DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2015.v03i09.009

Pages: 1443-1449

This was a baseline survey to find out the identification and support being given to children with Learning Disabilities (LDs) in the Harare Chitungwiza Metropolitan area. Currently about 20% of a school has children with LDs. A quantitative research paradigm was employed to establish the identification processes and the support for learning being provided to these children. The sample consisted of all the Heads of Primary schools in the Harare Chitungwiza Metropolitan area. A questionnaire with both closed and open items was administered to the Heads to collect the data in the primary schools in the province. The key informants were Remedial Tutors based in the seven districts of the area. The findings show that schools identify and provide support for children with LDs as they have put in place various ways of identifying and supporting children with LDs. These range from clinical remediation as prescribed by the SPS and SNE; classroom remediation; remedial department to extra lessons. However of the 140 primary schools doing the prescribed clinical remediation only 26% of the schools were following the prescribed SPS and SNE way of identifying and supporting the children with LDs. The study recommends that authorities should not ignore the current identification and support for learning currently being used in the primary schools for other grades but should improve and strengthen it. Staff development of all remedial teachers in identification procedures should be conducted and support for learning should be acknowledged through appropriate incentives.