How to Help Children with Specific Learning Disorder
Children with Specific Learning Disorder have marked weaknesses in their capacity to master skills in reading, writing, or math, and consequently have difficulty making progress within traditional academic curriculums. Learning Disorder is ‘specific’, rather than global, and the children who have it are often very talented in other realms, such as music or sports. Some children have significant strengths in one academic domain and significant weaknesses in another. For example, there are children identified as gifted/learning disabled because they have superior strengths in reading and writing but can’t comprehend math concepts, or vice versa.
Learning Disorder is not the same as Intellectual Disability which involves significant intellectual and adaptive functioning deficits affecting all aspects of development –cognitive, social, and personal independence. Children with Specific Learning Disorder have normal intellectual functioning.
Specific Learning Disorder and Learning Disability (LD) are often used interchangeably but learning disability is a broader category of problems which interfere with children’s ability to master academic tasks. Although Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often identified as a ‘learning disability,’ it is not included in the category, ‘Specific Learning Disorder.’ ADHD is a disorder of attention which may or may not, include hyperactivity/impulsivity and which may cause impediments to learning, but it is not primarily a learning disorder (see the discussion of ADHD on this website). Some children have difficulty printing and drawing because they lack manual dexterity and consequently, they avoid producing work but, again, this is not a primary learning disorder. Children with Specific Learning Disorder commonly have additional diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety, depression, autistic spectrum disorder, communication disorder, or developmental coordination disorder but frequently, they have no other diagnosis.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) defines “Specific Learning Disorder” as a “neurodevelopmental disorder with a biological origin that is the basis for abnormalities at a cognitive level… the biological origin includes an interaction of genetic and environmental factors, which affect the brain’s ability to perceive or process verbal or non-verbal information efficiently and accurately.” Learning disabilities are caused by brain injury, errors in brain development, heredity, and prematurity, or very low birth weight. They are NOT caused by artificial colours or preservatives, sugar, allergies, failure to crawl before walking, or being left-handed.
About 5-15% of school-aged children across cultures have a Specific Learning Disorder in reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), and/or math (dyscalculia). Males are affected more than females at a rate of 2:1 to 3:1. It isn’t certain how many adults have the disorder but it is believed to be significantly lower, suggesting that the difficulties are, at least, partially remediated during the school years, through learning. The problems are not outgrown; they don’t spontaneously disappear over time.
Specific Learning Disorder is usually not diagnosed before a child begins school and it is not diagnosed until after there have been at least 6 months of interventions to address the learning difficulties (DSM-5). The central feature of the diagnosis is that the child is significantly behind grade level in skill acquisition.
Specific Learning Disorder includes two categories of difficulty:
1. Language-processing difficulties which cause delays in language acquisition and language comprehension affecting reading, writing, spelling, and math.
2. Visual-perception difficulties which cause children to have problems interpreting, organizing, understanding and recalling visual images, resulting in delays in reading, writing, spelling, and math.
Symptoms include:
Inaccurate or slow word recognition or pronunciation Difficulties in reading comprehension
Poor spelling
Weak written expression such as poor organization of sentences and paragraphs, and numerous mistakes in grammar and punctuation
Weak number sense or calculation
Weak mathematical reasoning causing difficulties applying math concepts or solving math problems
Assessment and Acceptance
There is considerable variability in the severity and pattern of learning disorders and children should be assessed as soon as possible to identify the precise nature of the learning deficits so that an individualized learning plan can be devised and implemented. Schools frequently have long wait times for educational testing so the sooner parents accept that there might be a problem, the sooner the child will be placed on a list for assessment. Too often, parents are frightened by the idea that their child might have a learning challenge and they resist recommendations from teachers for testing. This is particularly true when parents experienced similar learning challenges and felt shame and stigma, as a result. Parents who don’t understand the nature of learning disorders may worry that there is something seriously ‘wrong’ with their child and prefer to put off any possible confirmation. Parent’s support for, and confidence in their children’s unique ways of thinking and learning has an enormous impact on their child’s confidence and motivation to succeed. To repeat, a learning disorder is not the same as intellectual deficit. It’s specific, it’s usually manageable, and waiting only creates suffering for struggling children.
Strategies for Learning Disorders
Today, there is a great deal of knowledge about learning disorders and many tools for assisting these children. Visual aids, calculators, computer programmes, recorders, modified and alternative assignments, and extra time for tests, are just some of the many strategies employed to maximize learning and minimize the barriers to success for children with learning challenges. The bigger obstacle is often that teachers are extremely busy, class sizes are too large and competing demands interfere with the implementation of these strategies. Parents often need to be advocates for their children to ensure that teachers are knowledgeable about both the learning disorder and the individualized education plan (IEP), which was devised by the School Psychologist or Special Education Consultant.
Social Challenges Associated with Specific Learning Disorder
Many children with Specific Learning Disorder have social challenges associated with their learning challenges. This is particularly true for children with visual perception deficits who fail to pick up on the facial expressions and body language of others and, therefore, can’t discern when others are bored or irritated until it’s too late, until they are alone in the lunch room, and on the bus. These children need extra help to observe social conventions and understand social rules. Children who are poorly organized and forgetful may be teased for holding up the class or group; children with language processing difficulties may have a hard time following conversations, understanding instructions, or getting jokes. These children may not understand what they have done wrong or how to get it right but they fully understand that they have blundered, that they are being teased, and/or being ostracized. They feel “stupid,” and often chastise themselves for being “stupid.”
Maximize Talents
In addition to receiving academic help, children who learn differently may need social and emotional support to help them accept their differences, and build self esteem. They need to be educated about their Specific Learning Disorder, how it affects them, how they can learn the social skills to foster and maintain friendships, and that it is not “stupidity.” As important as it is to address their learning deficits, it is critical to maximize the strengths and talents of these children, whatever they may be. Classroom performance is important to children’s sense of self but it’s not everything-a positive place in the family, or with the team, choir, art group, or chess club can build resilience and security, and provide the confidence to face the academic challenges ahead.
Resources
1. David Flink, Thinking Differently, An Inspiring Guide for Parents of children with Learning Disabilities, William Morrow, 2014.
2. Ben Foss, The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan, A Blueprint for Renewing Your Child’s Confidence and Love of Learning, Ballantine Books, 2016.
3. Corinne Smith, Ph.D., and Lisa Strick, Learning Disabilities: A to Z, A Complete Guide to Learning Disabilities from Preschool to Adulthood, Free Press, 2010.
About The Author
Janet Morrison, M.A., C. Psych Assoc. is a psychological associate in private practice and a senior lecturer at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. Over the past 30 years she has assessed, treated and supervised treatment of children in long-term care, as well as, consulted for Children's Aid Society and group homes across Ontario.