Accommodation and modification of learning can help children with SLD

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Dr Farid Agung Rahmadi, a paediatric specialist in social paediatric growth and development, said that accommodation and modification of learning at school can help children with Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) overcome their difficulties.

Dr Farid Agung Rahmadi, M.Si.Med., Sp.A, Subsp. T.K.P.S.(K), speaking at an online seminar held by the Indonesian Paediatric Society (IDAI), explained that learning accommodation is intended to help children access lessons and achieve the same learning targets as their classmates.

“The principle of accommodation is to help children access lessons and demonstrate abilities equal to their peers’ without changing the main target,” he said at the seminar, followed online from Jakarta on Tuesday.

As an example, he noted that schools may give a child an additional 50 to 100 per cent more time than other students during exams.

In addition, teachers can help by reading long texts aloud, giving children the opportunity to answer orally, using texts with larger letter sizes, or providing a low-distraction area for children with SLD.

“If classmates get 10 questions, a child with a specific learning disorder might be given five. But the same core competencies are still measured,” he said.

Learning modification can also take the form of reduced writing tasks, simplified reading material, or assessment that emphasises conceptual understanding rather than neatness and speed of writing.

According to Dr Farid, applying accommodation or learning modification for children with specific learning disorders should be done through joint discussion involving parents, teachers and professionals.

With such support, it is hoped that children with SLD can follow lessons, build their abilities, and achieve the learning targets that have been set.