Learning disabilities week

There is a range of things that stand in the way of great quality education like finance, access and infrastructure. Another is learning disabilities. From visual, hearing and speech impairments, to attention difficulties, being on the spectrum, and mental health conditions, many challenges keep young people from getting the education they deserve. This should never be the case.

That’s the goal of Learning Disabilities Week. This initiative, started by UK’s MenCap, aims to ensure that people who learn differently are still afforded the opportunity to, that their everyday lives are improved, there’s awareness around their situation, and they can realise a beautiful life experience.

How UCT Online High School creates a great environment for differently abled learners

Our Student Success, and Faculty and Student Well-Being teams also believe in this. They work hard to create a space that is accessible and inclusive so that our learners feel supported, heard and acknowledged. Regular feedback to our Learning Designers and Learning Technology teams also helps us better cater to a range of learning needs through our content, Online Campus and additional resources.

The advantage of learning from home

Learning from home eases the immediate pressure of getting ready for and then being stuck in school for hours, this helps ease a lot of mental health issues. It also frees up a lot of time for learners who might need it to wrap their heads around new concepts or go over reading material a few times.

But more than that, we have resources that are specially designed to help our Teachers and Support Coaches address specific learning differences. Our goal is to create a strength-focused model for our learners who learn differently. A guide, for instance, on dealing with dyslexia helps our Support Teams focus on what learners are good at and be mindful of how the barrier to learning shows up.

A Teacher can then use more imaginative imagery to explain an idea a learner is struggling with. Or encourage the child to read their text in blue against a grey background, move around when they are reading and understand when the learner says they are feeling nauseous or dizzy from all the reading. We encourage our Teachers at UCT Online High School to think creatively about different teaching methods to help learners with diverse learning needs to understand various concepts.

How can guardians assist children

Guardians, who know their children better than anyone else, are important team members in supporting a child with a barrier to learning, alongside the Student Experience Team. We value all guardians' insights into how best to support their child(ren) with diverse learning needs so transparent communication is vitally important. This would include any concessions and accommodations that need to be made for their child. If your child needs a scribe, reader, prompter, assistive devices, or any other accommodations, we are more than happy to implement these, we just need to know about them.

It is very helpful if guardians provide any medical reports or assessments from an educational psychologist that explains your child’s specific learning needs so that we can gain a better understanding of your child’s strengths and areas for improvement. Any external assistance that a learner may need, in the form of tutoring or facilitation services and assistive technology, will be the guardian's responsibility.

Ready to start school online?

There are many things holding us back as a country and society. Education no longer needs to be one of them. Contact our Admissions Counsellors and see if this might just be the answer for your teen.