TEDI 4 Week 2 - Attitudes to Learning

Hansen, Anthea

TEDI 4 Week 2 - Attitudes to Learning

MOOC

2019-06-01

Abstract

In this video, Anthea Hansen, an audioologist and lecturer at the University of Cape Town, discusses the attitudes if parents, teachers, family and community towards children with severe to profound intellectual disability and how these attitudes can influence the ability of said children to learn. She discusses how attitudes towards children with disabilities are influenced by societal and cultural factors, such as the intense shame and stigma around children with disabilities who are often seen as sick or even cursed. She mentions the structural factors that impede their learning, which includes the attitudes of educators and the processes of early childhood education. She also speaks of the importance of educating teachers on how to adapt their teaching spaces or even curriculum to incorporate children with learning disabilities. She then discusses the factors that can promote the intellectual development and learning opportunities for children with disabilities, such as the involvement of caregivers, families and community members in developing their own awareness of intellectual disability, or the importance of changing attitudes towards children with severe to profound intellectual disability to be able to provide the educational opportunities that work best for the children. She closes by discussing the importance of building skills and awareness in the family so that parents and caregivers can access the support they need and provide the care they can for their children.