Guide for Parents To Learning Disabilities in Children
A learning disability is a condition in which your child has difficulty with math, reading, and writing. We will explain the symptoms of learning disabilities and how to diagnose them.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities estimates that one fifth of American children have learning and attention problems. If your child struggles with reading or writing, cannot communicate well, or avoids school, parents may suspect they have a learning disability.
This guide will help you understand the different types of learning disabilities and offer advice on how to diagnose them.
Learning disabilities symptoms in children
Many children with learning difficulties are exceptionally intelligent. They often use their strengths to disguise certain problems, such as using an extraordinary auditory memory to avoid reading and taking notes. However, signs of learning disorders usually show up before children can read or write.
You might notice that your child is having difficulty reading, writing, and singing the alphabet song. These are some other signs that your child might have learning disabilities.
- Misspelling words (e.g. “ospital” or a “pithostel” instead “hospital”)
- Word substitutions (e.g. “The man grew an incredibly long, fuzzy ‘board .'”)”
- Poor spelling
- It is difficult to copy letters and shapes.
- After 7 years, you can revert to letter or word reversals (e.g. using a “b” instead of a “d”, writing “was”, instead of “saw”)
These signs could indicate a learning disability in your child, but you need to rule out visual impairment. This can also lead to reading difficulties. To ensure that glasses are not the problem, have your child examined by a developmental optometrist.
Learning Disabilities in Children
Learning disability is a broad term that describes a range of learning disorders. There are many types of learning disorders, including the six listed here. It is possible for a child with more than one.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia, contrary to popular belief is a language-based disorder and not a visual problem that causes children reverse letters. There is a direct correlation between spoken language and the ability of a student to spell and read.
Dyslexic individuals may struggle with spelling, reading, writing, comprehension, and expression. Brady explains that such challenges can be subtle or severe and hard to identify.
Sally Shaywitz M.D., codirector of Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, is the author of Overcoming Dyslexia. She estimates that reading disabilities account for at least 80 percent, while dyslexia is more common in boys. It could be that girls are more comfortable sitting in their chairs, while boys have behavior problems that draw attention towards learning disabilities.
Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is a difficulty in math, including computing, remembering math facts and learning time and money concepts. Dyscalculia signs and symptoms can change over time. Young children might have difficulty learning to count. School-aged children may be unable to reverse numbers or misalign columns. This learning disability can affect functional skills like playing board games, measuring things, and counting money.
Dysgraphia
Beverly H. Moskowitz, D.O.T., CEO of Real OT Solutions, Inc., states that dysgraphia is a difficulty in writing.
Dysgraphic children have trouble organizing letters, words, numbers, and other information on a page. Dr. Moskowitz states that dysgraphia can lead to illegible handwriting and a mix of letter cases and/or disorganized thoughts, syntax and grammar. This type of learning disorder can also affect fine motor skills and spelling.
Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia can be described as difficulty with fine motor skills such as grasping scissors and controlling pencils. A baby who isn’t able to imitate gestures like waving or pointing may be an early sign of dyspraxia. Dyspraxia can also affect gross motor skills such as coordination when riding a bicycle or playing sports.
Auditory Processing Disorder
Children with auditory processing disorder have difficulty understanding auditory information that is related to reading and language development. Teachers and parents might notice difficulties in identifying similar sounds and words, following instructions, and distinguishing important sounds from background sounds (such a teacher’s voice).
Sensory Processing Disorder
Learning disabilities impact the brain’s ability to process information and interpret it into useful functions such as reading, writing, and following instructions. According to Lindsey Biel (an occupational therapist and coauthor of Raising a Sensory-Smart Child), children with learning disabilities are often affected by differences in brain wiring.
Biel states that uncomfortable experiences like hypersensitivity to noise, the glare from overhead classroom lighting,’scratchy’ clothing textures and even the smells of classmates and school supplies can make it difficult to focus and concentrate.
Visual Processing Disorder
People with visual processing disorders might have difficulty understanding visual information, such as reading, writing, or math. For example, they might have trouble identifying visual similarities and differences in words or patterns, as well as finding words on a page or items on a table because of poor visual figure ground discrimination. A visual processing disorder can also manifest as difficulties in spelling, sequencing words, images or words.
Although many children have ADHD and a learning disability, ADHD is not the same thing as ADHD.
Click Speech Therapy Karachi if you require a consultation with a SLP for your child
Diagnosing Learning Disabilities
To understand why students aren’t reaching their full potential, teachers often refer them to educational testing. A learning disability is usually characterized by a discrepancy in academic performance and student achievement.
Different evaluations may be used to diagnose learning disabilities. A private evaluation may be requested by parents from a neuropsychologist who is qualified to diagnose specific learning disabilities. An audiologist and a speech and language pathology evaluation (SLP), can help diagnose dyslexia. An occupational therapy evaluation can also be used to diagnose dyspraxia, dysgraphia or visual processing disorders.
While developmental or learning difficulties may be present in children younger than the age of 5, learning disabilities are more common in children who are older and have increased academic demands. Skills are closely monitored.
Interventions for Learning Disabilities
There are many types of learning disabilities. They can affect the sensory systems (motor, visual, or auditory) as well as functions (like reading, writing, speaking, etc. If parents notice that their child is struggling to learn, they should ask the school for comprehensive testing. This team would include a psychologist, occupational, physical, speech and language pathologists, as well as an educational specialist. A neuropsychologist can privately evaluate their child, which is a common option.
An integrated approach to intervention may be the best way to address complex learning needs. Language pathologists and speech-language pathologists can offer classroom strategies and direct treatment to improve articulation, reading comprehension, the ability to differentiate sounds, and to provide support for children with complex learning needs.
Biel states that occupational therapy can normalize a child’s sensory experience by increasing their underlying ability to process sensory input, and making small’sensory smart” modifications to tasks or environments.
Dr. Moskowitz says that school-based occupational therapy may work with the teacher to create three strategies to aid children to compensate for this visual perceptual and language processing problem.
- Accommodations (examine keyboard alternatives to handwriting),
- Modifications (permitting oral rather than written reports)
- “Remediation” (skill training using visual cueing, or self-monitoring).
Early intervention and identification are crucial to help children realize their potential.
Also Read:
