DEVELOPMENTAL PROFILES OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES IN MALAYSIA – International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review

DEVELOPMENTAL PROFILES OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES IN MALAYSIA

Authors: Fong Hui Min, Lu Jingyi* & Ooi Boon Keat

ABSTRACT

The main objective of this study was to understand the development of preschool children with learning disabilities. The purpose of the study was to test whether there were significant differences between different demographic variables (gender, ethnicity, and age of the child). A literature review on cognitive development, types of learning disabilities, and child development was first conducted, and then an online questionnaire was administered to parents and teachers of children with learning disabilities. The data collected was analysed using SPSS. The results of the study showed that although Levene’s Test showed that gender did not have a significant effect on children’s intelligence, independent samples t-test showed that females were slower than males in their developmental status in reading, information processing and learning academic skills. The developmental level of Malaysian pre-school children (5 – 6 years old) with learning disabilities remains relatively low. Therefore, it is expected that the education system will be improved and more assistance will be given by the government, parents and all stakeholders to help promote healthy development from the early stages of a child’s life.

Keywords: Learning Difficulties, Cognitive Development, Gender, Developmental Profile

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