LEARNING DISABILITIES

BY :DIVYANSHI SINGH 

Learning disabilities are neurological conditions that affect how a person receives, processes, stores, and responds to information. These disabilities can manifest in various ways, impacting areas such as reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), and mathematics (dyscalculia). While individuals with learning disabilities may have average or above-average intelligence, they experience significant challenges in acquiring specific academic skills, leading to frustration and potential difficulties in school and beyond. It's crucial to understand that learning disabilities are not a reflection of a person's intelligence or motivation but rather a difference in how their brain processes information. Early identification and appropriate support, including specialized instruction and assistive technology, can significantly improve the educational outcomes and overall well-being of individuals with learning disabilities. 

SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES (SLD) 

1. Dyslexia 

Dyslexia is a language processing disorder that impacts reading, writing, and comprehension. Dyslexics may exhibit difficulty decoding words or with phonemic awareness, identifying individual sounds within words.It may result in trouble with reading, grammar, reading comprehension, and other language skills 

2. Dysgraphia 

Poor handwriting is a hallmark of dysgraphia but is far from the only symptom. Individuals with dysgraphia may exhibit difficulty with letter spacing, poor motor planning and spatial awareness, and trouble thinking and writing simultaneously. 

3. Dyscalculia 

Dyscalculia encompasses learning disabilities related to mathematical calculations. Individuals with dyscalculia struggle with math concepts, numbers, and reasoning.Individuals might have difficulty reading clocks to tell time, counting money, identifying patterns, remembering math facts, and solving mental math. 

4. Auditory processing disorder 

In auditory processing disorder (APD), patients have difficulty processing sounds. Individuals with APD may confuse the order of sounds or be unable to filter

different sounds. The brain misinterprets the information received and processed from the ear. 

5. Language processing disorder 

A subset of auditory processing disorder, language processing disorder arises when an individual has specific challenges in processing spoken language, impacting both receptive and expressive language. According to the Learning Disabilities Association of America, in language processing disorder, “there is difficulty attaching meaning to sound groups that form words, sentences, and stories.” 

6. Nonverbal learning disabilities 

It refers to difficulties in decoding nonverbal behaviors or social cues. Individuals struggle with understanding body language, facial expressions and tone of voice, or the nonverbal aspects of communication. 

7. Visual perceptual/Visual motor deficit 

Individuals with visual perceptual/visual motor deficit exhibit poor hand-eye coordination, often lose their places when reading, and have difficulty with pencils, crayons, glue, scissors, and other fine motor activities. They may also confuse similar looking letters, have trouble navigating their surroundings, or demonstrate unusual eye activity when reading or completing assignments. 

The seven disorders listed above are considered unique learning disabilities by the Learning Disabilities Association of America and many other mental health professionals. They acknowledge attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as related conditions that affect learning, but not as specific learning disorders.

REFERENCES 

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Learning disabilities: What you need to know. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4865-learning-disabilities-what-you-need-to-k now 

NHS. (n.d.). Learning disabilities. NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/learning-disabilities/ 

HelpGuide. (n.d.). Learning disabilities and disorders. HelpGuide. 

https://www.helpguide.org/family/learning-disabilities/learning-disabilities-and-disorders 

National Center for Learning Disabilities. (n.d.). Home. National Center for Learning Disabilities. https://ncld.org