PSN Issue
By: 
“The amazing thing about being you is that
there is something in the world that you are the best at; that no one else can
do like you can. You just have to
go find it.”
-MR. BLAIR
(My 12th grade English teacher)
The
ultimate goal for any child is to experience a total fulfillment and maximizing
of one’s potential despite any perceived and/or real limitations. Special needs children should be able
to communicate their own thoughts, needs, opinions, and wishes with support
from educators, family, classmates, and friends. Is it that easy for a child to freely communicate their
needs and feel comfortable in their own skin? There are many people involved in the development process of
a child, especially those with special needs.
Threats to
self-esteem in students with learning disabilities
While there is no menu of characteristics that captures the
threats to self-esteem in individuals with learning disabilities (LD), there
are a number of traits, frequently observed in people with LD that contribute
to feelings of low self-worth. One interesting research finding is that by
itself, having the special education classification of specific LD has not been
shown to have a negative impact on self-esteem. Rather, there are several factors that seem to impact self-esteem
in individuals with LD in negative ways.
The
factors below are taken from studies conducted by The National Academy for
Learning Disabilities (NCLD). http://www.ncld.org
Communication style and social
cognition
- Seems to be overly egocentric and not interested in the responses
of other speakers (when
nothing could be farther from the truth),
- Has difficulty judging when it is her/his turn to participate in a
conversation,
- May misinterpret feelings and emotions of others and not realize
when their behaviors are bothersome or annoying,
- May have problems with visual spatial planning and self-regulation,
resulting in difficulties judging how close to stand to someone during
conversation, how to assume and maintain a relaxed posture, and when it
might be appropriate to touch.
Self-knowledge
- Not sure how to understand or explain personal strengths and
weaknesses to others,
- Is a poor self-observer and has trouble sizing up and reflecting
upon what is going right (and wrong) during social interactions.
Language
- Has limited vocabulary or difficulty retrieving the right words for
the situation,
- Is weak in verbal pragmatics (fitting the use of language to social
situations)—For example, not knowing when (or how) to laugh without
offending the listener,
- Has trouble with topic selection and knowing when to stop a
conversation,
- Talks around a topic and provides less critical (and more
extraneous) information in response to a question,
- Is more likely to repeat rather than clarify when asked to expand
upon an explanation,
- Is more likely to use
gestures and demonstrations when sharing information.
Self-perceived social
status
- Has great difficulty knowing how he/she fits into a peer group, which
often results in 'hanging back' or being a passive (rather than active)
participant in activities,
- Has limited success 'self-marketing' and getting noticed in
positive ways within a peer group,
- Perceives self as less
popular and more frequently rejected or ignored by peers (sometimes
resulting in further self-imposed isolation).
Expectations by others
- Is repeatedly confronted with messages of low expectations for
academic achievement by teachers and parents,
- Is frequently (albeit not intentionally) the target of spoken and
unspoken messages of disappointment and lowered expectation by parents and
others,
- Is viewed as having
diminished potential for success, even with services and support in school
and at home.
Locus of
control
- Believes that outcomes are controlled by external influences (luck,
chance, fate) rather than as a result of their own internal efforts,
- Assumes a posture of "learned helplessness", that is to
say, they assume that because they struggled with something in the past,
there is little they can do to change a negative outcome in the future, so
they stop trying and hope for the best.
How can we boost a child’s self-esteem?
· First and foremost, a child must understand what
self-esteem is and how he/she is feeling before progress can take place. Help a child draw or write out what
high self-esteem looks like compared to low self-esteem. This activity would educate a child on
how to achieve high self-esteem.
· Students with learning disabilities need order in
their lives (especially). Structure in the form of a consistent daily routine
is very important. Encouraging
what he/she enjoys doing and feels comfortable doing will greatly build the
child’s inner strengths and self-esteem.
· In the classroom, position the student next to a
cooperative individual as a “study buddy”. This will lend itself well for
seeing a good peer role-model and helps set a child up
to become more successful. It may
also create a lasting bond/friendship with someone who is a good influence.
· Have the child write down things that he/she CAN
DO. He/she should start each sentence
with the empowering words, “I CAN…” Words of strength are keys to building self-esteem.
· Teach the child that it takes consistent practice to
develop the skills to become proficient at a certain activity. Experts often fail many times before
they achieve success. A child
would be more likely to persevere if he/she feels the goal is attainable.
· Have the child think for himself/herself and accept
responsibility for his/her actions.
For
more information on helping a child obtain overall SUPER HEALTH, please visit: http//www.douglashaddad.com
Douglas
Haddad, Ph.D. (“Dr. Doug”) is the author of parenting/child guidance book Save
Your Kids…Now! The Revolutionary
Guide To Helping Youth Conquer Today’s Challenges
