Time to stop labelling children—SPELD chief

Press, 16 June 1986, Page 5

Time to stop labelling children—SPELD chief

Schools do not do enough for children with specific learning disabilities, says the president of the Specific Learning Disabilities Association (SPELD), Mr Norman Wright. Mr Wright was in Christchurch at the weekend.

He said very little was done for children who failed at school and did not improve when put on a reading recovery programme.

“Children who display unusual behaviour in their

learning patterns require unusual methods of teaching,” he said. “In New Zealand there are very few teachers able to diagnose and teach these unusual children. “The obvious solution is to accept that conventional reading recovery does not succeed with all reading failure.” It was time to stop labelling children, and accept each child as being different when searching for a way'to improve their ability.

“The method must be made to fit the child, not the child to fit the method.” There had to be a team effort. within schools to help children with learning disabilities, he said.

“If their self-esteem is damaged everyone must boost it, not just the remedial reading teacher. A behaviour modification programme could be shot to pieces unless the staff are all involved and know what is being done to help a child.”