Specific Learning Disability: An overview

Specific learning disability(SLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that negatively impacts a person’s ability to listen, speak, read, write, or make calculations. Since such disorders usually begin at an early age, it is easy to identify the learning difficulties in their childhood.. However, some issues may not be recognized until adulthood.

Symptoms:

Learning disabilities can vary from one child to another. For instance, one child may be struggling with spelling and reading, while another loves to read but won’t understand simple math equations. Sometimes children may have difficulty communicating and understanding what another person is trying to say. To identify the learning difficulties of students, you have to understand that the problems are very different.

Since there is a wide variety of learning disorders in children, there is no single symptom or profile that you can look at as the cause of the problem. But, there are some warning signs which are common and appear at different ages. You must know what these signs are so that you can catch the disability in the early stages and receive learning disability treatment and intervention.

Listed below is a checklist of common red flags that come with learning disorders in children. You have to remember that children who don’t have learning disorders can still face difficulties while learning. You should be concerned when your child is consistently uneven in mastering specific skills.

Symptoms of learning disabilities at preschool age:

• Having trouble pronouncing words
• Trouble finding the right word
• Difficulty rhyming
• Finding it challenging to follow directions or learning routines
• Having difficulty controlling crayons and pencils

Symptoms of learning disabilities from age 5-9:

• Unable to blend syllables to make coherent sounds
• Slow to learn new skills
• Trouble grasping basic math concepts
• Finding it difficult to tell time and remember a certain sequence
• Persistent difficulties in reading, writing, arithmetic or mathematical reasoning
• Inaccurate and slow reading and difficulty with spelling
• Problems with grammar, punctuation or organization while writing
• Difficulty in remembering number facts

Having a learning disability is a lifelong challenge. But, with appropriate support, learning disability treatment and intervention, one can achieve success in school, at work, in relationships, as well as in society. 

Types of Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities is an umbrella term that refers to the following specific learning disorders in children.

Dyslexia: Dyslexia in children is characterised by a difficulty with reading. They find it hard to associate the letters they see on a page with the sounds they make due to which they can’t read something fluently and effortlessly.

The signs of dyslexia can be seen in children even before they start learning to read. It is often seen that people with the condition will have difficulty breaking down spoken words into syllables as well. Children in kindergarten won’t be able to learn to recognise and write letters as quickly as their peers. Besides, dyslexic individuals may also have troubles with spelling and accuracy.

Dysgraphia: In dysgraphia, a child’s handwriting ability and motor skills are affected. They will have difficulty with writing, the spacing between words, grammar, spatial planning on paper, punctuation, etc. 

Dyscalculia: Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability that affects a child’s ability to learn number – related concepts and perform mathematical calculations using its functions and symbols.

Treatment

If learning disorders are not identified and managed at the right time, it can have adverse impacts throughout the life of an individual. In addition to having low academic achievements, they will be prone to developing poor mental health, low self-esteem, psychological distress, and have a higher risk of dropping out of school and under-employment/unemployment.

So, is there any treatment for learning disabilities?

Although there’s no cure for a specific learning disorder, certain methods that can be followed for SLD treatment and improving the reading, writing, and mathematical skills of a child.

Children who have specific language disorders with reading.

Special teaching techniques: This includes helping a child learn through various multisensory experiences. It’s done by providing immediate feedback, which increases and strengthens the child’s ability to recognize words.

Classroom modifications: In this treatment, the teacher can provide students extra time to finish tasks and provide recorded tests. This will allow children to listen to questions, instead of having to read them.

Using technology: Children who have reading impairment will benefit from audiobooks or they can use word processing programs with spell check features

If your child has a reading impairment, then you can seek a rehabilitation center in Bangalore for an effective treatment.

Children with written expression impairment:

Special tool: here teachers can offer oral tests or allow the student to videotape the reports

Using technology: Children can use word processing programs, instead of writing by hand. A rehab in Bangalore will teach your child to use technology to overcome written expression impairment

Bangalore rehabilitation center also suggest providing study sheets that help kids overcome the need for writing

For kids who are impaired in mathematics, experts at Bangalore rehabilitation center suggests the following treatments:

Visual techniques- teachers can draw pictures of word problems and show the child how to differentiate between problems.

Using memory aids- Music and rhyme help the child memorize and retain the math concepts

Using computers- A child can use computers for practice and math drills.

For children with reading difficulties –

• Special teaching techniques can be used that may include multisensory experiences to help a child learn.
• Some modifications can be done within the classroom, such as giving extra time to complete the tasks or providing recorded tests to enable the child to hear the questions.
• Children with reading impairment can benefit from listening to audiobooks or using word-processing programs.

For children with writing disabilities –

• Students can be allowed to offer oral exams.
• A child can be allowed to use an audio recorder in class instead of taking notes on paper.
• The teacher may also provide printed study notes to reduce the need for writing.

For impairment in mathematics –

• Visual techniques can be adopted to draw pictures of word problems or using coloured pencils to mark different parts of problems.
• Learning math concepts can be easier with rhymes and music.
• Computers may be used as well for math drills and practice.

Diagnosis

For the appropriate diagnosis of specific learning disabilities, several types of tests are conducted, which include

• Intelligence tests, such as the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WIPPSI), Differential Abilities Scales (DAS), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), etc.
• Achievement tests, such as the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (WJ), etc.
• Visual-motor integration tests like the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration and the Bender Visual Motor Integration.
• Language tests like Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation, Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals and the Test of Language Development.