Abstract:

High school students often experience various obstacles and problems which arise in the hard period of adolescence. The hormonal, physical or psychical changes can cause mood swings and difficulties with understanding own emotions. Students with developmental learning disabilities do not only face the academical problems but also the emotional problems in the form of anxiety, depressive symptoms, or low self-esteem. Students may tend to compare themselves with their “healthy” peers, they face more pressure on their performance, or feel the lack of confidence. In practice, developmental learning disabilities (DLD) are often associated with behavioural disorders and other problems in the emotional and social sphere. Students with DLD usually begin to perceive their disorder more intensively in the second grade of elementary school. Research shows that older students with DLD evaluate themselves rather negatively, underestimate their own abilities, and are generally pessimistic. They tend to be emotionally unstable and to suppress negative feelings and emotions. They often have negative attitudes associated with aggressive reactions. The negative assessment of academic skills increases during the older school age (Matějček, Vágnerová et al., 2006). Developmental learning disabilities also affect the performance and behaviour of an individual in the educational process (Harčaríková, 2008). The issue of educating students with DLD in high schools is one of the current educational topics. In addition to the problems directly resulting from the diagnosis, these students are prone to cumulative problems that often remain unnoticed and addressed. We emphasize that the acuteness and representation of difficulty in behaviour and experience dominates their academic problems, which are often sufficiently compensated for in the normal school environment (outside of impact activities where intensive learning performance is required).

The aim of the presented study is to provide an overview of previous research findings that demonstrate the correlation between learning disabilities and emotional problems of high school students. Based on this analysis, we identify and formulate problem areas of students with DLD and possible effective strategies that can be applied as a tool for eliminating emotional difficulties. It is important that adolescents with LDL will receive support and acceptance from family, school, and society. Support may include individualized and inclusive education, specific teaching methods, and empowering of their strengths and talents.

Keywords:

Emotional Problems, Behavioural Problems, Developmental Learning Disabilities, Adolescence, High School Student, Self-Esteem, Confidence, Self-Evaluation.