Different Types of Learning Disabilities

Admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:32:05 +0000

A learning disability is a problem that the brain has in processing certain kinds of information. This information may take the form of verbal, written, or numerical cues. While these problems can’t be cured, they can be effectively dealt with through various strategies. People with learning problems often go on to live highly successful lives, but first they must identify what type of disability they have and how to work with it. The following is a listing of the most common learning disabilities and their symptoms.

Dyslexia: This is the most common and well-known learning disability in the United States. People with dyslexia have problems reading and/or understanding written language due to directional or sequencing problems. Symptoms of dyslexia may include: late talking, trouble learning the alphabet, poor spelling, and overreliance on memorization.

Dyscalculia: Those with dyscalculia find it hard to understand the basic principles and practices of mathematics. Some indicators of dyscalculia include: difficulty learning numbers, mixing up mathematical symbols, and having trouble with numerical order.

Dysgraphia: This learning disability is characterized by the inability to write within a set space, such as a lined piece of paper. The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) categorizes this disorder as an output problem, caused by lack of control of the small muscles that dictate fine motor skills. Possible symptoms of dysgraphia include: late development of fine motor skills, poor handling of writing tools, and illegible handwriting.

Auditory and Visual Perception Disabilities: People with these kinds of learning problems are able to see and hear without difficulty, but still find it trying to understand language. Thus, this is a problem with how the brain interprets language cues. Those with auditory perception disabilities have a hard time telling the difference between various sounds (or phonemes), especially when more than one sound occurs at a time. Those with visual processing problems may encounter one or more of the following obstacles: transposing letters, not knowing which letter or symbol to focus on first, skipping letters, sentences, or even paragraphs, rereading the same passage over and over again, and poor depth perception.

Memory Disabilities: People with memory problems have a hard time retaining or retrieving audio or visual information. They may be unable to recall a statement that someone has recently made to them or a passage that they have just finished reading. This inability to access one’s short-term memory makes it difficult to input information into one’s long-term memory. A person who has issues with integrating information may understand individual facts perfectly but has trouble incorporating them into larger systems of logic. These individuals might be criticized for being unable to “see the big picture.”

By: Jane Saeman

Learning Disabilities and Late Intervention

Admin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:48:14 +0000

While learning disorders are being diagnosed earlier and earlier nowadays, sometimes certain cases still slip through the cracks. This is unfortunate, since the sooner a problem is identified, the sooner it can be dealt with. However, it’s always better to know that an issue exists than to never know, so if this is what’s happened with your family, keep in mind that there are still plenty of treatment options available to your child. Of course, the first step is figuring out whether or not your child has a learning problem, and if so, which one.

Below, you’ll find a list of symptoms grouped by disability type:

Dyslexia: Teenagers and adults who have yet to be diagnosed with dyslexia may have considerable difficulty with spelling. This may be demonstrated by spelling the same word multiple ways within the same essay. Those with dyslexia often rely heavily on phonetics when trying to spell a word. They may also write their letters or punctuation marks incorrectly (backwards, upside down, etc.) or put them in the wrong order.

Dyscalculia: People who don’t know that they have dyscalculia may still have extreme difficulty with basic mathematical principles and practices, such as addition and subtraction. They may have trouble dealing with number sequences, columns of numbers, and mathematical symbols. Other common signs of dyscalculia include overreliance on calculators and confusion with left and right.

Dysgraphia: Those with dysgraphia have a hard time writing or drawing within a defined space, like a piece of lined paper. This is due to poor development of fine motor skills. Another symptom of dysgraphia is illegible handwriting, which isn’t due to carelessness, but instead indicates a difficulty with handling a pen or a pencil.

Audio and Visual Perception Disabilities: If your child often has to ask you to repeat yourself, it may be a sign that they have an audio perception problem. It’s not that he or she isn’t listening carefully enough to you, it’s that their brain is unable to sort out which sound or tone to interpret first. Those with visual perception problems may transpose letters, punctuation marks, numbers, and mathematical symbols. Once again, this is an issue of sequencing malfunction in the brain, not lack of attention.

Memory Disabilities: These can manifest themselves in different ways. One common symptom is the inability to retain information that has just been relayed. For example, if your child can’t remember a passage that they have just finished reading, they may continue to reread that passage over and over again. This indicates a problem with short-term memory. Long-term memory problems may announce themselves through difficulties with retrieving information. For instance, if your child can’t recall the mathematical formula that allows them to calculate the circumference of a circle, long-term memory problems are at fault. Of course, the two are related, since if a piece of information doesn’t stick in your short-term memory, it won’t make it to your long-term memory either.

By: Jane Saeman

Learning Mathematics » Mathematical Symbols

Different Types of Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabilities and Late Intervention