What is a Learning Disability?

A learning disability is a neurological condition that interferes with an individual’s ability to store, process, or produce information. Learning disabilities can affect an individual's ability to read, write, speak, spell, compute math, reason and also affect attention, memory, coordination, social skills and emotional maturity. Below are a list of the Learning Disabilities currently in place.

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Did You Know?

• 2.4 million students are diagnosed with specific learning disabilities (SLD) and receive services under IDEA. This represents 41% of all students receiving special education services.

• 75% – 80% of special education students identified as LD have their basic deficits in language and reading.

• 60% of adults with severe literacy problems have undetected or untreated learning disabilities.

 

Children with learning disabilities begin school expecting to learn and be successful. If your child is having difficulty in school, she may learn differently from other kids. Parents are often the first to notice that “something doesn’t seem right.” But sometimes knowing what to do and where to find help can be confusing. Children grow up to be adults and unfortunately learning disabilities cannot be cured or fixed; it’s a life long issue.  And some individuals don’t realize they have learning disabilities until they are adults.  With the right support and interventions, however, children and adults with learning disabilities can succeed in school and life.  Recognizing, accepting and understanding your learning disability are the first steps to success.

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Learning disabilities often run in families. They should not be confused with other disabilities such as intellectual disabilities, autism, deafness, blindness, and behavioral disorders. None of these conditions are learning disabilities. Because learning disabilities cannot be seen, they often go undetected. Recognizing a learning disability is even more difficult because the severity and characteristics vary.

 

Parents can help children with learning disabilities achieve success by encouraging their strengths, knowing their weaknesses, understanding the educational system, working with professionals and learning about strategies for dealing with specific difficulties.

 

Most importantly, if you suspect you or your child has a learning problem, don’t delay in seeking help and taking action!

 

If you suspect that your child’s learning difficulties may require special assistance, please do not delay in finding information and support. The sooner you move forward the better your child’s chances for reaching his full potential.

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Maybe you have wondered if you are overreacting, or if the situation will work itself out over time. The truth is, you know your child better than anybody else. And regardless of who may tell you that it’s a “phase” or “nothing to worry about,” only you know how much your child dreads Monday morning. You have watched the impact of his daily struggles on his self-confidence. Deep down, you know something isn’t right.

 

The good news is there are things you can do. In fact, the only “wrong” thing to do is to do nothing. If you wait to seek help for your child, frustration and a sense of failure will continue to erode your child’s self-esteem, while the window of time for meaningful intervention narrows.

Since you are one of the best observers of your child’s development, you will be able to recognize potential problems early. But, in order to spot problems early, you’ll need to know the warning signs!

 

Seeing the Signs

There may be a number of reasons why your child is having a hard time. But what you are seeing could also indicate a learning disability. This does not mean your child is “slow” or less intelligent than your child’s peers. Their brain is simply wired differently for learning and your child needs to adapt strategies that make the most of your child’s abilities. The earliest possible intervention is critical to your child’s success in school.

Learn to recognize the signs of a potential learning disability. If you have observed several of these signs in your child, consider the possibility of a learning disability.

It is normal for parents to observe one of these signs in their children from time to time. But if your child consistently exhibits several of these signs, it is important for you to take action to get him the help that he needs.

It is never too early to seek help for your child, but waiting too long could be very harmful. If you see several of these signs over a period of time, consider the possibility of a learning disability. Knowing what a difference early help can make will help you lose your fear and take the next steps to getting help for  your child!

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Pre-School

Have you noticed that your child has:

• pronunciation problems?

• difficulty finding the right word?

• difficulty making rhymes?

• trouble learning numbers, alphabet, days of the week, colors and shapes?

• trouble concentrating?

• trouble interacting with peers?

• difficulty following directions or learning routines?

• difficulty controlling pencil, crayons, scissors?

• difficulty with buttoning, zipping, typing skills?

Grades K-4

Does your child:

• have trouble learning the connection between letters and sounds?

• confuse basic words? (run, eat, want)

• make consistent reading and spelling errors including letter reversals (b/d, inversions (m/w), transpositions (felt/left), and substitutions (house/home)?

• experience difficulty learning basic math concepts?

• have trouble learning about time?

• take a long time to learn new skills?

• have trouble remembering facts?

Grades 5-8

Is your child having difficulty:

• with reading comprehension or math skills?

• with letter sequences? (soiled for solid, left for felt)

• with prefixes, suffixes, root words and other spelling strategies?

• organizing his/her bedroom, notebook, papers, and desk?

• keeping up with papers or assignments?

• with handwriting?

• with time management?

• understanding oral discussions and expressing thoughts aloud?

High School and Adults

Is your child having difficulty:

• spelling the same word differently in a single document.

• taking on reading or writing tasks.

• with open-ended questions on tests.

• with memory skills.

• adapting skills from one setting to another.

• with a slow work pace.

• grasping abstract concepts.

• focusing on details.

• misreading information