What is a learning disorder?
Learning disabilities are disorders that affect a person’s ability to understand or respond to new information, or they are disorders that affect the ability to remember information that appears to have been taken in.
Learning disabilities tend to cause problems with listening skills, language skills (including speaking, reading or writing), and mathematical operations. Learning disabilities can also cause problems in coordinating movements, making the child seem (and feel) awkward.
Symptoms:
Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities: Preschool age
- Problems pronouncing words.
- Trouble finding the right word.
- Difficulty rhyming.
- Trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, colours, shapes, or days of the week.
- Difficulty following directions or learning routines.
- Difficulty controlling crayons, pencils, and scissors, or colouring within the lines.
- Trouble with buttons, zippers, snaps, or learning to tie shoes.
Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities: Ages 5-9
- Trouble learning the connection between letters and sounds.
- Unable to blend sounds to make words.
- Confuses basic words when reading.
- Slow to learn new skills.
- Consistently misspells words and makes frequent errors.
- Trouble learning basic math concepts.
- Difficulty telling time and remembering sequences.
Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities: Ages 10-13
- Difficulty with reading comprehension or math skills.
- Trouble with open-ended test questions and word problems.
- Dislikes reading and writing; avoids reading aloud.
- Poor handwriting.
- Poor organizational skills (bedroom, homework, and desk are messy and disorganized).
- Trouble following classroom discussions and expressing thoughts aloud.
- Spells the same word differently in a single document.
Causes
Experts say that there is no single, specific cause for learning disabilities. However, there are some factors that could cause a learning disability:
- Family history and genetics. A family history of learning disorders increases the risk of a child developing a disorder.
- Prenatal and neonatal risks. Poor growth in the uterus (severe intrauterine growth restriction), exposure to alcohol or drugs before being born, premature birth, and very low birthweight have been linked with learning disorders.
- Psychological trauma. Psychological trauma or abuse in early childhood may affect brain development and increase the risk of learning disorders.
- Physical trauma. Head injuries or nervous system infections might play a role in the development of learning disorders.
- Environmental exposure. Exposure to high levels of toxins, such as lead, has been linked to an increased risk of learning disorders.
Treatment
- Extra help. A reading specialist, math tutor or other trained professional can teach your child techniques to improve his or her academic, organizational and study skills.
- Individualized education program (IEP). Public schools are mandated to provide an individual education program for students who meet certain criteria for a learning disorder. The IEP sets learning goals and determines strategies and services to support the child’s learning in school.
- Accommodations. Classroom accommodations might include more time to complete assignments or tests, being seated near the teacher to promote attention, use of computer applications that support writing, including fewer math problems in assignments, or providing audiobooks to supplement reading.
- Therapy. Some children benefit from therapy. Occupational therapy might improve the motor skills of a child who has writing problems. A speech-language therapist can help address language skills.
- Medication. Your child’s doctor might recommend medication to manage depression or severe anxiety. Medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may improve a child’s ability to concentrate in school.
- Complementary and alternative medicine. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of alternative treatments, such as dietary changes, use of vitamins, eye exercises, neurofeedback and use of technological devices.
Types of Learning Disabilities
A specific learning disability that affects a person’s ability to understand numbers and learn math facts.
A specific learning disability that affects a person’s handwriting ability and fine motor skills.
A specific learning disability that affects reading and related language-based processing skills.
Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities
Has trouble interpreting nonverbal cues like facial expressions or body language and may have poor coordination.
Oral / Written Language Disorder and Specific Reading Comprehension Deficit
Learning disabilities that affect an individual’s understanding of what they read or of spoken language. The ability to express one’s self with oral language may also be impacted.
Tips for Parents:
In addition to working with your child’s teachers and doctors, you can help support your child with learning disabilities and difficulties. For example:
- Focus on strengths. All children have things they do well and things that are difficult for them. Find your child’s strengths and help them learn to use them. Your child might be good at math, music, or sports. She could be skilled at art, working with tools, or caring for animals. Be sure to praise your child often when she does well or succeeds at a task.
- Develop social and emotional skills. Learning differences combined with the challenges of growing up can make your child sad, angry, or withdrawn. Help your child by providing love and support while acknowledging that learning is hard because their brain learns in a different way. Try to find clubs, teams, and other activities that focus on friendship and fun. These activities should also build confidence. And remember, competition isn’t just about winning.
- Use resources & support groups to help you learn more about parenting a child with learning difficulties. Learning and thinking differences are common. You and your child are not alone in this journey.
- Plan for the future. Many parents whose child learns and thinks differently worry about the future. Help your child plan for adulthood by encouraging them to consider their strengths and interests in education and career choices. Remind them that learning differently isn’t tied to how smart they are. In fact, many people with learning difficulties are very bright and grow up to be highly successful at what they do. Special career and work programs can help build confidence by teaching decision-making and job skills. Many colleges have programs to support students who learn and think differently successfully earn a degree.
- Make sure your child has healthy habits. A child who gets plenty of sleep at night, eats a balanced diet, and gets plenty of exercise is a healthier child, both mentally and physically.
- Pay attention to your child’s mood. Learning disabilities can be bad for a child’s self-esteem. Keep an eye out for symptoms of depression, such as moodiness, changes in sleep or appetite, or loss of interest in their usual activities.
