Abstract
Background: Learning impairments in children consist of a spectrum of disorders that are under
diagnosed in Pakistan. Most learning disorders have long term consequences for a child and early
detection is thus imperative. Teachers may be able to play a key role in such identification. The
objective of our study was to survey knowledge, attitudes and practices of school teachers
regarding dyslexia, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autistic spectrum
disorder, and assess their ability to identify learning disabilities. Methods: A Cross-sectional
study was conducted with 233 primary school teachers from Karachi using a self-administered
questionnaire. Results: Mean scores for the knowledge test and the ability to identify learningimpaired children were 58.8% and 53.3%, respectively. Better qualified teachers scored
significantly more on the knowledge and ability to identify learning impairments sections. Most
teachers believed that these students should study in mainstream schools with special educators.
Majority of the teachers belonged to schools where children with learning disabilities were
detected using teachers’ judgment. Most teachers manage these children by involving them in
discussions, seating them at the front of the class, and giving them extra time. Conclusion:
Knowledge about learning disabilities is very low amongst school teachers, which may limit their
ability to identify learning impairments
Shaina Khan Lodhi,, Danyal Thaver,, Irfan Nake Akhtar, , Hina Javaid, , Maman Mansoor,, Shah Bano,, Fatima Noor Malik, Mehreen Rizwana Iqbal,, Hassan Raza Hashmi, , Syed Siddiqullah,, Sarah Saleem. (2016) ASSESSING THE KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES OF SCHOOL TEACHERS REGARDING DYSLEXIA, ATTENTION-DEFICIT/ HYPERACTIVITY AND AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDERS IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN, JOURNAL OF AYUB MEDICAL COLLEGE ABBOTTABAD, Volume 28, Issue 1.
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