Learners with learning and attention problem often face challenges with communication and socialization. Learning difficulties are not just about the problem associated with reading, writing, math, or concentration issues, since children’s cognitive functions are somehow disrupted, children with learning problems also struggle with basic social skills.
kids with such learning challenges have difficulty connecting with their peers. Misreading faces, body language, and tone of voice are few examples. Many may also find it extremely hard to express themselves or have conversations that other children can do effortlessly. Due to these kinds of mismatch, they may face trouble understanding situations within a group, and thus finds it hard to fit in.
Some of the common difficulties or signs are:
- Talking too much or talking at the wrong time.
- Finds it difficult to understand humor
- Poor listener
- Sudden withdrawal from conversation
Lack of social skills gives rise to many issues like:
- Aggravated lack of confidence
- Difficulty to be expressive and communicate with others
- Self-control issues
- Trouble focusing or being attentive on tasks
How Learning Problems And Social Challenges Are Interlinked?
Cognition
Human cognition is not just for doing difficult tasks or complicated things. We use our cognition in everyday life. Starting from small everyday activities to how we use language, the cognition process allows us to function instantaneously. So when it comes to communicating with others, it involves active listening, organizing the information, decode those informations and then express through words.
What happens with kids with social and communication problems is they get caught in processing through their cognitive. Bear in mind this has nothing to do with intelligence, but lack of the ability to understand what others are saying often is a lack of intuitive and automatic response.
Comprehension
The ability to comprehend language and social cues are directly linked with how we present ourselves. Kids with learning problems also struggle with comprehension skills. They face trouble picking up social patterns and normally accepted norms. The lack of expected behavior makes it hard for them to fit in. both verbal, as well as nonverbal cues in group interaction or one-on-one interaction, are a major part of communication.
Organization
Children with learning problems especially children with ADHD have a hard time to self-regulate. They are often unorganized has found it difficult to prioritize task – meaning, may not choose the right stimuli to form respond, which can then lead to an attitude of disobey and inattentiveness. The way their impulse works may fail to be in alignment with the social cues.
This does not signify they are socially clueless, however, they often struggle to make the right which and follow the cue of the teacher, peers, or any other authority. Organizing their response skillfully and effectively is conflicting not to them but others around them.
How To Help Children To Improve Their Social Skills?
- Provide clear and step-by-step instructions.
- Help them practice social situations with the group, role-play is one of them.
- Teach them how to self-regulate – for instance, help them understand how to navigate anger.
- Work together with the kid to boost their confidence and self-esteem.
When it comes to children with learning difficulties, both parents and educators need to keep reminding them that patience is the key. It is important to understand children with such challenges are not doing things purposefully. Their understanding and the way they perceive the world are entirely different than what we expect. So, it is hard for them to understand the social norms and expectations.
All we can do is helping them build a fair understanding of what we are trying to teach them how that can help them when they grow up. Social skills are not tools for everyday life; they are huge lifelong skills to integrate within oneself. Learning Disabilities Program for Teachers help in a lot of ways.
For kids, especially adolescents and preteens, social understanding and interactions are key to healthy relationships with others. Which is why addressing to social issues from early-onset allows bringing fuller education in children’s life. Create healthy practice and above all else, be open to having nonjudgmental communication towards them.