Disabilities and learning support needs

The one thing all Learning Links children have in common is that they need support during their important years of discovery and learning so that they can reach their potential as children and eventually as adults.

Disabilities

The children Learning Links supports may have a range of disabilities.

• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
• Down Syndrome.
• Dyspraxia.
• Fragile X.
• Sensory impairments such as vision and hearing.

Some children may have a developmental delay due to prematurity, birth trauma, hearing loss or other risk factors

Learning Support Needs

School children with learning support needs find it hard to learn like other children and need help to do their best. Parents or teachers may pick up that they are underachieving. These children can exhibit learning difficulties through having issues with some daily tasks.

• Difficulty paying attention.
• Reasoning.
• Remembering things.
• Communicating.
• Reading, spelling or maths.
• Socialising.
• Coordination.
• Behaviour.
• Memory.
• Organisation.

The terms 'learning disabilities', 'learning difficulties' and 'developmental difficulties' have also been applied to those who struggle to learn.

Specific types of learning difficulties include dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia.