UNDERSTANDING LEARNING DIFFERENCES
A LEARNING DISABILITY IS A CONDITION GIVING RISE TO DIFFICULTIES IN ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO THE LEVEL EXPECTED OF THOSE OF THE SAME AGE. THESE DIFFICULTIES CAN MANIFEST IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND UNDERSTANDING THE SYMPTOMS IS IMPORTANT FOR GETTING YOUR CHILD THE HELP THEY NEED. READ ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST COMMON LEARNING DISABILITIES BELOW:
DYSLEXIA
DYSLEXIA IS LANGUAGE-BASED LEARNING DISABILITY WHERE CHILDREN HAVE TROUBLE READING THAT RESULTS IN SLOW AND DIFFICULT READING AS A RESULT OF VIEWING AN INCORRECT ORDER OF THE LETTERS IN WORDS. THIS OFTEN RESULTS IN DIFFICULT WITH SPELLING AND HANDWRITING AS WELL. DYSLEXIA AFFECTS DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SEVERITY AND CAN MANIFEST IN DIFFERENT READING DIFFICULTIES FOR DIFFERENT STUDENTS.
AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER
AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDER OCCURS WHEN CHILDREN HAVE DIFFICULTY RECOGNIZING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOUNDS AND WORDS. THIS MAY ALSO RESULT IN CHILDREN PROCESSING IDEAS AND THOUGHTS SLOWLY AND HAVING A GREATER DIFFICULT EXPLAINING THEM. CHILDREN MAY HAVE TROUBLE STAYING FOCUSED AND BE EASILY DISTRACTED BY BACKGROUND NOISE.
ADHD
ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER IS A CONDITION THAT TYPICALLY MANIFESTS AROUND THE TIME A CHILD STARTS PRESCHOOL AND IS CHARACTERIZED BY INATTENTION, HYPERACTIVITY, AND IMPULSIVITY. CHILDREN WITH ADHD WILL HAVE A MORE DIFFICULT TIME STAYING FOCUSED AND THERE MAY BE GREATER DIFFICULTY IN TRYING TO CONTROL THEIR BEHAVIOR.
NON-VERBAL LEARNING DISABILITIES
NON-VERBAL LEARNING DISABILITIES ARE TYPICALLY CHARACTERIZED BY HIGHER FUNCTIONING VERBAL SKILLS WITH WEAKER MOTOR AND SOCIAL SKILLS. CHILDREN MAY HAVE TROUBLE RECOGNIZING NON-VERBAL CUES AND SHOW POOR COORDINATION ESPECIALLY RELATED TO FINE MOTOR SKILLS. THEY MAY ALSO HAVE DIFFICULTY LEARNING AND ASK MANY QUESTIONS.
DYSCALCULIA
DYSCALCULIA IS A MATH LEARNING DISABILITY THAT RESULTS IN CHILDREN HAVING DIFFICULTY PROCESSING NUMBERS AND IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS “MATH DYSLEXIA”. STUDENTS WILL OFTEN EXHIBIT TROUBLE WITH NUMBER SENSE, CALCULATIONS, AND MATHEMATICAL REASONING. THIS DIFFICULTY MAY EXTEND TO OTHER NUMBED-BASED TASKS SUCH AS READING A CLOCK.
DYSGRAPHIA
DYSGRAPHIA IS A WRITING-BASED LEARNING DISABILITY WHERE CHILDREN MAY HAVE TROUBLE WITH SPELLING, HANDWRITING, AND TRANSLATING THEIR THOUGHTS TO PAPER. THIS CAN RESULT IN TROUBLE FORMING LETTERS WHEN WRITING, UNCOMFORTABLE GRIP ON A PENCIL, AND A LARGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE THOUGHTS A CHILD IS ABLE TO VERBALIZE VERSUS WHAT THEY ARE ABLE TO CONVEY THROUGH WRITING.
