Dealing with Learning Disabilities in the Work Place

In the last few decades, understanding and acceptance of people with learning disabilities has become more prevalent as medical research has enlightened society in general to the types and affects of these disabilities. People who had previously been viewed by society to be "dumb" or "below average" are now understood to have a disorder of some type or another that keeps them from processing information on the same level or at the same speed as the majority of society, particularly in the workforce.

One thing that is essential to dealing with learning disabilities in the workplace is the knowledge of the disability to begin with. Sometimes potential candidates come with the knowledge that they have a learning disability. These people have to be dealt with responsibly, with respect and consideration. Many progressive companies provide access to programs which can help employees improve and overcome disabilities and become productive employees. These programs may include adult reading education programs, disability assessment programs or training programs modified to suit the needs of particular learning disabilities.

Having a learning disability can make it difficult for an adult to become gainfully employed as many employers do not want to deal with the "extra hassle" of working with persons with learning issues. Despite the fact that many companies have policies concerning persons with disabilities, many employers do not consider learning disabilities to be a legitimate disability and therefore do not apply governmental rules and guidelines when dealing with these individuals. This is not to say every employer will automatically rule out persons applying with learning disabilities as prime candidates all together, but it is often used in the decision making process when deciding which candidate is most suited to the companies needs even if the person doing the hiring will not admit so.

Often times when a person with learning disabilities is employed, they have difficulty learning the job they have been assigned to do. This is because the teaching of job skills is designed for an overall general population and is not specifically geared towards people with learning disabilities nor do many training programs allow for ways to modify the material to teach it to people with disabilities. If the employee manages to pass the training requirements they run into even more obstacles of on the job performance, dealing with co workers who do not understand their disability.

Although it is not necessarily the employer or supervisors job to identify or even modify work and training for these individuals, a responsible employer should make every effort to do so. A patient employer, once a learning disabled person has been identified can find the time to teach and work with the person on the level that they need assistance. For example, a person who is diagnosed with dyslexia may have a difficult time reading a training manual, but if it is read to them or explained to them orally may have no trouble understanding and implementing the material to perform the tasks required of the position. A person who cannot understand oral instruction can perform quite well by being physically shown how to perform the tasks required. Patience and understanding of the particular disability can make both the employers job and the employees job much easier as it creates an open line of communication between both.

When dealing with a an employee who has a learning disability it is not necessary for the employer to make everyone else aware of the issue as this may cause embarrassment for the employee. Learning disabilites, while becoming more understood are still negative labels in society. It is also important that people with learning disabilities be treated equally in the work place. To berate or belittle someone because they do not understand the material as well or as quickly as another is counter productive. Likewise to make exceptions for people with learning disabilities can cause a negative impact on their relationships with co workers.

Having a learning disability does not by any means exclude someone from taking on a professional position and certainly will not limit them in their capacity to excel at what ever chosen profession they pursue. As advances in medical research bring to light the reasons for and limitations of learning disabilities, it also finds ways to cope with and overcome these disabilities. Society also learns to diagnose and treat disabilities at an earlier age than ever before, enabling young people to enter into the job market ready to face the challenges that their disabilities can create