OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY FOR LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

An occupational therapist can work with a child, their school and parents to
provide treatment, advice, strategies and techniques to minimise the effects of a
learning difficulty on everyday life.

What are learning difficulties?

A learning difficulty can be described as a neurological difficulty with processing

certain forms of information. Some learning difficulties are seen in isolation and
others alongside each other, for example Dyslexia and Dyspraxia are often seen
together.

Learning difficulties is an umbrella term used to describe some of the most

frequently occurring conditions such as, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia or Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The way that a learning difficulty presents itself will vary from child to child.
Below are a few of the common signs that would warrant further investigation:

 Difficulty organizing themselves or their work

 Memory difficulties
 Struggling to create neat, legible work, or produces work very slowly
meaning they are falling behind in lessons
 Difficulty translating what they see on the board or in a book into their own
work, for example copying from the board into their homework book or
losing their place when reading or copying
 Poor reading ability
  Difficulty recalling words or times tables recently learnt

How OT helps children with learning disabilities

A child with a diagnosis of a learning disability can work with an OT who
explores the intrinsic problems causing the difficulties, such as visual perceptual
issues, attention problems or motor skills deficits. The OT aims to improve the
child’s participation in both the home and school environment. Some familiar
strategies an OT uses to work with the child include:
 Working with teachers and parents/family members to better support the child. The
OT will make appropriate changes to the physical environment (in the classroom
and/or at home) that may better promote participation from the child. This can be
done by not only amending the physical environment (e.g. adding equipment that
may help the child), but also how the child’s routine is structured, e.g. the child
may improve their engagement if they have small, regular breaks throughout the
day.
 Cognitive behavioral therapies to teach the child self-regulation, to help with
attention and alertness.
 Sensory assessments and tools to help improve printing/handwriting skills. OTs
will often use resources and materials suitable for the child’s development and a
range of learning approaches.
 OTs will often streamline tasks to make them easier for the child to manage
 Memory prompts or aids to help mentally prepare the child, including visual cues
 Develop improved time management strategies
Development of compensatory techniques
Occupational therapists are involved in developing compensatory techniques to
support the function of individuals with LD, including:
The use of assistive devices and technology - such as a computer, an adapted
keyboard, an electronic calendar, time-tables (for use at home, in school and at the
work place), a slanted writing board, wide pencil grips and others.
Adaptation of the task - such as reducing the length of written tasks to suit a
student’s endurance, adapting the time required for learning/working according to
the person’s attention span, adapting the instructions for an activity and adapting
the rules of a game.
Adaptation of the environment - such as structuring and designing the study and
work environment in accordance with ergonomic principles, which relate to
matching a person’s characteristics to the demands of his/her work environment.
Examples include adjusting the height of the chair and the table, the type of pen,
the placement of the student’s seat in the classroom and at the workplace, adjusting
his/her computer set up, etc.
Intervention for co-occurring deficits that accompany learning disabilities
Research findings report that in about 50% of the population coping with learning
disabilities, there are accompanying deficits such as attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and sensory
modulation disorder (SMD).
In the therapeutic intervention of individuals with learning disabilities,
occupational therapists place great importance on simultaneously addressing
additional co-occurring deficits.
Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) – occupational therapists help by
increasing the awareness of individuals and their significant others
Therapists also guide the individual in developing strategies for regulating their
level of arousal, modulating their responses and applying selfcontrol to suit the
task's requirements.
Occupational therapists may also recommend technological adaptations in order
to improve function (such as adapted computer programs), the use of assistive
devices (such as weighted vests to reduce “out of task”, irrelevant behaviors),
and/or assist in the adaptation of the environment or task according the type of
attention deficit (for example, adapting an occupation that requires transitioning
between many activities and/or minimizing external stimuli.