Inclusive education: understanding learning difficulties better to support children

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Extract from the article: Strengthening teachers’ skills is an important factor in the success of inclusive education in Togo. In this regard, the EFANAM_LO firm organised a continuing professional development session in Lomé on Saturday, October 31, for nursery and primary s

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Strengthening teachers’ skills is an important factor in the success of inclusive education in Togo. In this regard, the EFANAM_LO firm organised a continuing professional development session in Lomé on Saturday, October 31, for nursery and primary school teachers, as well as support workers assisting pupils with disabilities. The initiative aims to equip them with the skills needed to better identify learning difficulties and adapt their teaching practices to each child’s needs.

Held under the theme “Together, Let Us Include to Help Every Child Grow!”, the training focused on neurodevelopmental disorders, concentration difficulties, excessive restlessness, language disorders and memory problems. Teachers were also introduced to intervention methods and teaching tools that can facilitate the learning process for children concerned.

The training enabled participants to learn how to recognise warning signs and respond more appropriately to situations encountered in the classroom. Teachers are not expected to make diagnoses, but rather to identify difficulties, refer children to specialists and work with them to ensure appropriate support.

Beyond identifying these difficulties, the challenge is also educational. Teachers are encouraged to adapt their teaching methods, instructions and assessment approaches to pupils’ abilities. This helps take into account different learning paces and prevents children experiencing difficulties from being marginalised or excluded from the classroom.

The training was led by a multidisciplinary team comprising a child and adolescent psychiatrist, an occupational therapist specialising in mental health and cognitive rehabilitation, as well as a speech and language therapist specialising in learning disorders.

Identifying Neurodevelopmental Disorders to Prevent Learning Difficulties and School Exclusion

The head of EFANAM_LO, Mrs Adiel Lotri, explained that some difficulties observed in the classroom are often wrongly interpreted as laziness or a lack of willingness. However, they may be linked to differences in brain development, which influence how a child learns and processes information. These conditions include autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

“It is neither the child's fault nor the parents' fault. The child's brain has developed differently, and therefore the learning process is also different,” Mrs Lotri explained. She also urged parents not to deprive children with special educational needs of schooling. According to her, these children have abilities that can be developed when they benefit from an appropriate educational environment. “All children have the right to education. They must be included and helped to bring out the potential within them,” she emphasised.

For speech and language therapist Yayra Alligboh, many teachers feel helpless when faced with children who display particular behavioural, attention, memory or learning difficulties. Due to a lack of knowledge about these conditions, some teachers may misinterpret pupils' reactions and struggle to support them in the classroom.

“Sometimes, these children were simply sent home because the teacher could no longer cope with them,” she explained. She stressed that such difficulties do not necessarily indicate a lack of intelligence or willingness on the child's part, but may be linked to a condition requiring appropriate support.

Teachers play a key role in identifying these difficulties, as they are the first to observe children's behaviour in the school environment. “A pupil who is constantly moving, struggles to remember instructions or quickly forgets lessons may be showing signs that require special attention,” she noted.

The training is therefore intended to help improve teaching practices and create a school environment where learning differences are better understood and addressed. It also highlights that academic success depends not only on a child's abilities but also on how the school adapts to their needs.

William O.