UNDERSTANDING LEARNING DISABILITY
What is learning disability?
Learning disability is a neurological condition which hinders the ability to read, write, and do math.
Types of Learning Disability
- Dyslexia – Difficulty in reading
- Dysgraphia – Difficulty in writing
- Dyscalculia - Difficulty in mathematical calculations
- Dyspraxia -It is a motor difficulty that can affect body movement. It can manifest as clumsiness, handwriting problems or speech difficulties.
**It is worth remembering that no specific difficulty occurs in isolation. A child with a Learning difficulty has a cluster of symptoms that hamper learning.
Early warning signs
- Delay in speech and language development
- Delay in fine motor skills-buttoning, tying shoelaces, eating etc…
- Speech problems. not clear, difficulty in pronouncing, late acquisition of language.
- Difficulty in pre-writing, pre-reading ,and pre-math skills (alphabets, numbers and writing, drawing, coloring)
- Trouble making and difficulty in having and maintaining friends.
- Difficulty in following routines and instructions.
- Has a difficulty in sitting in one place for a long time.
- Shows very clumsy movements tends to bump or fall often
Areas of manifestation:
- Basic learning skills
- Reading comprehension
- Oral expression :reading and spelling
- Listening expression
- Written expression
- Mathematical calculation
- Reasoning-Abstract, Social Reasoning
Remediation:
- Remedial education involves teaching through specific strategies, helping students to cope with their weakness using their strengths
- Prepare an IEP for every student
- Include academic areas in therapy-language, mathematics, concept building, memory skills etc…
Why does learning disability happen?
There are two possible reasons why a person can have learning difficulty.
- Due to inherited characteristics (Heredity)
- Acquired through certain conditions like malnutrition of the mother, usage of certain drugs during pregnancy and stress during birth, etc…-damage to the Central Nervous System
Common characteristics :
- Inconsistent academic performance
- Consistent and repetitive pattern of mistakes.
- Unpopularity with teachers and peers
- Attention seeking behavior
- Poor concentration
- Inability to take and execute instructions
- Hyperactivity , impulsive behavior
- Mood swings, Low frustration tolerance, aggressive behavior
- Low self- esteem
- Poor social skills
- Poor organizational skills. clumsy work area
- Forgetful loses belongings , appears lazy, day-dreams
- Difficulty with cause-effect relationship
- Inability to following and sequencing multiple tasks.
- Lag in developmental milestones (talking, buttoning, tying shoe laces, and clumsy eating habits.)
- Confusion between left and right directions.
- Difficulty in copying from the blackboard.
Understanding the Problem:
- Early identification will help identify potentials and strengths to help the student perform academically and socially.
- Delays mean lower self-esteem and frustration at failures. It can lead to the following:
- Lack of attention.
- Misbehaviour in class.
- Aggressiveness towards other students.
- Incomplete work.
- Demotivation.
