How to Interact with People with Disabilities
Learning Disabilities
Table of Contents
Learning disabilities (LDs) are brain-based problems that affect one or more ways that a person takes in, stores or uses information. LDs can interfere with learning basic skills such as reading, writing, and math. They can also interfere with higher level skills such as organization, time management and social skills.
However, learning disabilities are not widely understood. This confusion has much to do with the fact that LDs are very diverse and complicated disabilities.
People with LDs have average (or greater) abilities for thinking and reasoning but have difficulties in processing information, including:
- Input - Getting information into the brain
- Organization - Making sense of this information
- Memory - Storing and retrieving information
- Output - Getting information back out
LDs come in many forms and their effects are different from person to person. They generally last a lifetime; however, their effects may be expressed differently over time, depending on the match between the demands of the environment and the individual’s characteristics.
LDs are very common. What percentage of Canadians do you think have LDs?
- 0-4 %
- 5-10 %
- 11-15%
- 16-20%
- (Match: 5-10 %)
Tips for interacting with a person who has learning disabilities
Introduction and Approach:
- Ask the person the best way to provide information so that they understand and remember it, for example, they may want you to write it down, demonstrate, explain in simpler language, make a diagram. What will work for each person is very individual.
Communication:
- Allow extra time to process information or to respond.
Nonverbal Learning Disabilities
Nonverbal learning disabilities (sometimes called NLDs, or NVLDs) are among the least understood LDs. They are rarer and do not stand out in the early years of school in the same way that language-based LDs do.
The following are some characteristics that might be present in people with NLDs. Select True or False for each statement, and check your answer.
People with NLDs possess generally strong language skills.
Correct Answer: True
People with NLDs may have difficulty with understanding of non-verbal communication like facial expressions and body language and tone of voice.
Correct Answer: True
People with NLDs have good coordination and motor skills related to writing visual-spatial organization.
Correct Answer: False. People with NLDs may have difficulty with coordination and motor skills related to writing visual-spatial organization
People with NLDs may have difficulty with social perception and social competency.
Correct Answer: True
People with NLDs are very good at adapting to new situations.
Correct Answer: False. People with NLDs may have difficulty with adapting to new situations.
People with NLDs may not have strong problem-solving skills
Correct Answer: True
People with NLDs are able to easily understand figurative language.
Correct Answer: False. People with NLDs may have difficulty with understanding figurative language.
NLDs are often misinterpreted as “laziness”, social maladjustment, oppositional defiant disorder, emotional disturbance, and sometimes misdiagnosed as Asperger’s Syndrome.
Social difficulties are troublesome for people with NLDs since so much of human interaction relies on nonverbal communication. People with NLDs, in addition to appearing awkward and “clumsy”, can become isolated due to their misunderstandings of social signals and figurative language.
People with NLDs are verbally skilled and intelligent, and people who know them can help immensely by interpreting nonverbal messages.
Tips for interacting with a person who has NLDs:
Behaviour:
- Understand that people who don’t understand social rules can come across, unintentionally, as rude. Keep in mind that this may not be their intention.
- Be aware that your facial expressions may be misinterpreted, and the person’s facial expressions may be misleading.
- Convey important information in words.
Environment and Surroundings:
- Be prepared to help with wayfinding.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurobiological disorder that affects between 5-12% of the population.
The main symptoms of ADHD include:
- Hyperactivity - Difficulty regulating one's activity level - for example, constant movement in chair, getting up and down from chair, fidgeting; also may manifest as talking so much that others cannot get a turn in.
- Impulsivity - Difficulty inhibiting behaviour - for example, acting quickly without thinking.
- Inattention - Difficulty attending to the task at hand - for example, frequent daydreaming, being "lost in another world" or easily sidetracked and distracted.
ADHD is a life-long condition that changes and evolves as a person ages. Adults frequently experience a decrease in the hyperactivity and impulsivity elements, but their inattention persists.
Tips for interacting with a person who has ADHD
Communication:
- Be explicit, people with ADHD can have trouble with the amount of information they can deal with at one time, and with organizing that information. It is important for instructions and explanations to be provided in a clear, orderly manner, in manageable chunks. This applies to many people with learning disabilities as well.
Behaviour:
- Keep in mind that variability and inconsistency in performance are typical of people with ADHD, and this inconsistency is not laziness or defiance.
Learn More
Learn more at the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario.
