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New Survey of The Nitzan Association: The Teachers Want to Help Students with Learning Disabilities Socially and Emotionally, But They Don't Know How!
Having no choice, 26% of parents of children with learning disabilities spend more than 1000 shekels each month on activities for their children.
In preparation for The Nitzan Association's and the Organizations of the Deaf in Israel's National Fundraising Day, Ophra Elul, President of The Nitzan Association says, "Schools in Israel aren't successful at dealing with students with learning disabilities. Less than a fifth of the children, who were assessed as having learning disabilities and/or ADHD, received this year, or previous years, explanations from the school about the disability. Some two-thirds of parents of these children do not meet throughout the year with professionals from the school (school counselor, school psychologist, etc...)."
In order to evaluate what the teachers think, The Nitzan Association conducted a survey among teachers. The survey revealed, according to the teachers' opinion, the attention given to the students with learning disabilities is different than that of their classmates.
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52% of teachers believe that the schools provide more than adequately for the social needs of the general student body
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44% of teachers believe that the schools provide more than adequately for the emotional needs of the general student body
To the question: Do you, the teacher, have tools to provide for the social and emotional needs of your students? Only 1/5 of the teachers answered that they have a more than adequate amount of tools to help their students socially and emotionally. More than 1/3 of the teachers answered that they lack time, lack extra hours in their daily schedule in order to improve their support of the social and emotional needs of the students, and some 1/3 of the teachers answered that they lack theoretical and practical knowledge in this area.
The statistics are included in the yearly report published by The Nitzan Association. The Smith Institute in collaboration with Dr. Iris Kalka conducts the survey. The report also contains statistics from an additional survey that was conducted among 400 parents in a national representative sample. This survey shows that 35% of parents of children aged 6-18 report they have taken at least one of their children to be assessed for learning disabilities and/or ADHD. In fact, the phenomenon is present to a wide extent. At least 180,000-190,000 school-aged children suffer from learning disabilities and/or ADHD (many of the children suffer from both).
For the parents of these children, the financial ramifications of this phenomenon become clear very quickly.
The report reveals: The average expense for parents of children with learning disabilities is higher than that of parents of children without learning disabilities. Approximately half of all parents in Israel spend up to 500 shekels each month on activities for their children (clubs, private lessons, psychological treatment, and different activities) and about half of parents spend more than 500 shekels each month (of them, 18% noted spending more than 1000 shekels each month).
In contrast to this, for children with learning disabilities, the parents spend more.
Among parents who have a child with learning disabilities, 64% spend more than 500 shekels per month, in contrast to just 42% of parents of children without learning disabilities who spend this amount.
26% of parents of children with learning disabilities spend more than 1000 shekels each month on activities for their children, as opposed to just 13% of parents of children without learning disabilities who spend this amount.
In order to illustrate the difference, a question that relates to private lessons was asked. Based on the answers, it's clear that a higher percentage of students with learning disabilities (60%) receive private lessons as opposed to 48% of their classmates without learning disabilities.
Maly Danino, Executive Director of The Nitzan Association says, "The significance of these statistics is unmistakable. Parents of children with learning disabilities invest more in supportive activities. The Nitzan Association stands in continual, daily contact with the parents, and we they're extremely frustrated from their interaction with the school system. Not only does the school system not help with the emotional and social aspect of their children, but it also leaves the parents to cope by themselves with the need to support and advance their children".
The survey's statistics indicate clearly that parents have difficulty in everything connected to support for their children. 57% of the parents who took their children to be assessed feel they don't have appropriate tools to assist. The majority believes, as well, that in order to treat learning disabilities or any other difficulty with the child, they must be given help.
Maly Danino says that The Nitzan Association operates assistance programs for parents. The association runs support groups for parents, The Parent's University, and also parent coaching.
Article by Ohr Kashti from the "Haaretz" newspaper, 15/3/10
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