Specific Learning Disabilities: What You Should
Know
Learning disabilities are often masked behind other symptoms,
causing them to be misdiagnosed or simply unnoticed for years.
Learning disabilities are often caught only vaguely, after other
diagnoses have been excluded. Once there is suspicion of a learning
disability, a learning disability test should be administered in
order to determine the specific learning disabilities that one has.
Specialized treatment for specific learning disabilities gives the
best chance of success.
Perhaps the most well known of the specific learning disabilities is
dyslexia. Learning disabled children with dyslexia struggle with the
written word. Dyslexia affects the portion of the brain that deals
with letter recognition and order. When writing, learning disabled
children with dyslexia may reverse the order of letters or even
write the individual letter backwards. This is the most commonly
recognized symptom of dyslexia. However, students with dyslexia also
have trouble learning to read, as their brains have trouble
processing the letters within each word. Dyslexia is now usually
caught in childhood, but many adults have slipped through the cracks
and never been properly diagnosed. A learning disability test is
appropriate for adults who feel that they may suffer from dyslexia
or any other learning disabilities.
Coping strategies for dyslexia are numerous. Learning disabled
children with dyslexia can be taught to read using a combination of
positive reinforcement techniques, "word attack" in which difficult
words are visually broken into syllables, "backtracking" in which
one line at a time is read repeatedly until correct, visualization,
and many other strategies. If your child's specific learning
disabilities include dyslexia, take the time to educate yourself
about the condition. Dyslexia is a common learning disability and
much is known about its treatment.
Another of the specific learning disabilities is dysgraphia. This
learning disability involves a difficulty with writing. Students
with dysgraphia have specific problems with fine motor control,
including handwriting. They may struggle to produce legible writing.
Dysgraphia may initially be misdiagnosed as dyslexia since the two
conditions share similar symptoms in writing. A learning disability
test will be able to differentiate the two conditions.
Coping strategies for dysgraphia involve teaching the child the fine
motor skills required for handwriting. Writing readiness activities
must be practiced, from coloring to gripping a pencil. An excellent
handwriting model should be provided and practice sessions should be
made fun. With effort and support, children with dysgraphia can
learn to write reasonably well.
Dyscalculia is a catchall term for any math related learning
disability. As such, it can be difficult to specifically diagnose
and treat dyscalculia. Sometimes dyscalculia presents concurrently
with a language-based learning disability, and treating the
underlying disability will assist with the dyscalculia. A learning
disability test may help to sort out the learning disabilities and
figure out exactly what is going on.
Other specific learning disabilities include Non-verbal Learning
Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome. Both require highly specialized
treatment and care, and the services of a professional are highly
recommended.
Specific learning disabilities are usually diagnosed through a
fairly simple learning disability test. Depending on the severity,
specific learning disabilities can usually be treated through the
combined efforts of the parents and the classroom teacher. Although
learning disabilities cannot be cured, management techniques can
lead to successful adult lives. It is important to understand the
specific learning disabilities that are involved in order to
maximize the child's chances of success.
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