La ambición

Medical terms were mostly used by the participants to describe their understanding of SpLD. Some of the participants defined SpLD with a direct focus; while others indirectly highlighted their responses by using different medical terms for SpLD. To illustrate this theme, some specific responses were gathered from all the categories emerging from the participants’ narratives. The study suggested that most of the participants, including classroom teachers, students and parents, were

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not aware of the specific terms used in the definition of SpLD. The obtained or gathered outcomes have indicated that some of the participants were not aware of the definitions highlighted in Chapter three. The responses gathered to display this theme have been further categorized into sub-themes as discussed in this chapter. In KSA, the most preferred term used for children with SpLD is ‘Learning Disabilities’. An informal discussion with a senior lecturer at a local university indicated that SpLD is considered as the major reason behind the poor performance of children in schools. SpLD is regarded as a ‘disorder’ with unique areas of difficulty, an etiology, a ‘diagnostic’ process and ‘treatment’. The statement below by the lecturer regarding his understanding of SpLD made the condition seem like a medical disorder, which consequently required ‘treatment’.

Learning Disabilities is a major reason children and adolescents might do poorly in school. It is a disorder with unique areas of difficulty, etiology, diagnostic process, and treatment. It is estimated that between five and ten percent of all students will have LD. As professionals, it is critical that you recognize the behaviours and clinical findings that would suggest such problems and that you know how to help parents as they seek the necessary evaluations to confirm the diagnosis and get appropriate interventions. Early recognition and intervention are critical. The price for the individual when these disorders are not recognized is significant and can last a lifetime (Statement from a senior lecturer at a local university).

In KSA, the MoE policy documents also regard SpLD as a ‘disorder’, but they do not say anything about its connection with the brain. The MoE has isolated ‘mental retardation’, sensory impairments, emotional/psychological disorders or socioeconomic conditions from the given causes of SpLD. The MoE indicates that the cause of SpLD is skills deficiencies or the disorders associated with certain literacy and mathematical skills. The discrepancy between ‘grade level and

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achievement’ is used to identify students with SpLD. From the definition given by the MoE, emphasis is given to three key points about students with SpLD, these include:

• The students are average or above average intelligence but their academic achievement is low,

• They do not have any other disabilities that can be a reason for SpLD,

• They need provision; however, the provision is excessively different from other SEN provisions.

The SEN policies in KSA focus on SpLD as a learning ‘disorder’, which implies that the biological and the cognitive perspectives are highly dominant on the language that is used in those policies. The SEN policy suggests that the approaches that are used in supporting students with SpLD aim at ‘curing’ rather than focusing on the prevention approaches. This trend used by the MoE further suggests that there are certain measures lacking in the society for controlling SpLD. These could be controlled or removed from the society with the help of adjustments to social practices that have been found to be the causes of such disabilities. The key points that were noted in the daily life problems in the society included the family planning system used by the families and also marriage between close relatives, who become the parents of children with SpLD.

Participants provided different reasons as the causes of SpLD, some of which were very contradictory. Some statements however offered a clear perspective about the issues faced by the people who have problems related with the reading, writing, doing basic maths or reading comprehension. The data from interviews with the participants seemed to avoid referring to students as having a disability and

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labelling them since this would discourage them to make efforts to achieve their goals.

Data from this study and from the literature review shows that students with SpLD need acceptance and are not to be regarded as having health issues. They need to be made comfortable since failure to do that would just complicate their situation hence causing psychological problems for them. The data from interviews indicated that the reputation of the families of children with disability was adversely influenced by the society’s perception of disability. Another participant listed concept in this area was the consanguinity of the parents of some children with disability and the situation where the birth process was difficult. In a situation where the parents were related this might had an impact on the child’s health and might leave the traces in him or her in the form of disabilities.

6.2.1 Genetic factors

The findings of this study showed that genetic factors were generally considered as one of the causes of SpLD among the Saudi population. One of the participants stated that consanguinity could be one of the causes of disabilities including SpLD (Teacher 2, School2, Appendix 14: 206).

According to Parent 1 whose child was in School 1, the cause of her child’s SpLD was hereditary. When I asked her what she thought were the causes of her child’s difficulty with learning she stated that she had another child too who had ‘mental retardation’.

Well, she has an older brother who suffers from mental retardation, when the school contacted us regarding this child’s difficulties; her father and I were very concerned that she might have the same problem. But she was