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Context is everything.
Detailed stories on technology startups, business and economic current affairs.
Detailed stories on technology startups, business and economic current affairs.
Learning disability doesn’t get the same attention as behavioural disorders or neurodivergence because it tends to be more subtle and is often taken for a child being lazy or difficult.
“Stigma, underachievement and misunderstanding of learning disability continue to be stubborn barriers for parents and children to overcome. If learning disability is left unaddressed, millions of individuals risk being left behind, burdened by low self-esteem, subjected to low expectations, and diminished in their ability to pursue their dreams.”
James H. Wendorf, executive director, National Center for Learning Disability
For me, this quote defines in the clearest terms the effects of not a learning disability, but people’s response to it.
In previous editions of First Steps, I have written about neurodivergence and behavioural disorders, among other topics. These “more serious” …
Awkwardness and blank stares don’t help; understanding and empathy do.
Parents of special needs children typically experience depression and exhaustion, living a life full of intense feelings and difficult decisions, and the constant fear of what the future holds for their child in an inflexible world.
Special needs is a broad term covering many conditions, but the common thread bringing them together is the triangle of support, which is crucial for adaptability and integration.
