What Are Severe Learning Difficulties?
Severe Learning Difficulty is the profound cognitive challenge to acquire and use new skills in multiple aspects of learning. People with a severe learning disability may find it challenging to understand certain aspects of learning, such as writing, reading, memory, mathematics and reasoning. These difficulties usually manifest early in life and continue to develop and become stronger throughout the person’s growth and development.
Symptoms of severe learning disabilities often include challenges with social interaction and managing daily life activities. Supporting people with a severe learning difficulty requires a tailored approach that will put first that person’s unique strengths and challenges. Developing specialised education plans and interventions can bring tremendous improvements in helping people maximise their potential and achieve their goals in overcoming challenging behaviour.
Types of Severe Learning Difficulties
There are a few learning difficulties ranging from a mild learning disability to moderate learning disability, but the main types are split into two categories: verbal and non-verbal. Verbal learning difficulties affect the person’s ability to read, write or process and understand words, while non-verbal learning difficulties make speaking or processing complex information challenging. Some of the most common learning difficulties include:
- Dyslexia – one of the most common learning difficulties that causes challenges with the ability to read or write
- Dysgraphia – a difficulty a person has with written expressions such as handwriting and spelling
- Dyscalculia – a difficulty with learning number-related information and mathematical operations
- Auditory processing disorder – a difficulty that impacts a person’s ability to interpret and filter sounds
- Developmental language disorder – a difficulty with the comprehension of using words in sentences
- Deficit hyperactivity disorder – a neurodevelopmental condition affecting parts of the brain that control concentration, attention and impulses
Impact on Daily Life
Severe learning difficulties have a tremendous impact on education and learning. People often find it difficult to understand fundamental concepts and face challenges with academic progress. Communication difficulties can lead to low interest in discussion and collaboration, while complex problem-solving tasks may also be challenged. Memory challenges also can occur and impact information retention, which affects everyday life.
Children and young people with severe learning difficulties from early childhood may find it hard to form meaningful relationships due to social and emotional challenges, often requiring specialised teaching approaches, person-centred plans and assistive technologies. Addressing SLDs requires a multidimensional approach that can improve everyday life but also ensure holistic development and growth.
Support for People with Severe Learning Difficulties
People with learning difficulties don’t face the same challenges; rather, every person is unique, so the support provided must always be tailored to the person’s needs, strengths and abilities.
Coping with the challenges posed by severe learning difficulties can be emotionally demanding, which is why it is common for people with SLDs to experience anxiety or stress. The support provided for people with SLDs needs to entail a lot of positive reinforcement and encouragement to go through these challenges, and some of the things to do to support someone include:
- Focus on people’s strengths, not weaknesses.
- Listen closely or what they are saying, no matter how they say it
- Make learning inclusive and participative
- Encourage people to ask for help
- Understand what works for someone and doesn’t for others so that you can tailor your approach
- Approach learning obstacles with optimism and an opportunity for growth
Educational Support
People with severe learning difficulties require a personalised education support plan to achieve their goals and potential. These plans often include tailored interventions for every person’s needs, strengths and challenges. Experts, therefore, set the academic goals to follow the pace of the person with SLD and utilise specialised teaching methods and support strategies to improve communication skills and develop peer interactions.
Education support can also entail regular assessments and progress monitoring to adapt support strategies to the person’s needs. Collaboration among educators, caregivers and therapists ensures a holistic approach that can enhance the person’s overall quality of life.
Home Care Services
Home care services for severe learning difficulties can help people regain their independence and improve their quality of life and overall functioning. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing people’s daily routines, so home care services are often person-centred and uniquely tailored to meet the needs of the person with SLD.
Since every person will require a different type of care and support, home care support usually offers:
- Skill development to perform day-to-day tasks
- Enhancing independence
- Learning to stay healthy and exercise
- Provide support with medications and appointments
- Support with travel
- Performing personal care tasks
- Help to build social skills
- Discovering new hobbies, going out and enjoying new activities
Therapeutic Interventions
Therapeutic interventions for severe learning difficulties can help people make significant progress and develop their ability to communicate, understand concepts and navigate educational settings. People with learning difficulties can live fulfilling and meaningful lives with the proper therapy intervention tailored to each person’s needs.
Some of the therapeutic interventions used to improve people’s skills and development include:
- Individualised education plans
- Multisensory Instruction
- Positive Reinforcement
- Motivational Strategies
Our therapy team at Unique Community Services is focused on helping people become as independent as possible in their everyday activities. We believe that having the right approach alongside therapy can make a significant difference in building people’s competence and confidence. The in-house therapy team at Unique Community Services consists of Speech and Language therapists, Occupational Therapists and PBS Specialists who are prepared to deliver bespoke and urgent support.
Witness the impact of our team’s efforts by reading our case studies.
Strategies for Effective Support
Providing effective support means empowering people and improving their self-esteem, mental health and confidence. We can do this by showing we believe in their strengths and understand their challenges. This is why we need to carefully choose strategies for every person in need that will entail effective support and lead towards enhanced independence.
Personalised Care Plans
People with SLDs require personalised educational and care strategies to help them achieve their full potential. These care plans include developing tailored care plans by setting academic goals and using specialised teaching methods and assistive technology. Personalised care plans for people with severe learning difficulties are created to target motor skills, life skills and social development. Through regular monitoring and assessment, experts can follow the progress and adapt the strategies for every person’s needs.
Collaborative Approaches
A collaborative approach is the foundation for effective therapy, and it involves forming a collaborative team approach that will integrate therapists, parents, and educators alongside parents. Through planning, joint decision-making and everyday communication, this collaborative team of experts can coordinate efforts and monitor progress to adjust the care plans as needed. By working together, teams can leverage diverse perspectives and resources to maximise the effectiveness and promotion of holistic development and success.
Multimedia and Assistive Technology
Utilising assistive technology tools can improve and enhance the learning experience for people with learning difficulties. Using text-to-speech software or speech recognition programs as well as educational apps, people can be supported with reading, writing, organising and communicating. These alternative means of expressing and accessing information can empower people to overcome barriers and participate in various academic activities.
Learning Difficulties Support with Unique Community Services
Unique Community Services focuses on delivering humanised support to people with learning difficulties and other conditions as well as physical disabilities. Our trained support workers, highly trained therapy team and every other professional on the team follow an outcome-based approach to help people with SLDs.
Our goal is to break the barriers surrounding learning disabilities and to help people live fulfilling and independent lives. By creating personalised care plans and taking into consideration every aspect of people’s health and care preferences, we prioritise privacy, safety and dignity.
Unique Community Services is the right place for you if you need support. We provide CQC-regulated home care services across the UK with our offices in Manchester and Leeds.
Contact us today to get an outline of our care plans catering to your needs.
