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Difficulties with Stamina

Stamina is the capability of sustaining prolonged stressful effort.

Difficulties with Stamina - adjustments to practice

Stamina is the capability of sustaining prolonged stressful effort.

Individuals can experience difficulties with their stamina for a number of different reasons. It may be that they have difficulties with their physical stamina which could be as a result of physical disabilities or the fact that they experience pain associated with certain movements. They may also experience problems associated with the level of stamina required to stay on top of a heavy workload or reading load. Mental stamina could be affected by visual or language difficulties which result in individuals having to work twice as hard as other learners in order to keep up, or it could be as a result of medication that they are taking for a medical condition.

Any medication used to control different diseases and/or medical conditions needs to be fully understood in terms of their possible side effects. Teachers and trainers may need to discuss these with the person and to consider the effect that unexpected tests or assignments (for example) may have on them. Greater consideration may also be needed for granting extensions to deadlines for submitted work. For a small number of people, health and safety issues may need to be considered, although it is hoped that those with medical conditions such as epilepsy or asthma will usually have a realistic idea of their limitations.

Difficulties with Stamina - adjustments to practice

These strategies are suggestions for inclusive teaching and training. This list should not be considered exhaustive and it is important to remember that all learners are individuals, and good practice for one person may not necessarily be good practice for another. If you have any good practice that you would like to add to this list, please email your suggestions to ettad@worc.ac.uk.

Environmental Factors

The physical environment can affect some conditions, for example, dust, smoke, or dampness. Individuals are likely to have any medication they need with them, but teachers and trainers should be aware of where to seek help if necessary.
Structure learning sessions to incorporate short breaks, according to individual need.
Be discreet, don’t make an issue about learners who may need to leave the room, need to eat during lessons or who need to make frequent trips to take care of personal needs’.
Some individuals may need a place of privacy for taking medication, including injections, others may need a place of rest during the day.

Course Delivery

Try to spread work evenly and avoid 'bunching' deadlines. It may be necessary to be flexible with deadlines if a learner is struggling to complete a piece of work due to their illness or condition.
It may be helpful to identify a buddy in a group who will supply notes and generally support any learners who have been absent due to illness or stamina difficulties.
If learners are able to work for only limited amounts of time, allow extensions for submission of assignments – but take care not to let them build up a large backlog of due work.

General Guidance

It is important that the learner be trusted and treated sympathetically. Difficulties should be discussed as they arise. Good communication between the teacher or trainer and the learner is essential and their ability to cope will be assisted by such empathy.
Avoid discussing any personal conditions in front of other learners – respect confidentiality at all times.
Medical conditions, including medication side-effects, can cause problems with fatigue and stamina which adversely affect attention and concentration. For these reasons, people with medical conditions may need extended time for exams.
People with some medical conditions may become dizzy and disoriented, or may lack physical stamina. Thus they may be unable to quickly get from one classroom to another. For these reasons, an individual may be late getting to class and necessary measures need to be taken to ensure that they have access to work missed at the beginning of a class.

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