Unit III

By
Dr. ANILA M M
Counselling In Educational Context-specific Issues In An Educational Setting
 Career Counselling

• Career counseling, also known as career guidance or career coaching, is a

process that helps individuals explore, identify, and achieve their career goals.

• It is the process of helping students and professionals to analyze their strengths,

interests, abilities and skills.

• It involves a collaborative relationship between the individual and a trained

counsellor or coach who provides guidance, support, and resources to facilitate
informed career decision-making.
 Key Components of Career Counselling

• Self-Assessment: Identifying values, interests, skills, and personality traits.

• Career Exploration: Exploring career options and labor market information.

• Goal Setting: Establishing realistic and achievable career objectives.

• Action Planning: Developing strategies to pursue chosen career paths.

• Support and Follow-up: Ongoing guidance and support throughout the career
development process.
 Career Counselling Objectives

• Enhance self-awareness and understanding.

• Explore career options and opportunities.

• Develop decision-making and problem-solving skills.

• Improve job search and interview skills.

• Foster lifelong career management and adaptability.

 Benefit

• Students choosing a major or career path.

• Professionals seeking career transition or advancement.
• Individuals re-entering the workforce.
• Those experiencing job dissatisfaction or burnout.
• Anyone looking to explore new career opportunities or navigate career
changes
• Counselling profession initially started with emphasis on vocational guidance
and counselling.
• Frank Parsons (1909), the Father of Guidance, who started the vocational
guidance movement, emphasized on preparing for a vocation rather than just
focusing on getting into a job.
• He highlighted understanding the process of career selection and decision.
• The underlying premise here is that various factors shape the career chart of a
person and both personal and work factors interact with each other to determine
career satisfaction and success.
• For instance, McDaniels (1984) formula C = W + L (Career = Work +
Leisure) highlights the importance of one’s leisure time activities, interest,
hobbies etc. in one’s career decisions.
• Other factors having an influence on career selection are age, gender,
socioeconomic background, resource availability, parental influence, peer
pressure etc.
 Career counselling involves both career guidance as well as counselling.
The goals of career counselling can thus be described as follows:

Collection of career information literature related to educational, training and occupational aspects

Developing awareness about skill training and enhancing one’s career prospects and avenues

Dissemination of the career information or career data through display, career talks, invited lectures, career
fairs, exhibitions and conferences, field visits

Conducting psychological testing, assessment of students regarding their interests, aptitude, attitude, values
and personality

Counselling parents on career related choices

Doing individual counselling as well as group guidance and counselling
related to career choices

Helping children with special needs in their career related and personal
emotional- social issues and difficulties as these are inter-related

Helping develop individualized career plans for students who need it

Facilitating the development of career maturity, work related values,

discipline and decision making skills

Helping the students to learn ways to cope with stress, resolve conflicts
and acquire effective interpersonal skills
 Holland’s Theory of Vocational
Choice and Adjustment

• Developed in (1959)
• Holland's theory proposes that career choices and satisfaction are influenced by an individual's
personality traits and work environment.
• Holland proposed six modal personality types: (commonly abbreviated with the acronym
RIASEC).
1. Realistic (R): practical, hands-on
2. Investigative (I): analytical, curious
3. Artistic (A): creative, expressive
4. Social (S): people-oriented, communicative
5. Enterprising (E): entrepreneurial, ambitious
6. Conventional (C): organized, detail-oriented
• The interrelationships among the types provide the basis for several predictions
about the kinds of careers people will choose, how satisfied they will be with
their work, how well they will perform in their work, and the ease with which
they will be able to make career decisions.

• Each type has a unique constellation of preferred activities, self-beliefs,

abilities, and values
 Realistic ®

• Characteristics: Realistic individuals enjoy working with their hands and practical tasks.
They prefer concrete, tangible activities over abstract or theoretical ones.

• Interests: They like working with tools, machines, and animals.

• Skills: Good at mechanical tasks, using tools, and understanding technical drawings.

• Self-Perception: Practical, down-to-earth, and realistic.

 Investigative (I)

• Characteristics: Investigative types are curious and analytical. They enjoy

exploring complex problems and seeking knowledge.

• Interests: They like studying and solving math or science problems.

• Skills: Strong in scientific and mathematical thinking.

• Self-Perception: Precise, intellectual, and analytical.

 Artistic (A)

Characteristics: Artistic individuals thrive in creative and expressive environments. They

enjoy unconventional and imaginative activities.

Interests: They love art, drama, music, and creative writing. Repetitive or highly ordered
tasks are less appealing.

Skills: Talented in creative arts and self-expression.

Self-Perception: Original, expressive, and independent.

 Social (S)

Characteristics: Social types are people-oriented and empathetic. They enjoy

helping others and solving social problems.
Interests: Teaching, counseling, nursing, and providing information. They
avoid tasks that rely heavily on machines or tools.
Skills: Good at communication, empathy, and understanding people.
Self-Perception: Helpful, friendly, and trustworthy.
 Enterprising (E)

Characteristics: Enterprising individuals are ambitious and enjoy leadership

roles. They like selling ideas and products.
Interests: Leading people, persuading, and selling. They avoid overly
analytical or scientific tasks.
Skills: Strong in communication, persuasion, and business.
Self-Perception: Energetic, ambitious, and sociable.
 Conventional ©

Characteristics: Conventional types prefer structured, orderly environments. They excel

at following established procedures.

Interests: Working with numbers, records, and machines in an organized way. They avoid
ambiguity.

Skills: Good at record-keeping, following plans, and maintaining order.

Self-Perception: Orderly and methodical.

 Theory Assumptions

• People seek work environments that align with their personality traits.

• Congruence between personality and work environment leads to job satisfaction and
performance.

• Career Decision-Making: By understanding their own vocational personality,

individuals can explore occupations that align with their preferences.

• Job Change and Coping : How individuals would cope with unemployment or job
changes. Understanding one’s vocational type can guide adaptation during transitions.
 Krumboltz's Social Learning Theory

• John D. Krumboltz (1979)

• Emphasizes the role of environmental factors and social interactions in shaping

career choices and behaviors.

• Environmental Factors: According to Krumboltz, our career choices are

significantly influenced by our environment. This includes family, peers,
teachers, and cultural context. These external factors shape our perceptions of
various career options.
• Social Interactions: Krumboltz highlights the importance of observing and
interacting with others. We learn about different careers through social
interactions, role models, and exposure. For instance, if a child sees a family
member enjoying their job, they may be more inclined to consider a similar
career.

• Learning Through Experience: Krumboltz emphasizes learning by doing. We

gain insights into careers by actively participating in internships, volunteering,
or part-time jobs. These experiences inform our career decisions.
• Planned Happenstance: Krumboltz acknowledges that chance events play a
role in career development. Being open to unexpected opportunities can lead
to fulfilling career paths.
 Key Components

• Learning through Observation: Individuals learn by observing others'

behaviors and outcomes.

• Reinforcement: Positive or negative consequences influence behavior.

• Modeling: Observing and imitating others' behaviors.

• Self-Efficacy: Beliefs about one's ability to perform tasks.

• Environmental Factors: Social, cultural, and economic influences.

 Application in Counselling

• Career Exploration: Encourage clients to explore various careers through

observation and experience.
• Role Modeling: Provide positive role models for clients to observe and learn
from.
• Reinforcement: Use positive reinforcement to encourage clients' career-related
behaviors.
• Self-Efficacy Building: Help clients develop confidence in their abilities.
• Environmental Assessment: Identify and address environmental barriers to
career goals.
 Benefits

• Increased Career Satisfaction

• Improved Decision-Making
• Enhanced Self-Awareness
• Increased Self-Efficacy
• Better Career Fit
 Implications for Practice

• Integrate social learning theory into career counselling

• Use diverse teaching methods
• Foster client self-awareness and reflection
• Address environmental barriers
• Continuously evaluate and refine counselling approaches
• Krumboltz's social learning theory remains influential in career counselling,
emphasizing the importance of environmental factors, social interactions, and
learning through observation and experience.

• Krumboltz's 4-Step Career Counselling Process

1. Assessment: Identify client's strengths, weaknesses, and interests.

2. Exploration: Explore career options and learning experiences.

3. Decision-Making: Support client in making informed career choices.

4. Action Planning: Develop strategies for achieving career goals.

 Benefits

1. Empowers Clients: Encourages self-directed learning and decision-

making.

2. Contextual Understanding: Considers environmental and social

factors.

3. Flexibility: Adaptable to diverse client needs and circumstances.

4. Practical Application: Focuses on actionable steps and strategies.

 Counselling For Special Populations

• Counseling for special needs children, including intellectually different students

(gifted and differently abled), focuses on addressing their unique social,
emotional, and academic needs.
• Types of Special Needs:
• Intellectually Gifted: Exceptionally talented students requiring challenging
curriculum and stimulation.
• Intellectually Disabled: Students with cognitive impairments requiring
adaptations and support.
• Learning Disabilities (LD): Dyslexia, ADHD, autism, etc.
• Physical Disabilities: Mobility, sensory, or chronic health impairments.
• Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: Anxiety, depression, OCD, etc.
1Q scores-Normal Distribution Curve
 Normal distribution

• A normal distribution or Gaussian distribution refers to a probability

distribution where the values of a random variable are distributed
symmetrically. These values are equally distributed on the left and the
right side of the central tendency. Thus, a bell-shaped curve is formed.
 Characteristics of Normal distribution curve

• Empirical Rule: In a normal distribution, 68% of the observations are confined

within -/+ one standard deviation, 95% of the values fall within -/+ two standard
deviations, and almost 99.7% of values are confined to -/+ three standard deviations.
• Bell-shaped Curve: Most of the values lie at the center, and fewer values lie at the
tail extremities. This results in a bell-shaped curve.
• Mean and Standard Deviation: This data representation is shaped by mean and
standard deviation.
• Equal Central Tendencies: The mean, median, and mode of this data are equal.
• Symmetric: The normal distribution curve is centrally symmetric. Therefore, half of
the values are to the left of the center, and the remaining values appear on the right.
• Skewness and Kurtosis: Skewness is the symmetry. The skewness for a normal
distribution is zero. Kurtosis studies the tail of the represented data. For a normal
distribution, the kurtosis is 3.
IQ Distribution
 Classification of IQ

Descriptive label Percent in the

IQ range population
Above 130 Very superior/Gifted 2.2
120-130 superior 6.7
110-119 High average 16.1
90-109 average 50.0
80-89 Low average 16.1
70-79 borderline 6.7
Below 70 Intellectually Disabled 2.2
Important Considerations
• On many tests, a score of 100 is considered the average IQ.
• Sixty-eight percent of scores fall within one standard deviation of the mean (that is,
between 85 and 115). That means that nearly 70% of all people score within plus or
minus 15 points of the average score.
• Ninety-five percent of scores fall within two standard deviations (between 70 and
130). Outliers beyond those points represent only a small portion of the population,
which means that only a small percentage of people have a very low IQ (below 70) or
a very high IQ (above 130).
• Scores below 70 may represent the presence of some sort of intellectual or learning
disability while scores over 130 may indicate giftedness.
 Variations in intellectual ability

Intellectually gifted
Intellectually disabled
 Intellectual disability

• Intellectual disability (ID), formerly mental retardation

• A condition characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning

and in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills.

• Intellectually disability begins in childhood or adolescence before the age of 18.

• It is defined as an intellectual functioning level (as measured by standard tests for

intelligence quotient) well below average and significant limitations in daily living
skills (adaptive functioning).
• Adaptive skills are the skills needed for daily life. Such skills include the ability to
produce and understand language (communication); home-living skills; use of
community resources; health, safety, leisure, self-care, and social skills; self-direction;
functional academic skills (reading, writing, and arithmetic); and work skills.

• In general, mentally retarded children reach developmental milestones such as

walking and talking much later than the general population.

• Symptoms of mental retardation may appear at birth or later in childhood. Time of

onset depends on the suspected cause of the disability.

• These children typically have difficulties with social, communication, and functional
academic skills.
An intellectual disability is when limitations in your mental abilities affect
intelligence, learning and everyday life skills. The effects of this can vary widely.
Some people may experience minor effects but still live independent lives.
Others may have severe effects and need lifelong assistance and support.
Types of Intellectual Disability (MR)
 Symptoms of Mental Retardation (intellectually disabled)

• Failure to meet intellectual developmental markers

• Failure to meet developmental milestones such as sitting, crawling, walking, or
talking, in a timely manner
• Persistence of childlike behavior, possibly demonstrated in speaking style, or by
a failure to understand social rules or consequences of behavior
• Lack of curiosity and difficulty solving problems
• Decreased learning ability and ability to think logically
• Trouble remembering things
• An inability to meet educational demands required by school
 Mild Mental Retardation

• Approximately 85 percent of the mentally retarded population is in the mildly

retarded category.
• Their IQ score ranges from 50 to 70 and they can often acquire academic skills
up to the sixth grade level.
• They can become fairly self-sufficient and in some cases live independently,
work with community and social support.
• Their disability may interfere with learning or complex tasks.
• They can often work around these issues, especially with specialized
interventions and assistance earlier in life.
• It may not be diagnosed with the affected children enter school.
 Moderate Mental Retardation

• About 10 percent of the mentally retarded population is considered moderately

retarded.
• Moderately retarded individuals have IQ scores ranging from 35 to 50.
• They can carry out work and self-care tasks with moderate supervision.
• They typically acquire communication skills in childhood and are able to live and
function successfully within the community in a supervised environment such as a
group home.
• They can communicate using simple language.
• They achieve an education of about an elementary school level.
• Many can learn to live independently to some degree but will need varying levels of
help along the way, such as the kind of support found in a group home
 Severe Mental Retardation

• About 3 to 4 percent of the mentally retarded population is severely retarded.

• Severely retarded individuals have IQ scores of 20 to 35.

• They may master very basic self-care skills and some communication skills.

• Many severely retarded individuals are able to live in a group home.

• They use single words, phrases and/or gestures to communicate.

• They benefit from daily care and support with activities and daily life

• Poor motor development, markedly delayed speech and communication skills.

 Profound Mental Retardation

• Only 1 to 2 percent of the mentally retarded population is classified as profoundly retarded.

• Profoundly retarded individuals have IQ scores under 20 to 25.
• They may be able to develop basic self-care and communication skills with appropriate
support and training.
• Their retardation is often caused by an accompanying neurological disorder.
• The profoundly retarded need a high level of structure and supervision
• They usually communicate nonverbally, understanding some gestures and emotional cues.
• They benefit from 24/7 medical care and support for all activities and aspects of life.
 Causes of Mental Retardation

Prenatal causes (causes before birth)

• Chromosomal Disorders: Down’s syndrome, fragile X syndrome etc.,

• Single Gene Disorders: Inborn errors of metabolism like phenyl

ketonuria, hypothyroidism, Tay sachs disease

• Neuro Cutaneous Syndromes: Tuberous sclerosis, neurofibromatosis

• Brain Malformations: Microcephaly, hydrocephalus

 Causes of Mental Retardation

Prenatal causes (causes before birth)

• Chromosomal Disorders: Down’s syndrome, fragile X syndrome etc.,

• Single Gene Disorders: Inborn errors of metabolism like phenyl

ketonuria, hypothyroidism, Tay sachs disease

• Neuro Cutaneous Syndromes: Tuberous sclerosis, neurofibromatosis

• Brain Malformations: Microcephaly, hydrocephalus

 Abnormal maternal environmental influences

• Deficiencies: Iodine deficiency and folic acid deficiency, severe malnutrition

• Substance use: Alcohol, nicotine, cocaine
• Exposure to harmful chemicals: Pollutants, heavy metals, harmful drugs
• Maternal infections: Rubella, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus infection, syphilis, HIV
• Exposure to: Radiation and Rh incompatibility
• Complications of Pregnancy: Pregnancy induced hypertension, ante partum hemorrhage, placental
dysfunction

• Maternal Disease: Diabetes, heart and kidney disease

 During delivery

• Difficult and /or complicated delivery, severe prematurity, very low birth weight, birth
asphyxia, birth trauma

• Neonatal period: Jaundice, hypoglycaemia, neonatal convulsions

• Infancy and childhood: Brain infections like tuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis,

bacterial meningitis, Head trauma, severe and prolonged malnutrition
 Intellectual Giftedness

• Having extraordinary intellectual ability and creativity

• Ability to perform complex mental tasks

• A gifted child has a high level of mental ability or is extraordinarily good in a

specific area of knowledge.

• a child to be gifted if his IQ score stands at 130 or beyond that.

• Intellectual Giftedness means a child has intellectual abilities and the potential to
achieve further than the differentiated general education programs require.
 Intellectual Giftedness Characteristics

• There are different categories for each characteristic –

• creativity, effectiveness, behavioral, and cognitive.

Creativity Effectiveness Behavioral Cognitive

Sensitivity or Asks a lot of

Intuitive Larger vocabulary
empathy questions

Inventive Idealism Spontaneous Early reader

Needs lots of Independent in

Sense of humor Eager
emotional support work or study

High self- Interest in

Flexibility Chattering
awareness problem-solving
 Characteristics of Gifted Children

• Ability to comprehend material several grade levels above their age peers
• Surprising emotional depth and sensitivity at a young age
• Strong sense of curiosity
• Enthusiastic about unique interests and topics
• Mature sense of humor
• Creative problem solving and imaginative expression
• Absorbs information quickly with few repetitions needed
• Self-aware, socially aware, and aware of global issues
 Gifted Children Problems/Challenges

• Burnout and Exhaustion

• Issues Regarding Attention and Organization
• Difficulty in Making Friends
• Difficulty in Being Patient
• Unrealistic Expectations
• Issues Regarding Control
• Being a Perfectionist
• Feeling Guilty
• Issues Regarding Self-Esteem
• Isolation
• Mildly gifted: 115 to 130
• Moderately gifted: 130 to 145
• Highly gifted: 145 to 160
• Profoundly gifted: 160 or higher
 Treatment

• Education support and interventions: These can help with changes to educational programs
and structure. An example of educational support is an Individualized Education Plan (IEP),
which creates a custom educational plan and expectations.
• Behavioral support and interventions: These kinds of interventions can help with learning
adaptive behaviors and related skills.
• Vocational training: This can help people with intellectual disabilities learn work-related
skills.
• Family education: This can help family and loved ones of those with intellectual disability
learn more about intellectual disability and how to support a loved one who has it.
• Various medications: can help with conditions that are related to or happen alongside
intellectual disability. While these don’t treat intellectual disability itself, they can help with
some of the symptoms that may contribute.
• Community support: A person and/or their family can contact local government agencies or
support organizations. Doing so can help them get access to the services they benefit from,
including supports in home or work environments and options for daytime activities.
 Counselling strategies for ID

• Lemay, Herbert, Dewey, and Innes (2003) hold that because they experience
developmental delays in most areas of functioning, children and adolescents with
mild mental retardation require multiple services.

• Counsellors can help to coordinate school, home, and community services for all
areas of need.

• Counsellors, therefore, often work with parents, special educators, and teachers to
advocate for appropriate educational modifications and resources in the general
education classroom.
• Counsellors can offer individual and group counselling focusing on self-esteem,
self-expression, and behavioral rehearsal, which are all typical areas of need.

• Counsellors can help parents understand and encourage their child's or

adolescent's abilities and help the parents cope with the stresses of parenting a
disabled child.

• For adolescents, special attention should be given to their developing

independent living skills and to educational and vocational planning
 Counselling Programme

Individualized Plans: Collaborate with families and specialists to create

Individualized Family Services Plans (IFSP) and Individualized Education Plans
(IEP) for school-age children. These plans outline specific needs and services.
Behavioral Counselling: Consider behavioral counselling, which can be effective.
Tailor interventions to the individual’s needs. For mild intellectual disability, talk
therapy may be helpful.
Positive Reinforcement: Encourage positive behaviors and achievements
Social Skills Training: Teach skills for initiating and maintaining relationships.
Emotional Awareness: Help individuals recognize and express emotions.
Vocational training: This can help people with intellectual disabilities learn work-
related skills.
• Group Therapy: Foster socialization, skills development, and support.
• Parent Training : For younger children and those individuals with more severe ID,
parent training has been shown to provide additional support for the child and family.
• Play therapy: Play therapy is an emerging tool for therapists forging significant
headway in the treatment of children with intellectual disabilities.
• The child-centered play therapist is to provide a therapeutic environment in which the
child feels heard, cared about, and understood.
• Through an active and living relationship, children undergo a sense of mastery and
control, increase self-acceptance, direction, and responsibility, and learn to rely on
their internal locus of evaluation.
• Family Support: Parents are every child’s most important resource, but their
importance is magnified for individuals who experience a prolonged, or even
persistent, period of dependency.
• Providing support to parents in their care giving role is a very important
function of the counsellor.
• Family Therapy: Involve caregivers and family in counselling process.
• A family’s requirement for community support depends not only on the
characteristics of the child’s degree of cognitive impairment, level of
independence, and behavioral challenges, but on structural, functional and
external characteristics of the family.
• Person-centered approach: Focus on individual's strengths, interests, and needs.
• There are two levels of community supports: informal and formal.

• Informal supports include: community organizations that provide advocacy, parent

training, counselling, child care, respite, or recreational activities and social
networking with other families through parent support groups and, most recently,
through the Internet.

• Formal supports include: publicly supported programs to which families are entitled.
Early intervention and public schools, particularly special education programs, are
entitlement programs for all children who have MR

• Accommodations and Support: Explore residential homes, day rehabilitation

programs, and workshops to enhance independence and community connections.
 Adaptations for Different Intellectual Disability Levels

Mild Intellectual Disability

• Focus on daily living skills and independence.
• Use visual aids and simple language.
• Emphasize social skills and relationships.
Moderate Intellectual Disability
1. Use augmented communication systems (e.g., picture communication symbols).
2. Focus on emotional regulation and behavioral management.
3. Encourage participation in group activities.
Severe Intellectual Disability
1. Use sensory-based interventions (e.g., touch, music).
2. Focus on basic needs and comfort.
3. Involve caregivers in counselling process.
 Counselling Goals

• Enhance self-awareness and self-acceptance.

• Develop social skills and relationships.
• Improve emotional regulation and resilience.
• Foster academic success and motivation.
• Promote independence and self-advocacy
 Accommodations and Interventions

• Adapted curriculum and teaching methods.

• Assistive technology and resources.
• Behavioral support plans.
• Social skills training.
• Inclusive classroom environments.
 Counselling for Intellectually gifted

Counselling Goals
• Foster emotional intelligence
• Enhance social skills
• Develop coping strategies
• Promote self-awareness and self-acceptance
• Encourage creativity and critical thinking
• Support academic and personal growth
• Strengthen family relationships
 Counselling Strategies

• Gifted-specific assessments: Identify strengths, challenges, and learning styles.

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): Address perfectionism, anxiety, and self-doubt.
• Social skills training: Develop empathy, communication, and relationships.
• Emotional regulation techniques: Teach mindfulness, relaxation, and self-calming.
• Creative expression: Encourage art, music, writing, or other creative outlets.
• Existential counselling: Explore meaning, purpose, and values.
• Family therapy: Address parental expectations, sibling dynamics, and family
communication.
• Group counselling: Foster social connections and shared experiences.
 Gifted Student Counselling:

• Talent development and acceleration programs.

• Mentorship and enrichment opportunities.
• Social-emotional support for pressure and expectations
• Career exploration and planning.
Differently Abled Student Counselling:
• Accessibility and accommodations support
• Self-advocacy and empowerment.
• Social integration and friendship skills
• Emotional regulation and coping strategies.
Learning disability
 Learning Disability

• Significant reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new

skills (impaired intelligence), with a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired
social functioning), which started before adulthood

• According to the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (2013), children and
adolescents identified as having specific learning disabilities usually have a disorder
in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or
using spoken or written language manifesting in an imperfect ability to listen, think,
read, write, spell, and/or to perform mathematical calculations
• Counselling for children with learning disabilities addresses the emotional,
social, and academic impacts of their conditions.
• Types of Learning Disabilities:
1. Dyslexia (reading)
2. Dysgraphia (writing)
3. Dyscalculia (math)
4. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
5. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
6. Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
7. Visual Processing Disorder (VPD)
8. Language-Based Learning Disability
• Dyslexia: Difficulty reading, decoding, and spelling due to phonological
processing deficits.
• Dysgraphia: Difficulty writing, spelling, and composing written language.
• Dyscalculia: Difficulty with math concepts, problem-solving, and numerical
relationships.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Difficulty sustaining
attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Persistent deficits in social communication,
social interaction, and restricted/repetitive behaviors.
• Auditory Processing Disorder (APD): Difficulty processing auditory
information.
• Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Deficit: Difficulty processing visual
information.
• Aphasia: Impaired language processing, comprehension, and expression.
• Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD): Difficulty integrating sensory information.
• Learning disability is identified when there is a severe discrepancy between
intellectual ability and achievement in one or more of the following areas:

• Oral Expression, Listening Comprehension, Written Expression, Basic

Reading Skills, Reading Comprehension, Mathematical Calculation, and
Mathematical Reasoning.

• In simpler terms, children with learning disabilities exhibit a statistically

significant gap, between their intelligence (ability) and at least one area of
their academic testing (achievement).
• LD is a kind of disorder where inadequate development may be manifested in
language, speech, math, or in motor skill area.
• This may or may not be due to physiological or neurological defect. The
following are the probable causes:
• Maternal illness during pregnancy
• Birth complications that block the flow of oxygen to the baby’s brain
• Certain genes that can make the person more genetically predisposed to
developing a learning disability
• Injury or illness, such as meningitis, in early childhood
• Most common subtype of learning disability is Dyslexia
• In LD the children find difficulty in recognizing and reading comprehension,
often he/ she is found markedly deficient in spelling as well as in reading.
• The learning disability children are generally identified during the early years of
childhood, because of the apparent disparity between their expected academic
achievement level and their actual academic performance in one or more
subjects.
Students with learning disabilities are very heterogeneous, meaning that no two students possess the
identical profile of strengths and weaknesses.

Learning disabled children essentially suffer from serious learning problems for number of reasons.

The problems and disorder are usually manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of
languages (reading, writing, speaking etc), reasoning of social skills, etc.

They may show symptoms of hyper activity, impulsivity and most of them show symptoms of anxiety.

Learning disorder in children is not apparent in the physical appearance.

Learning disorder can occur with normal intelligence.

Learning disorder children show significant educational discrepancy i.e. avoid gap between their learning
potential and actual educational achievement and they lack in mastering the academic part
• One must remember that many
children with LD are very bright
and may show brilliance in other
areas.
• Hence they should be encouraged
to nurture the development of their
talent, be it in athletics, music, art,
science, writing, or mathematics.
 Counselling Strategies For Children With Specific Learning Disabilities

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 College and Career

• Like their peers, students with SLD need information on all appropriate college and career options.
• It should not be assumed that high school graduation is an end point.
• However, given the fact that students with special needs tend to gravitate toward postsecondary
vocational training instead of college it is important to make sure they are not being channeled
toward vocational training without adequate exploration of the range of opportunities available to
them.
• Furthermore, career development for high school students with learning disabilities is hindered by a
number of factors, including poor academic skills, low self-awareness, limited career knowledge and
decreased autonomy and self-sufficiency.
• Emotional regulation and solid coping skills are crucial to handling frustrations that arise on the
job.
• Knowing how to build rapport is essential to collaborative working relationships.
• Focused, active listening is required to successfully understand job tasks and carry them out
 Famous People with Learning Disabilities

• Whoopi Goldberg – Dyslexia

• Tom Cruise – Dyslexia
• Daniel Radcliffe – Dyspraxia
• Justin Timberlake – Attention deficit disorder
• Abhishek Bachan and Hrithik Roshan - Dyslexia
 Counselling Goals

• Enhance self-esteem and confidence

• Develop coping strategies and resilience
• Improve social skills and relationships
• Foster academic motivation and engagement
• Support emotional regulation and well-being
• Family counselling for parental support and collaboration
 Counselling Strategies

• Individualized counselling tailored to each child's needs: Focus on child's strengths, interests, and needs.
• Play therapy for younger children: Utilize play to explore emotions, build trust, and develop social skills.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): Address negative thought patterns, behaviors.
• Social skills training: Teach communication, problem-solving, and friendship skills.
• Emotional regulation techniques: Teach self-calming, relaxation, and self-awareness.
• Family therapy: Involve parents, caregivers in counseling process.
• Group counselling: Foster social connections, shared experiences.
• Visual aids and adaptations: Use visual supports to enhance understanding.
 Specific Learning Disability Interventions

• Dyslexia: Multisensory instruction, assistive technology.

• ADHD: Behavioural modification, organizational skills.

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), social

stories.

• Dysgraphia: Occupational therapy, handwriting strategies.

• Dyscalculia: Math accommodations, assistive technology.