Learning

Disabilities

What

are

le

arn

ing

dis

abili

ties?

Learning disabilities are

neurological differences in

processing information that

severely limit a person's ability

to learn in a specific skill area.

That is, these disorders are the

result of actual differences in

the way the brain processes,

understands, and uses

information. Everyone has

differences in learning abilities,

but people with learning disabilities have

severe problems that persist

throughout their lives. There is

no "cure" for learning

disabilities.

. Special education programs can help people

cope and compensate for

these disorders, but the

learning disability will last

a lifetime. Learning disabled people may

have difficulty in school

or on the job. These disabilities may also

impact independent living

and social relationships.

Mild,

modera

te o

r se

vere

learn

ing

dis

abilit

y

A learning disability can

be mild, moderate or

severe. Some people

with a mild learning disability can talk easily

and look after themselves, but take a

bit longer than usual to

learn new skills. Others

may not be able to communicate at all and

have more than one

disability

Learn

ing D

isabili

ties

and B

ehavi

or

Knowing what behavioral signs and

symptoms to look for

helps parents get earlier intervention for

children with learning

disabilities. Common

behavioral signs of disabilities fall within

two categories, internalizing and externalizing behaviors.

Students with learning

disabilities who internalize

show behaviors that mostly

affect themselves and are

sometimes overlooked by

the adults around them.

Students with externalizing

behaviors have a more

obvious effect on those

around them and are usually

recognized earlier as having

problems. Both groups of

students are at-risk for being

seen as being problems

rather than having problems.

Inte

rneliz

ing Students with

internalizing behaviors

are generally quiet and may be withdrawn.

They are embarrassed

by attention and worry

about the possibility of

their academic weaknesses being seen by others.

These

stu

dents

may

show

a r

ange o

f behavi

ors

incl

udin

g

Boredom and carelessness;

Disinterest in school or

reluctance to go to school;

Withdrawal in class; Disorganization, inattention;

Work that appears sloppy or

poorly done; Slow to response to questions; and Physical symptoms of stress

 such as headaches or

stomach aches.

Ext

ern

aliz

ing Students with

symptoms who externalize are hard to

miss. These students

are often loud and disruptive.

They seem to want attention, even if it is

negative. They may enjoy joking about their poor work. They

may take pleasure in

annoying others because they feel it shifts the focus away

from their weak academic skills.

Most students with learning disabilities and attention deficit

hyperactivity disorders(ADHD) are

typically externalizers.

Som

e o

f th

ese

behavi

ors

in

clude:

Impulsive blurting out incorrect

answers; Breaking school rules and

being referred for discipline

because of behavior problems;

Behavior problems at home;

Aggression toward peers or

adults; Clowning around and

inappropriate joking; Attraction toward other 

underachievers; and Delinquent behavior at home

or in the community.

What

to D

o if

You

Susp

ect

Learn

ing

Dis

abili

ty

If you suspect learning disability

symptoms, keep a record of the

problems you are having at

home. List the strategies you are

trying to address the symptoms.

It is important to contact your

child's teacher or counselor to

discuss your child's problem

behavior symptoms and

academic difficulty. Teachers can

suggest other strategies to use

at home and at school and can

assist you with making a referral

for formal evaluation if a

learning disability is suspected.

Learn more about the learning

disability testing process.

Readin

g N

ot

Your

Thin

g?

Here

's H

elp

!Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a type of

learning disability affecting the ability to

process written, and

sometimes spoken, language.

Learning disabilities in basic

reading skills affect the

ability to read words in

isolation and in passages.

Students with learning

disabilities in basic reading

have difficulty understanding the relationship between letters

and sounds. Confusion with

common letter clusters such

as th, sh, ing, str, and ight is

common in learning disabilities of basic reading

skills.

people

wit

h d

ysle

xia

have

diffi

cult

ies

wit

h:

phonological awareness - the ability to identify

how words are made

up of smaller units of

sound, known as phonemes. Changes in

the sounds that make

up words can lead to

changes in their meaning.

verbal memory- the ability to remember a sequence

of verbal information

for a short period of time.

verbal processing speed

- is defined as the time

it takes to process and

recognise familiar verbal information, such as letters and digits.

Sig

ns/

Sym

pto

ms

letter and word recognitionunderstanding words

and ideas reading speed and fluencygeneral vocabulary

skills

Not

Mad a

bout

Math

? H

ere

’s H

elp

!Dyscalculia

refers to the difficulties one experiences when performing math calculations. When referring to language

difficulties, the term Dyslexia is used.

What

Are

the

Warn

ing S

igns

of

Dys

calc

ulia

? Having trouble learnin

g math skills does not necessarily

mean a person has a

learning disability. All

students learn at different paces.

Sig

ns/

Sym

pto

ms

A child with a math–based

learning disorder may

struggle with memorization

and organization of numbers, operation signs,

and number “facts” (like

5+5=10 or 5x5=25).

Children with math learning

disorders might also have

trouble with counting

principles (such as counting

by 2s or counting by 5s) or

have difficulty telling time.

Confu

sed w

ith

Lett

ers

? H

ere

’s H

elp

!Dysgraphia

is a type of learning disability affecting the

ability to recognize forms in letters, to write letters and words

on paper and to understand the relationship between

sounds, spoken words

and written letters.

Chara

cteri

stic

s of

Dys

gra

phia

People with dysgraphia,

have substantial difficulty

with written language

despite having formal

instruction. Their handwriting may

include reversals, spelling

errors, and may be illegible.

Some students with dysgraphia may also have

difficulty with language

processing and the connection between words

and ideas they represent.

Sig

ns/

Sym

pto

ms

accurately copying letters and words

spelling consistencywriting organization

and coherenceneatness and consistency of writing

Dyspraxia

is a disability that affects affects basic motor skills (such as

walking or sitting upright) and fine motor skills (such as

writing or picking up

small objects) in children and adults.

Sig

ns/

Sym

pto

ms physical abilities that

require hand-eye coordination, like holding a pencil or buttoning a shirt.

Dysp

hasi

a/

Aphasi

a is a condition that

affects the brain and leads to problems using language correctly.

Types

of

aphasi

a

Broca's aphasiaIn Broca's aphasia, also

known as non-fluent or

expressive aphasia, a person

has great difficulty speaking

and can only manage to

string a small number of

words together in short,

halting sentences. However,

it is usually possible to

understand the meaning of

their speech. For example, a

person with Broca's aphasia

might say, "Want...coffee...

no...milk".

Wernicke's aphasiaIn Wernicke's aphasia, also

known as fluent aphasia, a

person is able to speak normally

and use long, complex

sentences, but the actual words

they use do not make sense, or

they include nonsense words in

their speech.Many people with Wernicke's

aphasia are often unaware their

spoken language makes no

sense to others and can become

angry or frustrated by the lack

of understanding shown by

others.

Global aphasiaGlobal aphasia is a severe form of aphasia.

Someone with the condition has difficulty

with all forms of communication, including speaking, reading, writing, correctly naming objects

or people, and understanding other

people’s speech.

Aphasia in Alzheimer's

diseasePeople with Alzheimer's disease

usually have trouble thinking of

the right word, or remembering

people's names. This is called

anomia or anomic aphasia. As

the condition gets worse,

people may have difficulty

putting a sentence together

and making themselves

understood. People usually

develop problems with memory

and understanding at the same

time, which can also make

communication more difficult.

Primary progressive

aphasiaSometimes a progressive

brain disease causes

aphasia but doesn't affect memory or other

thought processes for a

long time, possibly for

several years. This is

called primary progressive aphasia (PPA).

Sig

ns/

Sym

pto

ms

verbal language skills,

such as the ability to

retell a story and the

fluency of speech, as

well as the ability to understand the meaning of words, parts of speech, directions, etc.

Refe

rence

s

http://learningdisabilities.about.

com/od/instructionalmate

rials/Resources_for_Teach

ers_and_Parents_of_SLD_C

hildren.htm http://learningdisabilities.about.

com/od/learningdisability

basi http://learningdisabilities.about.

com/od/whatisld/a/signsof

ld.htm http://www.g-therapy.org/index.

php/learning-disabilities-tr

eatment-intellectual-disab

ilities-treatment-dificultad

es-de-aprendizaje-difficolt

a-di-apprendimento-desor

dre-intellectuel-dificuldad

es-de-aprendizagem-usa-

dubai-spain-italy http://www.nhs.uk/conditi

ons/dyslexia/pages/introd

uction.aspx http://www.nhs.uk/conditi

ons/aphasia/pages/introd

uction.aspx http://www.nhs.uk/conditi

ons/dyspraxia-(childhood)

/pages/introduction.aspx

http://www.ncld.org/types-

learning-disabilities/dysgr

aphia/what-is-dysgraphia