Etwa acht Prozent der Menschen weltweit müssen Lesen, Schreiben und z.T. auch Rechnen auf anderen Wegen als den weithin bekannten lernen. Dies stellt viele Kinder und ihre Eltern vor eine große Herausforderung, die nicht selten zu einer Belastung für die ganze Familie führt. Ein Kind, das laut ICD-10* unter sogenannten Teilleistungsstörungen leidet, kämpft gegen eine deutliche Beeinträchtigung der Rechen-, Lese- und Rechtschreibfähigkeiten. Bei durchschnittlicher bis überdurchschnittlicher Intelligenz führt dies oft dazu, dass es seine eigentlichen kognitiven Fähigkeiten im schulischen Umfeld nicht angemessen zeigen kann.
The child’s self-esteem is put to a severe test: Why do their friends or siblings manage to achieve the apparently so simple goal of learning how to read, write and calculate? Why are they finding it so difficult to acquire these specific skills, despite managing to learn other things just as quickly as their peers? The parents of afflicted children often feel uncertain and at a loss. Not rarely, the children themselves succumb to a vicious cycle of frustration, apathy and denial. Success at school appears at risk.
Dabei gibt es zahlreiche Menschen, die trotz ihrer Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwäche besondere Leistungen erzielten und erzielen. Gerne genannt werden Albert Einstein und Agatha Christie oder Leonardo da Vinci. Aber auch Zeitgenossen wie Warren Buffet oder Bill Gates mussten sich mit den Erschwernissen, die eine Teilleistungsstörung mit sich bringt, auseinandersetzen**.
*International statistical classification of the diseases and related health problems
** An extensive and highly impressive list of famous dyslexics and dyscalculics can be found at www.lrs.koeln
Each child acquires knowledge in their own specific way and in doing so utilises different learning capabilities. I believe it is especially important to accommodate the strengths, skills and interests of each individual child in order to offer the best possible support.
Therefore, each learning therapy begins with a detailed diagnostic evaluation that considers various areas of learning development such as sensory integration, phonological awareness, language, reading, written language and, if necessary, arithmetic.
For the purposes of this evaluation, I use a blend of standardised procedures and a diagnosis of educational support needs that targets the child’s specific resources. I focus on identifying the child’s personal strengths and on obtaining a precise assessment of their abilities in order to provide support exactly where it is needed. In doing so, I combine scientifically established approaches in the area of specific learning disabilities with new and recognised methods (such as Montessori materials) to create an integrated learning therapy. The first sessions are used to develop bespoke methods that are most suited to the individual aptitudes of the specific child and that help them to enjoy acquiring reading, writing and numeracy skills.
As a lover of language, I am deeply concerned with showing the child that written language is not only important in a school setting. Why do I need written language in everyday life and what can I do, achieve or create with it? The support I provide is therefore built around the reality of the child’s life and incorporates their particular interests. I playfully integrate the individual elements of learning therapy into imaginative assignments that demonstrate to the child the immense creativity they can tap into by solving the tasks.
When dealing with multilingual children, I always try to acquire a feel for their mother tongue. Which sounds are fundamentally different? How nuanced is their current phonological awareness of the German language? In which ways is the sentence structure different to German? Where are there similarities that can be used to highlight the structure of written language? Building vocabulary for everyday use, but also for school settings and later technical scenarios, is also a vital element in my work with multilingual children.
Mathematics is the first foreign language that a child learns at school. This is why I attach considerable importance to enabling the child to understand arithmetic along clear and simple linguistic lines, not only if they happen to be multilingual. When learning numeracy, I find it to equally as essential to establish a connection to the child’s real-world experience. Drawing on practical methods, I establish the basic principles of mathematics and consistently focus on the child’s specific abilities.
Regular communication with the parents – and with the child’s teachers as well if desired – enables the development of suitable support strategies that can be put into practice in the family and school settings. My objective in this regard is to visualise and acknowledge success as a means of rekindling the child’s creativity and to assist them in enjoying the process of learning. This helps to build self-esteem, which in turn has a positive effect on the child’s learning patterns as a whole. The vicious cycle of frustration, anxiety and apathy can be broken and even reversed in this way.
Animal-assisted learning therapy has grown in popularity over recent years. Many children love dogs. Dogs do not judge or assign grades and simply accept you the way you are. Children deeply appreciate this characteristic, especially if they have struggled with learning how to read. Introducing a dog into the scenario minimises pressure, creates a relaxed setting and therefore helps the child to (re)discover the joy of reading and learning. On request and based on a specific arrangement, I am happy to introduce my dog Nelson into my sessions, especially for the promotion of reading skills. Nelson is, after all, the world’s best listener ...
Establish contact by e-mail
Initial interview with the parents and child at the practice
Four sessions with the child to acquire a detailed diagnostic assessment of learning needs
Evaluation of the diagnostic assessment, discussion of possible support goals and preparation of a support plan with the parents and child
If applicable, start of integrated learning therapy with a focus on dyslexia or dyscalculia support
Regular consultations with the parents to review the support goals
Final consultation and prognosis after achieving the support goals