It’s the wince at a blackboard, the slow beginnings of a frown: a child leans forward at his desk, trying to understand the words that are sprawled before him. But the letters start to tangle, and the meanings soon fade. All information is reversed, with entire sentences transposed (becoming parodies of themselves, baffling). He cannot understand the facts. He cannot comprehend the intentions. He merely stares, trying to hide his confusion. His peers would mock him for it, he believes. They’re all taking notes so efficiently and he… can’t.
He thinks something must be wrong with him. He thinks his mind must be broken.
It isn’t — the synapses are merely misreading what’s being presented.
The most common of all learning difficulties is the misunderstanding of new information. This is deemed an Input Disability, with individuals unable to recognize specific words, letters, distances or visual clues. Their perceptions are instead obscured. They do not see the world as others do. Their outlooks are shaped to miscommunication — with their brains unable to easily process facts and skills.
And this too often brands a child foolish. He is thought to be distracted and weak minded. Teachers assume a lack of effort; peers assume a lack of intelligence.
This is not true, however. Those who suffer from an Input Disability are neither inattentive nor ignorant. They are merely unable to understand information in the traditional ways. They must instead have help.
And this is offered in the form of auditory aid (with lessons explained verbally, allowing for greater comprehension), repetition, carefully worded guides (with all important factors highlighted and properly spaced) and elements that can be mastered through touch instead of reading. The intention is to strengthen the body’s ability to receive information by offering alternatives. Exposure must be wide and varied.
An Input Disability is not proof of a flawed intellect. It’s merely a requirement for different teaching methods. Understand the visual concerns and combat them.
