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Learning Disabilities in Children
Introduction
A learning disability is a neurological condition that affects the brain’s ability to send, receive, and process information. A child with a learning disability may have difficulties in reading, writing, speaking, listening, understanding mathematical concepts, and general comprehension. Learning disabilities include a group of disorders such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia. Each type of disorder may coexist with another.
Addressing Learning Disabilities in Children and focusing on positive mental wellness – Learn Strategies for Success From Best Therapists at Skooc!
You can be rest assured that at Skooc, you and your family are in good hands.
Symptoms
The signs of LD may vary slightly during each stage of childhood.
Preschool: The child may have difficulties in:
Developing speaking skills at normal age (15-18 months) when speech typically develops in children
Pronouncing simple words
Recognising letters and words
Learning numbers, rhymes or songs
Concentrating on tasks, Following rules and directions
Using fine/gross motor skills to do physical tasks.
Primary School: The child may have difficulty in:
Connecting letters and sounds
Differentiating between similar sounding words or rhyming words
Reading, spelling, or writing accurately, recognising letters of the alphabet
Distinguishing right from left, for example, confusing 25 with 52, “b” with “d,” “on” with “no,” “s” with “5”
Using correct mathematical symbols for doing maths problems
Remembering numbers or facts
May be slower at learning new skills than other children of his or her age
Memorising poems or answers
Hand-to-eye coordination, being unable to gauge the distance or speed, thus leading to accidents
Tasks involving fine motor skills: holding a pencil, tying a shoelace, buttoning a shirt and so on
Middle School: The child may have difficulties in:
Spelling similar words (sea/see, week/weak), usage of prefixes, suffixes
Reading aloud, writing assignments, solving word problems in math
Handwriting (child may grip the pencil tightly)
Memorising or recalling facts
Understanding body language and facial expressions
Showing appropriate emotional reactions in a learning environment (the child may behave in an aggressive or rebellious way and react with an excess of emotion)
If you notice recurring instances of a few of these symptoms in your child, we at Skooc recommend a formal evaluation.
Diagnosis
At Skooc, we help you better understand what your child is going through. Identifying a learning disability is a complex process. The first step is to rule out vision, hearing, and developmental issues that can overshadow the underlying learning disability. Once these tests are completed, a learning disability is identified using psychoeducational assessment, which includes academic achievement testing along with a measure of intellectual capability. This test helps determine if there is any significant discrepancy between a child’s potential and performance capability (IQ) and the child’s academic achievement (school performance).
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Next Steps and Intervention
Our team of professional psychologists at Skooc can help you and your child by providing the necessary interventions. Learning disabilities are not curable; however, many can be reduced or controlled with early screening and intervention. Once diagnosed with a learning disability, your child’s most beneficial treatment will be special education services.
Speech and Language Therapy
Speech and language therapy may target an individual’s attention and listening, comprehension or expression, speech sounds, communication, social communication or voice problems. This will depend on the individual’s needs and abilities. This will hopefully lead to a new way of communicating and make the individual feel more confident about communicating with others.
Occupational Therapy
An occupational therapist works to minimise the effects of a learning difficulty on everyday life.
Below are some of the ways that an occupational therapist might focus on:
Organisational skills
Breaking tasks down into smaller and more manageable chunks
Teaching physical preparation, visual cues and reminders
Helping with mental preparation and memory aids
Offering time management and pacing techniques,
Putting in place routines
Handwriting
Helping a child develop a mature pencil grip and correct letter formation
Teaching how to assume and maintain an effective sitting posture
Helping build fine motor, hand strength and dexterity
Support with organisation of work on the page
Developmental Assesments, Therapy and Counselling Sessions at Narayana Clinic, Sarjapura Road, Bengaluru.
