Coping with academic failure, a study of Dutch children with dyslexia

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study of strategies that Dutch children with dyslexia employ to cope with recurrent academic failure. All of the students in the study had developed strategies for protecting their self-esteem. Using Harter's theory of coping with discrepancies between performance and standards, we distinguish four strategies: (1) working hard and committing to standards, (2) lowering standards, (3) seeking support from significant others (i.e. parents and teachers), and (4) avoiding comparisons with significant others (i.e. peers). Although self-talk emerged as an important component of all four strategies, it was employed both adaptively (e.g. to preserve the students' belief in their own academic capacities) and maladaptively (e.g. to devalue the importance of learning). The students relied most strongly on support from their parents; teachers and peers were more likely to be seen as threats to self-esteem. Strategies of teachers and parents to encourage adaptive coping with recurrent academic failure are confirming the student's self-worth, explaining dyslexia, showing faith in the student's capacities, fostering adaptive self-talk, providing educational treatment, and preventing teasing and bullying. Besides that, teachers and parents should cooperate.

Recollections of learning-disabled adolescents of their schooling experiences : A qualitative study

“…It is known that up to 75% of students with SpLD have social difÞ culties, originating out of their information-processing deÞ cits, and are at a greater risk for developing poor interpersonal relationships. [10,11] Their social deficits make them vulnerable to experiencing social rejection by their non-disabled classmates, resulting in loss of self-esteem and an increasing sense of inadequacy. [11][12][13] Students with SpLD are more likely to feel lonely and different among peers and get teased or bullied by them.…”

“…[10,11] Their social deficits make them vulnerable to experiencing social rejection by their non-disabled classmates, resulting in loss of self-esteem and an increasing sense of inadequacy. [11][12][13] Students with SpLD are more likely to feel lonely and different among peers and get teased or bullied by them. [14][15][16] The adolescents appreciated that remedial education was enjoyable, beneficial in improving their academic competence and in boosting their conÞ dence.…”

Depression in Dyslexic Children Attending Specialized Schools: A Case of Switzerland

“…In Sweden, mothers of dyslexic students integrated in traditional classes emphasized that schools did not offer appropriate support for the needs of their children (Roll-Pettersson & Mattson, 2007). Another study suggested that dyslexic students integrated in traditional classes in the Netherlands considered teachers and peers as threatening their self-esteem (Singer, 2007). Empirical evidence also supports specialized schooling.…”

An evaluation ofSuccess and Dyslexia– a multi component school-based coping program for primary school students with learning disabilities: Is it feasible?

“…Many studies have also shown that students who have learning disabilities are at risk of responding to their difficulties in non-productive ways, such as passively giving up (Firth, Frydenberg, & Greaves, 2009;Lackaye, Margalit, Ziv, & Ziman, 2006;Nu´n˜ez et al, 2005;Sideridis, Morgan, Botsas, Padeliadu, & Fuchs, 2006), avoiding the problem (Singer, 2007), engaging in disruptive behaviour (Chan & Dally, 2000;Prior, 1996) and social withdrawal (Bryan, 2005;Kotzer & Margalit, 2007), resulting in increased risk of school dropout (Deshler, 2005;Scanlon & Mellard, 2002), juvenile delinquency (Ahrens, DuBois, Lozano, & Richardson, 2010;Svetaz, Ireland, & Blum, 2000), social isolation (Bryan, Burstein, & Ergul, 2004;Svetaz et al, 2000) and depression (Ahrens et al, 2010;Wilson, Armstrong, Furrie, & Walcott, 2009). …”