Found this great article on the importance of identifying and teaching children with learning diffculties, specifically Specific Language Impairment (SLI).
The results of a research study revealed that, with the exception of one child, all of the children in the study with learning difficulties exhibited challenges across the areas of math, spelling, and reading. Additionally, all of the children also displayed behavior and attention problems.
The children with language deficits were especially prone to problems and had to receive cues to keep them on task with memory issues. These findings underscore the importance of teaching specifically to the special needs of these children.
I have added comments at the blog which I have included below.
“It’s great that this blog helps parents, educators, administrators etc understand that when helping children with special needs such as Specific Language Impairment, it is not just about teaching them in a smaller class or one to one, but teaching them in a different way altogether.
If the children already have a language impairment, it would be important to incorporate more non-language modalities to help children to learn e.g. graphic organizers, mind maps,role-play or drama etc.
I also strongly agree with the comment that it is very important for speech and language therapists to see not just the ‘nuts and bolts’, a child with skill deficits but a child who has a life: a child who should be working with friends in a class project without feeling unwelcome, and playing with friends in the playground without being left out,and coping with homework without being overwhelmed.
It would be beneficial for children to have therapists working together with teachers, and for children to experience therapy in a group setting to best prepare them for succeeding in real-life environments.”
See orginal blog at:
http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/teaching-children-language-deficits-0203123/#comment-55565