Development, Validation and Testing of an Education Program for Identification of Learning Disabilities Among School Children by Primary School Teachers in Qatar

Education is one of the essential aspects of the growth of children. At the right time, each child must get the right education. The aim of education is to educate the child in a way that promotes the interest and needs of the child. Each child has unique learning styles. Learning is any ongoing shift in action that happens because of practice and experience. As this is indicated in Qatar's national policy every child should be provided with education to help it reach its full potential.

Learning disability (LD) is a worldwide problem today. According to American Psychiatric Association (2018) an estimated 5 to 15 percent school age children struggle with a LD.As stated by fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V-R,2013), learning disabilities refer to the conditions when academic skills are greatly below the average range of expected scores based on the chronological age (e.g. at least 1.5 SD below the population mean score for age). The difference between intelligence and academic achievement scores in standardized reading, mathematical tests, and written expressions is basically lower than the chronological age, intellectual, and educational level. The learning problems significantly interfere with academic achievement or activities of daily living that require reading, mathematical or writing skills". Common learning disabilities dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, auditory and visual processing disorder, and nonverbal learning disabilities.

Teachers plays an important role in all educational system. Teacher is an originator who creates and forms children's physical, intellectual, and moral capacity, which gives teachers tremendous obligation to train themselves to recognize children at regular school with learning disabilities Each classroom has one or two children with learning disabilities at a regular school. The ability of teachers to assess learning disabilities in normal schools is a key factor. This needs teachers to undergo an additional training program to recognize primary-level children with LD.

Need for the study Learning disability is the largest disability among school going children with prevalence rate between 3% and 12% in elementary school students. Most of the students attend regular school due to misdiagnosis of intellectual disability. Those who attend regular schools face many challenges in educational progress, even they have school failure. LD is the main contributing factor in which 37.9% for school failure in Qatar. This results in low self -esteem, difficulty in learning can continue in adolescent age and later children stop studying to learn eventually drop out of school.

One of the most important strategies for an early detection of these abnormalities is to be referring them by primary school teachers to an educational counselor, including speech therapists, for an adequate and thorough assessment and the final diagnosis of childhood LD. This allows teachers to be mindful of LD signs and symptoms and to perform initial student screening. Otherwise, assessment and diagnosis can be delayed or lead to adverse outcomes. Therefore, awareness and attitude of primary school teacher about LD are very important.