| Summary: |
Many Specific Learning Difficulties/Disabilities (Sp.L.D.) co-exist or overlap and this is the reason why many labels may be attached to the same students. Few EU countries accept that dyslexia is only one of a group of difficulties/disabilities which may also have varying degrees of co-existence. Taking a conservative EU-27 school population of say 80 million, there will be between 2.16 and 5.4 million students with dyslexia, 8 million with dysgraphia, between 1.6 and 8 million with dyspraxia, between 2.4 and 7.2 million with ADHD, between 2.4 and 4.8 million with dyscalculia, 1.05 million with asperger's syndrome and 0.8 million with SLI. In other words, there could be between 18.5 and 35 million children with Sp.L.D. with varying degrees of co-existence. When this occurs (whatever the etiology) the label which best describes these students is the umbrella term Sp.L.D. Children with coexisting Sp.L.D. experience even more difficulties within the learning situation.
As highlighted in the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 (dated 15.11.2010) the EU has a strong mandate to improve the social and economic situation of people with disabilities. EU action will support national efforts through ET 2020, the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training. Children with Sp.L.D. are described as having Special Educational Needs/Disabilities. The EU-27 are at differing stages in their understanding of Sp.L.D. In many cases, the co-existence of such disabilities is neither accepted nor diagnosed. Therefore, there will be neither training for teachers nor support for children in the school setting. Sp.L.D. exists in all nations, ethnicities, cultures and across the range of abilities and socio-economic backgrounds. They are hereditary, lifelong, neurodevelopmental conditions. Although neurological in origin the response to Sp.L.D. is educational. Unidentified Sp.L.D. will result in low self-esteem, high stress, atypical behavior, low achi  |
Summary
Many Specific Learning Difficulties/Disabilities (Sp.L.D.) co-exist or overlap and this is the reason why many labels may be attached to the same students. Few EU countries accept that dyslexia is only one of a group of difficulties/disabilities which may also have varying degrees of co-existence. Taking a conservative EU-27 school population of say 80 million, there will be between 2.16 and 5.4 million students with dyslexia, 8 million with dysgraphia, between 1.6 and 8 million with dyspraxia, between 2.4 and 7.2 million with ADHD, between 2.4 and 4.8 million with dyscalculia, 1.05 million with asperger's syndrome and 0.8 million with SLI. In other words, there could be between 18.5 and 35 million children with Sp.L.D. with varying degrees of co-existence. When this occurs (whatever the etiology) the label which best describes these students is the umbrella term Sp.L.D. Children with coexisting Sp.L.D. experience even more difficulties within the learning situation.
As highlighted in the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 (dated 15.11.2010) the EU has a strong mandate to improve the social and economic situation of people with disabilities. EU action will support national efforts through ET 2020, the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training. Children with Sp.L.D. are described as having Special Educational Needs/Disabilities. The EU-27 are at differing stages in their understanding of Sp.L.D. In many cases, the co-existence of such disabilities is neither accepted nor diagnosed. Therefore, there will be neither training for teachers nor support for children in the school setting. Sp.L.D. exists in all nations, ethnicities, cultures and across the range of abilities and socio-economic backgrounds. They are hereditary, lifelong, neurodevelopmental conditions. Although neurological in origin the response to Sp.L.D. is educational. Unidentified Sp.L.D. will result in low self-esteem, high stress, atypical behavior, low achievement and early school leaving. This can also lead to violence in school and later anti-social behavior within communities. Early identification and intervention is therefore vital.
Project Objectives and Strategies
1. Determine each Partners national policy, understanding and definition/s of Sp.L.D. and their co-existence at the Academic Institute and Schools levels (Primary, Secondary and Special) and within Learning Disability Associations.
2. Determine potential 'socio/political' barriers to acceptance of Sp.L.D. and their co-existence, including national inclusive education and legal frameworks.
3. Determine each Partners National pedagogical and teacher/adult learner training approaches to Sp.L.D. including both academic/theoretical and practical training.
4. Determine potential barriers and their solutions to implementation of Sp.L.D. training.
5. Produce a recommended EU Sp.L.D. 'roadmap' to implementation of Sp.L.D. Teacher and Adult Learner Training, including national specific barriers (the 'roadmap' will make initial recommendations for the first 10 years following project completion).
6. Create a Teacher and Adult Learner Sp.L.D. website for information and long-distance interactive training.
7. Produce an initial Level 1 Sp.L.D. Teacher/Adult Learner Training Course (electronic and paper versions).
9. An EU symposium in Luxembourg to promote and disseminate the Project findings.
10. Presentation to European Disability Strategy 2020 and ET 2020 Committees and other associated/relevant groups. |