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).

Click here to take an assessment.

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