What Impact do negative

stigmas have on University

Students with Learning
Disabilities?
By:
Ankur Mahajan
ED 6X90

Contents

What is Learning Disability?

Research Questions
Rationale
Literature Review
Hypothesis
Discussion
Scope and limitations
Conclusion

What is Learning Disability?

Learning disabilities, also called learning disorder or learning difficulty can be
defined as a neurological disorder, which arises due to the difference in how
one brain is wired. Other terms, such as mental retardation and intellectual
disability, are used in North America and in some other parts of the world.
Learning disabilities can lead to difficulty in reading, writing, spelling,
reasoning, recalling and further in organizing information if left to function
individually or after changing a method of teaching. Individuals with learning
disabilities can face several harsh challenges that are often pervasive
throughout their life.
However, with appropriate cognitive/academic interventions, many can be
treated. Types of common Learning Disabilities include Dyslexia, Dyscalculia,
Dysgraphia, Auditory and Visual Processing Disorder, and Nonverbal learning
disabilities.

Research Questions
What are in details the stigmas involved with University Students
with learning disabilities?
What are the ways in which institutes (University of Development
Studies- Tamale and University of Development StudiesBolgatanga, Ghana) are increasing/decreasing the stigmas
involved with learning disabilities?
How teachers and other University students can assist in
development and decreasing the stigmas with LD?

Rationale
Social perceptions of mental health problems are dominated by
negative stereotypes. People with mental health problems are
often thought to look strange and behave in a bizarre fashion.
They might be seen solely in terms of their health problems,
regardless of their overall contribution to society, and may be
seen as incompetent and dependent on others.
People with learning disabilities are still termed as Lunatic.
Their needs to be awareness amongst the people about stigmas
attached with learning disability.

Literature review
Stigma proved to be a major obstacle towards leading to low self-esteem
and further affects the career.
Lowering self-esteem and affecting their mood, which further affects
their career and their motivations towards reaching their ambitions.
Out- group homogeneity- stereotypes depicting people with mental
illness as being dangerous, unpredictable, responsible for their illness, or
generally incompetent can lead to active discrimination, such as
excluding people with these conditions from employment and social or
educational opportunities.
More visible is the disability, more is the discrimination; and invisible
disabilities are often referred to as Laziness by some teachers.

Literature Review ( Cont.)

One of the other perceptions held by teachers and professors is
the judgement that students with learning disabilities are lazy or
not trying hard enough.
Confirmation Bias theory- people have a tendency to interpret
information in a manner consistent with existing beliefs or
expectations.
Ableism theory- it assumes that people with disabilities are
inferior to others.

Hypothesis and Discussion

Irrespective of gender, if participants are conveyed that the individual
has a learning disability, they perceive them as less favorable.
Research sample of 30 to 100 studied by the researchers from University
of Development Studies- Tamale and University of Development StudiesBolgatanga, Ghana.

The researchers confirmed that knowledge, culture, and social networks

can influence the relationship between stigma and access to care.
Cultural factors can influence the types of behaviors that are thought to
violate social norms and the degree to which discrimination against
people who display non confirmative behavior is accepted.

Hypothesis and Discussion (Cont.)

Great strides have been made compared from before.
Priestley (2003) suggests that disability can be conceived of as four
intersecting circles of the body, identity, culture, and structure. The
intersections among the four realms of disability experience are fruitful
areas for future research which could highlight the subtleties and
complexities of the disability experience.
This research shows that labeling alone can affect employment
opportunities without taking into account a persons ability, knowledge,
education, or qualifications for a particular job.
Overall, findings of this study by the universities clearly suggest that the
interactional processes of labeling, stereotyping, separation, status loss,
and discrimination have relevance to the social experiences of people
with disabilities and their families and that these processes can have
negative consequences in their lives.

Scope and Limitation

Generalizing
May not be honest opinion
May lack experience
Shy in terms of expressing their negative treatments from their
peers.

Conclusion
Stigma reduction is one of the great challenges facing mental health
organizations. Intentional or not, nave assumptions, stereotyping, and
downright prejudice can have damaging effects on the course of
recovery from a mental illness.
Great Positive strides have been made by teachers and other students to
raise awareness and decrease the stigmas attached with learning
disability.
More understanding is still needed to inform the development of these
anti stigma programs.
it is suggested ways that clinicians can develop awareness about their
own stigmatizing beliefs and how clinicians can be trained differently to
minimize the development of stigmatizing beliefs.