As the new school year in Australia commences, approximately 4 million students will head back to school. Of those students, 10% – 15% will experience ‘learning differences’; that is, they have neurological differences that make learning with conventional methods challenging for them.
According to Speld QLD, a not for profit organisation supporting young people with learning differences, the ‘lack of identification and poor management of learning differences can cause severe anxiety in children, even leading to depression in students as young as 7 years of age’.
Early identification, by a professional, of learning differences can help the child (and their school community) cope better with their learning experiences.
Speld QLD provides a brief overview of the main learning differences frequently diagnosed. Their site provides signs to look out for and the amazing strengths students, identified with learning differences, bring to those around them.