Learning Disorders

A Learning Disorder is a classification that includes several disorders in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner, usually caused by an unknown factor or factors. The unknown factor is the disorder that affects the brain’s ability to receive and process information. This disorder can make it problematic for a person to learn as quickly or in the same way as someone who is not affected by a learning disorder. People with a learning disorder have trouble performing specific types of skills or completing tasks connected to academic learning for example: acquiring the skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing, or mathematical ability. These children need strategies to develop their learning habits.

Children are diagnosed with learning disorders when performance on achievement tests is substantially below that expected for their age, education, and intellectual ability. The child’s learning problems must significantly interfere with academic achievement or daily activities. These disorders can be an individual disorder for example a reading disorder or a mathematic disorder or the child may have a combination of learning disorders for example reading and written expressive disorder or reading, written and mathematic disorders.

Reading and written expressive disorders – Research suggests that if a child has difficulty in reading, they will also have difficult with the ability to write expressively. Some researches identify that the difficulties can be related to a shared neurological processes in acquiring and developing reading and writing skills.  It is the inability to think and use words in everyday activities. For example:

•    slow reading speed
•    poor comprehension when reading material either aloud or silently
•    omission or substitution of words while reading
•    difficulty identifying single words
•    problems understanding the sounds in words, sound order, or rhymes
•    reversal of words or letters while reading
•    difficulty decoding syllables or single words and associating them with specific sounds (phonics)
•    problems with spelling
•    limited sight word vocabulary
•    use legible hand writing
•    note take
•    delays in spoken language

Mathematics Disorder –Dyscalculia This is the inability to relate to numbers or mathematical concepts. It is the inability to think in terms of mathematical concepts. For example:

•    Trouble with reading, writing, and copying numbers
•    Problems counting and adding numbers, often making simple mistakes
•    Difficulty telling the difference between addition and subtraction
•    Problems understanding math symbols and word problems
•    Unable to line up numbers properly to add, subtract, or multiply
•    Unable to arrange numbers from smallest to largest, or the opposite
•    Unable to understand graphs

Dyspraxia  & Verbal Dyspraxia

Dyspraxia and verbal dyspraxia have a neurological basis. A child may have dyspraxia or verbal dyspraxia but in some cases a child may have both. The brain signal that communicates with all  physical movement which may include the jaw line and tongue as within verbal dyspraxia can be weak or dysfunctional. Dyspraxia impacts on motor skills which can be observed within a child’s balance or when a child is trying to manipulate a pen to write. Children with  verbal dyspraxia can have difficulty trying to speak, and can be hard to understand. Dyspraxia can also impact on a child’s perceptual organisational skills.  Intervention can support the child,  in most cases co-ordination and language difficulties can improve.

•    Difficulty writing
•    Speech development difficulties
•    Co-ordination difficulties
•    Poor balance
•    Generalised difficulty when using or engaging in any physical movement process