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| Learning Disabilities and Self-Esteem |  Self-esteem is a powerful predictor of success for individuals with learning disabilities (LD). Positive self-esteem is proved to be as necessary for success in school and on the job as the possession of individual skills. Learning disabilities, however, often pose terrible difficulties to positive self-esteem, and in turn contribute to a hard-to-break cycle of self-doubt, disappointment and failure.
About self-esteem
Self-esteem can be described as how we view ourselves in the context of our surroundings. It is formed by how well we deal with peers and family members, and by how we judge ourselves in comparison to those around us. Self-esteem also is formed by how good we understand and reply to ever-changing interpersonal demands, whether at home, school or the work place. But it is exactly this area – the area of interpersonal relationships - in which individuals with LD may have the greatest problem, thus contributing to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.
Not all people with LD have difficulties with social competence and self-esteem, but many do, and struggling daily with the problems caused by a learning disability can weaken enthusiasm and confidence. Knowing one’s assets and liabilities and feeling good about one’s self can be priceless in negotiating the sometimes tumultuous path to achievement in school, success in the workplace, and acceptance at home and in the community at large.
Social competence and self-esteem
One of the most essential steps in becoming a self-reliant and confident person is building social competence. Socially competent people know how easily speak and move from person to person, or group to group, they feel relaxed and at ease, in spite of whether they are speaking or listening. They are also aware of how to:
• Launch and maintain positive relationships with contemporaries and others
• Interpret social situations, judging how to cooperate
• Interact without drawing negative attention to themselves
• Sustain attention on the speaker
• Take part in conversations
• Control their impulses to draw attention to themselves, even in well-intended ways.
It is these traits that often pose the greatest challenges to individuals with LD.
Threats to Self-Esteem for Individuals with LD
Research has demonstrated that being classified as having specific LD does not, in and of itself, negatively influence self-esteem. Nevertheless, there are a number of characteristics, oftenly observed in people with LD, that contribute to feelings of low self-worth.
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