What is a learning disorder?
A learning disorder is an issue with how the brain processes information, which prevents someone from acquiring a skill and properly utilizing it. It is commonly diagnosed in early age children. Having this disorder means that a child struggles in one or more areas of learning, even if his or her overall intelligence or motivation is not affected. The three major areas are reading, written expression, and math.
Reading
The learning disorder in reading is called dyslexia. Dyslexia is a term used to describe problems learning and processing language, which are frequently shown by difficulties with reading, spelling, and writing.
In this area, learning disorders are usually caused by the problem of understanding spoken words as a combination of different sounds. This leads to difficulty in comprehending how a letter or group of letters represent a sound and how the combinations of the letters form a word.
Other difficulties could be:
Spelling a word
Comprehending what they are reading
Reading at a normal pace
Recalling accurately after reading
Written Expression
Dysgraphia is a term that refers to difficulty in writing expression. People with this usually have difficulties with spelling, punctuation, grammar, and handwriting.
More specific examples could be:
Slow handwriting
The handwritings are hard to recognize
Difficulty putting thoughts onto the paper
Math
Dyscalculia refers to problems understanding concepts relating to numbers or employing the symbols and functions that are necessary for carrying out mathematical calculations. Learning disorder in math includes difficulties with number sense, calculations, reasoning, and problem-solving.
Severity levels
1. Mild
Some learning difficulties in one or two academic subjects, but may have the ability to make up for it.
2. Moderate
Significant learning difficulties that require some specialized training and supported accommodation.
3. Severe
Severe difficulties in learning several academic subjects, which require continual, extensive, and specialized training and teaching.
Causes of learning disorder
Family history
Poor growth during the prenatal stage
Physical or psychological trauma
Environmental harm (e.g. exposure to toxins)
Treatment options
Possible treatment options could be:
Individualized education program
Specialized training and teaching
Therapy
Medication
Alternative medicine (e.g. dietary changes)
Sources
Comments