Emotional Aspects of Learning Problems

Educational and mental health professionals working with children should be familiar with the emotional aspects of learning problems. While such problems are often given recognition as having a contributory role, the nature of that involvement is not always well understood, and too often those engaged in the assessment and treatment of learning problems give only cursory attention to the possible emotional components. This paper presents a discussion of the emotional aspects of learning problems, outlining the dynamics of emotional involvement as seen in 12 scenarios commonly found with clinic-referred children. Implications for assessment and intervention are also presented.