In schools, many children struggle with some topics and skills in their curriculum. Despite trying hard children still struggle with a specific skill set, this could be a sign of a learning disorder. Having a learning disorder means that a child has difficulty in one or more areas of earning even in an intelligent or motivated child.
Some of the signs and symptoms of learning disabilities include:
- It’s difficult to differentiate right from left.
- After first or second grade, backward letters, words, or numerals
- Recognizing patterns or classifying items by size or shape might be difficult.
- Understanding and following directions, as well as remaining organized, might be difficult.
- Remembering what was just said or read can be difficult.
- When moving around, there is a lack of coordination.
- Difficulty performing manual skills such as writing, cutting, or drawing
- Understanding the concept of time is difficult.
Various Types of Learning Disability
- Auditory Processing Disorder- It deals with how the brain processes and interprets the auditory input in the individual. The brain may not differentiate between similar or different sounds and cannot tell where the voice is coming from. These individuals may find it difficult to cut off the background noise.
- Dyscalculia- This disorder affects the way in which an individual’s brain comprehends symbols of mathematics and numbers. Individuals with such disorders suffer from learning orders of numbers and also face difficulty in telling time.
- Dysgraphia- This affects the writing ability of the individuals; they may have bad handwriting with disproportionate spacing with words. It affects the motor skills and mostly space planning on paper, and the ability to think and write at the same time.
- Dyslexia- Dyslexia is a disability that affects the language-related skills of an individual. It can affect the reading, writing, recalling, spelling, and even speaking skills of the child.
- Non-verbal Learning Disability- it is pretty complicated and often misunderstood by people. Individuals with NVLD struggle with a lot of conditions like difficulty with social skills and spatial concepts. This is not exactly a learning disability but it definitely affects the learning process.
- Visual Motor Deficit- Individuals with nonverbal learning impairments or dysgraphia are more likely to develop this condition. The individual will have anticipated changes meaning from the data they are presented with. It also has an impact on their drawing and copying abilities. Cutting difficulties, holding the pen or pencil too tightly, and failing to perceive minute variations in forms or printed characters are some of the additional difficulties.
How to handle a Child with Learning Disorders?
- Become an active participant in your child’s education.
Check with your child’s school to see if they have educators who have been trained in teaching or adapting learning disabilities in children’s growth. This includes creating an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for your child that takes into account his or her impairments and skills.
- Determine your child’s preferred method of study.
You can take advantage of your child’s learning style once you’ve identified it. If your youngster struggles to learn from a page but has outstanding auditory memory, read the text aloud or look for audio versions of the book. Your youngster will be able to learn more effectively this way.
- Reconsider your success
The majority of us have been conditioned to believe that academic accomplishment will lead to career success. Learning important life skills, on the other hand, will most likely benefit your child in the real world more than achieving top results on standardized examinations. Instill in your child the value of perseverance, discipline, and self-awareness. Your youngster must understand that being proactive entails taking on duties that will pay off handsomely.
- Lifestyle choice
While this is true for everyone, a child with learning impairments will be able to concentrate and focus better once their physical condition is at its best. Teach children the value of eating well, exercising regularly, and sleeping for the recommended amount of time each day.
To conclude we can say that learning disability is not curable or reversible. People with learning disabilities can succeed in school, at work, in relationships, and in the community with the right support and intervention. Despite having LDs, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein were successful in their lives. Despite having dyslexia, Einstein became an excellent scientist. The hope for a better outcome depends on early diagnosis and intervention.