Is your child slow in studies? Does your child repeat mistakes? There’s a chance he/she may be suffering from a learning disability. Learn all about the common signs and symptoms 

Let’s start this article with a scenario-your child is struggling with studies. His teachers at school are repeatedly complaining about his poor performance. You keep yelling or punishing the kid, but he still doesn’t improve. He is lagging, and you are frustrated. A child is assumed to be be lazy and stubborn, and you don’t know what to do. Reads familiar? Well, let us spell it out for you. Your child isn’t giving you a hard time for kicks, he or she may be suffering from a learning disability.

What is a learning disability?

Ldaamerica states that a learning disability is a ‘neurologically-based processing problems.’ These problems of processing information can interfere with one’s studies, personal life, work etc. People with learning disabilities struggle with reading, writing and mathematics. They also face difficulty in planning and organizing, reasoning, paying attention, etc. 

People with learning disabilities appear to be normal and happy. But it’s only until the symptoms are diagnosed that we learn of the difficulties  faced by them. Hence, it’s important to know the types of learning disabilities and their signs. 

Types of learning disabilities 

Dyslexia 

This learning disability affects one’s reading and writing skills. In certain severe cases, an individual’s speech can be affected as well. It is also referred to as a language-based learning disability. 

Symptoms of dyslexia: 

  • Mixes up numbers such as writing 65 instead of 56 
  • Writing different spellings of the same word repeatedly. Example- writing Maria, Maaria, Mariaa (their different spellings) 
  • Reads very slowly 
  • Shows wide disparity between what he/she hears and writes 
  • Has a bad handwriting 
  • Has difficulty remembering words he/she already knows 
  • Trouble spelling words 
  • Difficulty following multiple instructions. Example- switch on the light and bring me a glass of water.

Dyscalculia 

In this type of learning disability, the person struggles with Mathematics. He/she has trouble with numbers, calculations, figures, memorizing, counting etc. 

Symptoms of dyscalculia

  • Has difficulty solving word problems 
  • Displays difficulty in following concepts of time, quantity, carrying and borrowing, positive and negative value etc. 
  • Trouble with fractions 
  • Difficulty in handling money 
  • Confusion with additions, subtractions, multiplying and dividing 
  • Struggles with concepts such as days, weeks, months, etc. 

Dysgraphia 

A person suffering from dysgraphia has trouble with handwriting. He/ she also faces trouble with spacing between words, poor spelling, thinking and writing at the same time. 

Symptoms of dysgraphia: 

  • Shows inconsistency in handwriting such as mixing upper and lower case, shapes of letters, irregular size of letters etc. 
  • Writes incomplete words 
  • Scribbles with a strange hand position 
  • Is slow in writing 
  • Unusual grip on the pen/ pencil
  • Difficulty in thinking and writing at the same time 

Language-processing disorder 

In this type of a learning disability, there is difficulty attaching meaning to words, stories, and sentences. 

Symptoms of language-processing disorder 

  • Has difficulty in attaching a meaning from a spoken language 
  • Is poor in reading and writing skills 
  • Frustrated when he/she has a lot to say but doesn’t know how to say it 
  • Can’t think of words that describe an object 
  • Difficulty in understanding jokes 

Auditory processing disorder 

People with this learning disability have difficulty in understanding the subtle differences between sounds in words. They also can’t tell easily where the sounds are coming from.

Symptoms of auditory processing disorder: 

  • Misspells or mispronounces similar sounding words. Example- celery/salary 
  • Has a habit of interpreting words too literally
  • Finds it hard to remember or be focused on an oral presentation 
  • Often distracted by noises in the background 
  • Difficulty following directions 
  • Struggles in listening to people
  • Confusion in understanding a complex sentence or someone speaking too fast 

Non-verbal learning disabilities 

A person suffering from this disability has trouble in understanding non-verbal communication. Things such as facial expressions, body language can’t be distinguished easily.  

Symptoms of non-verbal learning disabilities 

  • Is clumsy; often keeps dropping things or bumping into people 
  • Has trouble doing the simplest of things such as using a pair of scissors, or tying shoe laces 
  • Difficulty in following several instructions at once 
  • Asks too many questions or is interruptive 

Visual motor-deficit 

People suffering from this learning disability, struggle with hand-eye coordination. They also show signs and symptoms of dysgraphia, as well as non-verbal learning disability. 

Symptoms of visual motor-deficit 

  • Complains of itchy eyes, print getting blurred while reading 
  • Closes one eye while working 
  • Yawns while reading 
  • Cannot recognize an object or word if only a part of it is visible 
  • Struggles to cut and paste paper 

Treatment options for learning disabilities 

Individualized education programs: Children with learning disabilities can be provided with a syllabus, designed to their capabilities. They they have set goals, specific services, specialists working with them.

Special education services: Children with learning disabilities can be enrolled in special schools, that are designed to help them with their education. 

Adopting different methods of teaching: Certain interventions can be brought in, in teaching styles for children suffering from learning disabilities. Learn more about these styles here. 

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice but suggested techniques that you can try. If none of these seems to work, you may need an advanced form of treatment.

Here’s a long-lasting solution to get rid of your child’s learning disabilities 

Neurofeedback: With this treatment, you can help your child overcome their learning disabilities completely. To learn more, watch this video.

In addition to these tips, Brain & Co. offers med-free treatment that could help you overcome some of the challenges that come with depression/anxiety/sleep issues etc. Visit our website or give us a call to learn more.