Breaking down barriers for those with learning difficulties is vital to ensuring these learners can make the most of their learning journey.

High school learners are a diverse population, with varying strengths and needs. There are many factors that can contribute to learning difficulties. From disabilities that affect vision, hearing, speech, mobility and cognition to mental health conditions such as anxiety, ADHD or autism spectrum disorder.

Many students with learning difficulties are making the switch to online learning to accommodate their individual needs.

At UCT Online High School, we accept hundreds of these learners every term and aim to make their learning journey as enjoyable, comfortable and tailored to their needs as possible. Here’s how.

TL;DR

• Prioritising accessible and inclusive learning
• Removing physical barriers
• Eliminating distractions
• Creating space for flexibility
• Training to address learning difficulties
• Working as a team to support your child

Prioritising accessible and inclusive learning

The team at UCT Online High School works hard to create a space that is accessible and inclusive. We want to make sure that all our learners feel supported. 

We’re always looking for ways to better cater to a range of learning needs and provide regular feedback to our Learning Designers and Learning Technology teams to enhance our content, learning platform, and additional resources.

Removing physical barriers

In online learning, the frustration of encountering physical environments that are inaccessible for those with physical disabilities is eliminated. 

What’s more, online learning typically takes place at home. This means your child can learn in an environment they’re able to navigate more easily and have everything to meet their needs.

Eliminating distractions

The daily realities of brick-and-mortar schools — crowded hallways, noise, and long periods of social interaction — can be overwhelming for learners with anxiety, ADHD or autism spectrum disorder. 

Online learning eliminates these distractions, allowing your child to focus more easily on their studies.

Creating space for flexibility

Learning online means that your child will have more flexibility when completing their schoolwork. Both in terms of scheduling when learning happens and the pace that learning takes place. 

At UCT Online High School, we use the principle of "structured flexibility". When your child logs in to our online learning platform, they’ll see their weekly work plan. This details all the work they need to complete during the week, for every subject. 

So, let’s say your child is able to focus more easily in the morning, they can choose to tackle the more difficult lessons then. They have the flexibility to complete their work whenever and however works best for them, as long as they get it done before the week is up.

On top of that, learners can revisit their lessons as many times as needed to master the content.

Training to address learning difficulties

Our Learning Facilitators and Support Coaches are trained to work with learning difficulties and have access to various resources to assist them. For example, we’ve developed a guide to help them assist learners with dyslexia (including how certain learning difficulties might be linked to dyslexia). 

Our goal is to create a strength-focused model for learning. Learning Facilitators and Support Coaches are encouraged to think creatively when engaging with learners with diverse learning needs. 

Working as a team to support your child

As a parent or guardian, you know your child better than anyone else. We value your insights on how to support them with any learning difficulties they may have. 

We encourage parents and guardians to provide us with any available medical reports or assessments from an educational psychologist, so we can better understand your child’s specific learning needs.

Any external support your child may need, in the form of tutoring, scribes, readers, prompters, assistive devices, or any other accommodations will be your responsibility to provide. We’re more than happy to implement these types of accommodations, we just need to know about them.

Submit your application to UCT OHS

If you think online learning is a good choice for your child, book your spot today.