Specific Learning

Disabilities
Learning Disability
Disorders not included. The term
does not include learning problems
that are primarily the result of
visual, hearing, or motor
disabilities, of mental retardation, of
emotional disturbance, or of
environmental, cultural, or
economic disadvantage.
Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities can be
characterized by a discrepancy
between a student’s ability and his
or her achievement in areas such as
reading, writing, mathematics, or
speaking. This option is up to the
individual school, or agency doing
the assessment.
Causes
Learning disabilities are
presumed to be disorders of the
central nervous system and a
variety of factors may contribute
to their occurrence. Learning
disabilities may be due to:
Causes
Heredity. Learning disabilities
tend to run in families. It is not
unusual to discover that people
with learning disabilities come from
families in which other family
members have reported similar
difficulties.
Causes
Problems during pregnancy
and childbirth. Learning
disabilities may be caused by illness
or injury during or before birth.
Learning disabilities may also be
caused by the use of drugs and
alcohol during pregnancy, RH
incompatibility with the mother (if
untreated), premature or prolonged
labor or lack of oxygen or low
weight at birth.
Causes
Incidents after birth. Head
injuries, nutritional deprivation,
poisonous substances, (e.g., lead),
and child abuse can contribute to
learning disabilities
Characteristics
Students who have learning disabilities
may exhibit a wide range of traits,
including:
problems with reading comprehension
spoken language
writing
reasoning ability
Hyperactivity
Inattention
perceptual coordination problems may
also be associated with learning
disabilities.
Characteristics
Other traits that may be present
include a variety of symptoms, such
as:
uneven and unpredictable test
performance
perceptual impairment
motor disorders
Characteristics
behaviors such as impulsiveness
low tolerance for frustration
problems in handling day-to-day
social interactions and situations
inconsistent school performance
Characteristics

difficultyremembering today what

was learned yesterday, but may
know it tomorrow
short attention span (restless,
easily distracted)
Characteristics
letter and number reversals (sees
"b" for "d" or "p", "6" for "9", "pots"
for "stop" or "post")
poor reading (below age and grade
level)
frequent confusion about directions
and time (right-left, up-down,
yesterday-tomorrow)
Characteristics
personal disorganization (difficulty
in following simple
directions/schedules; has trouble
organizing, planning, and making
best use of time; frequent loss or
misplacement of homework,
schoolbooks, or other items)
Characteristics
impulsive and/or inappropriate
behavior (poor judgment in social
situations, talks and acts before
thinking)
failure on written tests but high
scores on oral exams (or vice versa)
Characteristics
speech problems (immature
language development, trouble
expressing ideas, poor word recall)
difficulty understanding and
following instructions unless they
are broken down to one or two
tasks at a time
seems immature and has difficulty
making friends
Characteristics
trouble remembering what
someone just told him or her
poor coordination (in gross motor
activities such as walking or sports
and/or in fine motor activities such
as tying a shoelace, holding a
pencil, or handwriting -
inconsistent, slow, messy, or
illegible)
Characteristics
difficulty interpreting body
language, facial expression, or tone
of voice
difficulty with development of
sound/symbol correspondence
Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities may occur in
the following academic areas:
Spoken language: Delays,
disorders, or discrepancies in
listening and speaking;
Written language: Difficulties with
reading, writing, and spelling;
Learning Disabilities
Arithmetic: Difficulty in performing
arithmetic functions or in
comprehending basic concepts;
Reasoning: Difficulty in organizing
and integrating thoughts; and
Organization skills: Difficulty in
organizing all facets of learning.
Learning Disabilities
Some of these problems can be
found in all children at certain
stages of development. When a
child has a cluster of symptoms
that do not disappear as she/he
gets older, you might suspect
learning disabilities.
Common Types
I-Dyslexia - a language-based
disability in which a person has
trouble understanding words,
sentences, or paragraphs.
Symptoms of Dyslexia
Symptoms in preschoolers
Some of the symptoms of dyslexia
in a preschooler could include:
Delayed speech.
Problems with pronunciation.
Problems with rhyming words and
learning rhymes.
Difficulty with learning shapes,
colors and how to write their own
name.
Difficulty with retelling a story in the
right order of events.
Symptoms of Dyslexia
Symptoms in primary school
children
Some of the symptoms in a primary
school age child could include:
Problems with reading a single
word.
Regularly confuses certain letters
when writing, such as 'd' and 'b' or
'm' and 'w'.
Regularly writes words backwards,
such as writing 'pit' when the word
'tip' was intended.
Symptoms of Dyslexia
Problems with grammar, such as
learning prefixes or suffixes.
Tries to avoid reading aloud in
class.
Doesn't like reading books.
Reads below their expected level.
Symptoms of Dyslexia
Symptoms in high school children
Some of the symptoms in a high
school student could include:
Poor reading.
Bad spelling, including different
misspellings of the same word in
one writing assignment.
Difficulties with writing summaries.
Problems with learning a foreign
language.
Types
II-Dyscalculia - a mathematical
disability in which a person has a
difficult time solving arithmetic
problems and grasping math
concepts.
Dyscalculia-Symptoms
Difficultywith the abstract concepts
of time and direction. Inability to
recall schedules, and sequences of
past or future events. Unable to
keep track of time. May be
chronically late.
Dyscalculia-Symptoms
Inconsistent results in addition,
subtraction, multiplication and
division. Poor mental math ability.
Poor with money and credit. Cannot
do financial planning or budgeting.
Checkbooks not balanced. Short
term, not long term financial
thinking. Fails to see big financial
picture. May have fear of money and
cash transactions. May be unable to
mentally figure change due back,
the amounts to pay for tips, taxes,
etc
Dyscalculia-Symptoms
Inabilityto grasp and remember
math concepts, rules, formulas,
sequence (order of operations),
and basic addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division facts.
Poor long term memory
(retention & retrieval) of concept
mastery- may be able to perform
math operations one day, but
draw a blank the next! May be
able to do book work but fails all
tests and quizzes.
Dyscalculia-Symptoms
Poor memory for the "layout"
of things.  Gets lost or
disoriented easily. May have
a poor sense of direction,
loose things often, and seem
absent minded. (Remember
the absent minded
professor?)
Dyscalculia-Symptoms
May have poor athletic
coordination, difficulty keeping
up with rapidly changing physical
directions like in aerobic, dance,
and exercise classes. Difficulty
remembering dance step
sequences, rules for playing
sports.
Dyscalculia-Symptoms
Difficultykeeping score during
games or difficulty remembering
how to keep score in games, like
bowling, etc. Often looses track
of whose turn it is during games,
like cards and board games.
Limited strategic planning ability
for games, like chess.
Types
III-Dysgraphia - a writing
disability in which a person finds
it hard to form letters or write
within a defined space.
Dysgraphia-Symptoms
Generally illegible writing
(despite appropriate time and
attention given the task)
Inconsistencies: mixtures of print
and cursive, upper and
lowercase, or irregular sizes,
shapes, or slant of letters
Unfinished words or letters,
omitted words
Dysgraphia -Symptoms
Inconsistent position on page
with respect to lines and margins.
Inconsistent spaces between
words and letters
Cramped or unusual grip,
especially:
Holding the writing instrument
very close to the paper, or
Holding thumb over two fingers
and writing from the wrist
Dysgraphia-Symptoms
Strange wrist, body, or paper
position
Talking to self while writing, or
carefully watching the hand that
is writing
 Dysorthographia:
Individuals with this disorder have
difficulties utilizing clues from
several sources that aid in deciding
on the correct spelling of a word. It is
a specific learning disability that
involves an inability or delay in
learning to properly spell words from
letters
Dysorthographia-
Symptoms
Dysorthographia involves
persistent problems with symbol
recognition and ordering that are
essential for proper spelling.
Dysorthographia-
Symptoms
People who are poor spellers
typically have trouble analyzing
the sounds, syllables, and
meaningful parts of words in both
spoken language and written
language.
Types
Auditory and Visual
Processing Disabilities -
sensory disabilities in which a
person has difficulty
understanding language despite
normal hearing and vision.
Attention deficit/hyperactivity
disorder
Attention-deficit/hyperactivitydisorder (ADHD) is a
group of chronic disorders that begin in childhood
and sometimes last into adult life.
Problems generally associated with ADHD include
inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.
They can affect nearly every aspect of life. Children
and adults with ADHD often struggle with low self-
esteem, troubled personal relationships and poor
performance in school or at work.
The best treatment for ADHD is a matter of debate.
Currently, psychostimulant drugs are the most
common treatment. But although these drugs can
relieve many symptoms, they don't cure ADHD.
Counseling, special accommodations in the
classroom, and family and community support are
other key parts of treatment.
 ADHD
 In most children diagnosed with ADHD, signs and symptoms
appear between 4 and 6 years of age, although they
sometimes may occur even earlier. They include the
following:
Inattention
 Often fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless
mistakes in schoolwork or other activities
 Often has trouble sustaining attention during tasks or play
 Often doesn't seem to listen when spoken to directly
 Often doesn't follow through on instructions and fails to finish
schoolwork, chores or other tasks
 Often has difficulty organizing tasks or activities
 Often avoids or dislikes tasks that require sustained mental
effort, such as schoolwork or homework
 Often loses things needed for tasks or activities, such as
books, pencils, toys or tools
 Is often easily distracted
 Is often forgetful
ADHD
Hyperactivity-impulsive behavior
Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in
seat
Often leaves seat in the classroom or in other
situations where remaining seated is
expected
Often runs or climbs excessively when it's
not appropriate, or, if an adolescent might
constantly feel restless
Often has difficulty playing quietly
Is often "on the go" or acts as if "driven by a
motor"
Often talks excessively
 ADHD
Often blurts out the answers before questions
have been completely asked
Often has difficulty waiting his or her turn
Often interrupts or intrudes on others by butting
into conversations or games
Most healthy children exhibit many of these
behaviors at one time or another. For instance,
parents may worry that a 3-year-old who can't
listen to a story from beginning to end or finish a
drawing may have ADHD. But preschoolers
normally have a short attention span and aren't
able to stick with one activity for long. This
doesn't mean they're inattentive — it simply
means they're normal preschoolers.
Even in older children & adolescents, attention
span often depends on the level of interest in a
particular activity. Most teenagers listen to
music, talk to their friends for hours but may be