Learning Exceptionalities
Not all great minds think alike. A learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to receive, process, store and respond to information. A learning disability exists when a student’s overall ability to learn is average or higher, but his skills in one or more academic areas are significantly weaker. Learning disabilities are typically diagnosed when a student’s intelligence, or cognitive ability, is significantly better developed than his ability to learn specific skills.
In the diagnosis of learning disabilities, the discrepancy is usually determined through assessment to determine the child’s intelligence quotient, or IQ score, and his achievement test scores in specific academic areas of reading, math, and written language. Learning disabilities also include disorders of language processing, listening comprehension, and oral expression.
A complete review of the student’s educational history is conducted to rule out other possible explanations for the difference in skill development and IQ before a learning disability is diagnosed.
Common learning disabilities:
Dyslexia – a language-based disability in which a person has trouble understanding written words. It may also be referred to as reading disability or reading disorder.
Dyscalculia – a mathematical disability in which a person has a difficult time solving arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts.
Dysgraphia – a writing disability in which a person finds it hard to form letters or write within a defined space.
Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders – sensory disabilities in which a person has difficulty understanding language despite normal hearing and vision.
Nonverbal Learning Disabilities – a neurological disorder which originates in the right hemisphere of the brain, causing problems with visual-spatial, intuitive, organizational, evaluative and holistic processing functions.
Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities:
Signs that appear in preschool
Symptoms in school-age children
In the diagnosis of learning disabilities, the discrepancy is usually determined through assessment to determine the child’s intelligence quotient, or IQ score, and his achievement test scores in specific academic areas of reading, math, and written language. Learning disabilities also include disorders of language processing, listening comprehension, and oral expression.
A complete review of the student’s educational history is conducted to rule out other possible explanations for the difference in skill development and IQ before a learning disability is diagnosed.
Common learning disabilities:
Dyslexia – a language-based disability in which a person has trouble understanding written words. It may also be referred to as reading disability or reading disorder.
Dyscalculia – a mathematical disability in which a person has a difficult time solving arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts.
Dysgraphia – a writing disability in which a person finds it hard to form letters or write within a defined space.
Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders – sensory disabilities in which a person has difficulty understanding language despite normal hearing and vision.
Nonverbal Learning Disabilities – a neurological disorder which originates in the right hemisphere of the brain, causing problems with visual-spatial, intuitive, organizational, evaluative and holistic processing functions.
Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities:
Signs that appear in preschool
- Delay in understanding or using spoken language
- Difficulty understanding simple instructions
- Lengthy pause before naming objects and colors
- Limited awareness or interest in books
- Difficulty coloring or drawing
- Problems with motor coordination
- Short attention span (won’t sit through one storybook)
Symptoms in school-age children
- Difficulty understanding and following instructions
- Trouble remembering what someone just told them
- Failing to master reading, spelling, writing, and/or math skills and therefore fails schoolwork
- Difficulty telling the difference between “right” and “left,” problems identifying words or a tendency to reverse letters, numbers or words (e.g., confusing “b” with “d,” 18 with 81, or “on” with “no.”)
- Lacking motor coordination when walking, playing sports, holding a pencil or trying to tie a shoelace
- Frequently loses or misplaces homework, schoolbooks or other items
- Unable to understand the concept of time, confused by the difference between “yesterday,” “today,” and “tomorrow.”
