art work on the walls, such as paintings and bead drawings.

"Parents should give their children room to learn to be independent," Mwangi advises. "Most of the parents worry about their children and how they will cope on their own but these children have the capability of excelling."

Children with learning disabilities, through identification, special attention and support, can manage to excel in their education. However when neglected, they may loose interest in school and may be psychologically affected, lowering their self-esteem and confidence. They may also be demoralised due to negative feedback on their academic efforts.