“Are There Other Learning Disabilities Besides Dyslexia?”

I find that parents will sometimes seek this information out wanting to “label” their child’s “problem” with the rationale that by identifying the “problem” there will be solutions or perhaps even a quick fix for the delays in their child’s scholastic achievement. This is particular true when their child is not diagnosed with Dyslexia as it seems that dyslexia is a widely known and quite often a misunderstood learning disability.

There is a plethora of information on the Internet about learning disabilities, but I would like to highlight three categories that I have frequently seen in the classroom. Let’s explore the different type of learning disabilities and the possible manifestation generally seen among school-age learners.
   
Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is not a single learning disability, rather the term “dyscalculia” encompass any math-related learning disability. The effects of a math learning disability can affect each child differently. A person with a visual learning deficiency may experience a learning disability differently than a child who has deficits in remembering facts and sequential orders. Additionally, a child who struggles with math does not necessarily have a learning disability, and a qualified professional should make that determination. However, as parents here are some items, you can look for:

•    Does your child have difficulty keeping score when playing games?
•    Does your child fail to remember schedules or estimating how long a task will take to complete?
•    Does your child have good memory skills for printed words but cannot read/difficulty reading numbers or remembering number sequences
•    Does a change in routine puzzle your child or does your child lose their sense of directions quickly?
•    Can your child complete math assignments one day after instructions have been given but fail to remember the next day without prompts?

You can try this simple at-home test

Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects your child’s writing performance. As a teacher, I have seen students struggle with spelling, poor penmanship, and/or difficulty with expressing themselves when writing. Dysgraphia can be difficult to diagnosis or there can be a delay in diagnosing due to the child’s development stage as the skill of writing is developed as the child ages. Having poor penmanship does not automatically indicate the child has dysgraphia typically parents and educator notice students not meeting age appropriate thinking skill milestones. As a parent there are things, you can be mindful of when determining if your child needs further assessment.

•    Does your child become fatigued quicker than his peers?
•    Is your child's body relaxed and maintaining the pencil grip/form he was taught?
•    Does he have age appropriate spelling, grammar or syntax errors?
•    Can you read your child’s handwriting?
•    Is there a noticeable difference between what your child can convey through writing versus through speaking?

ADHD
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and is a spectrum disorder meaning that your child may have a combination of Hyperactive and/ or inattentive features. ADHD can manifest differently for each child and will require a skilled professional to diagnosis usually needing a team approach utilizing input from the parents, teachers, and school counselor or diagnostician.

ADHD’s hyperactive symptoms may include:

•    Child may display excessive talking or noise
•    Child may be unable to initiate or sustain quiet or solo play
•    Child may be in constant motion which may include running, jumping, and climbing
•    Child may exhibit impatient or demanding behavior
•    Child may interrupt or blurt out answers

ADHD’s inattentive symptoms may include:

•    Child seems to have selective hearing
•    Child loses focus and is easily distracted
•    Child makes thoughtless mistakes
•    Child is unable to organize or sustain organization.

As a parent, when you suspect a learning disability, it can be overwhelming and the task of knowing who to go to or what to do can cause a great deal of frustration and anxiety. As a parent of a child with learning disabilities not knowing what challenges my child has was disheartening. With proper testing, a diagnosis most likely can be made. Your child’s school, and certainly we at Learning Success are available to support and educate. 

An educated parent is a successful parent...