Who is learning disabled

Basic reading problems occur when there is difficulty understanding the relationship between sounds, letters and words. Reading comprehension problems occur when there is an inability to grasp the meaning of words, phrases, and paragraphs.

Children with math learning disorders might also have trouble with counting principles such as counting by twos or counting by fives or have difficulty telling time. Learning disabilities in writing can involve the physical act of writing or the mental activity of comprehending information.

Basic writing disorder refers to physical difficulty forming words and letters. Expressive writing disability indicates a struggle to organize thoughts on paper. Symptoms of a written language learning disability revolve around the act of writing. They include problems with:. Other types of learning disabilities involve difficulties with motor skills movement and coordination , understanding spoken language, distinguishing between sounds, and interpreting visual information.

Motor difficulty refers to problems with movement and coordination whether it is with fine motor skills cutting, writing or gross motor skills running, jumping. In order to run, jump, write or cut something, the brain must be able to communicate with the necessary limbs to complete the action. Signs that your child might have a motor coordination disability include problems with physical abilities that require hand-eye coordination, like holding a pencil or buttoning a shirt.

Language and communication learning disabilities involve the ability to understand or produce spoken language. Language is also considered an output activity because it requires organizing thoughts in the brain and calling upon the right words to verbally explain or communicate something.

Signs of a language-based learning disorder involve problems with verbal language skills, such as the ability to retell a story, the fluency of speech, and the ability to understand the meaning of words, directions, and the like.

An inability to distinguish subtle differences in sound make it difficult to sound out words and understand the basic concepts of reading and writing. Visual processing disorder — Problems in visual perception include missing subtle differences in shapes, reversing letters or numbers, skipping words, skipping lines, misperceiving depth or distance, or having problems with eye—hand coordination.

Anxiety, depression, stressful events, emotional trauma, and other conditions affecting concentration make learning more of a challenge. In addition, ADHD and autism sometimes co-occur or are confused with learning disabilities. Children with ADHD often have problems sitting still, staying focused, following instructions, staying organized, and completing homework.

Children with autism spectrum disorders may have trouble communicating, reading body language, learning basic skills, making friends, and making eye contact. Science has made great strides in understanding the inner workings of the brain, and one important discovery that brings new hope for learning disabilities and disorders is called neuroplasticity.

Throughout life, the brain is able to form new connections and generate new brain cells in response to experience and learning. Innovative programs, such as the Arrowsmith program, use strategic brain exercises to identify and strengthen weak cognitive areas. For example, for children who have difficulty distinguishing between different sounds in a word, there are new computer-based learning programs that slow down the sounds so that children can understand them and gradually increase their speed of comprehension.

These discoveries about neuroplasticity provide hope to all students with learning disorders, and further research may lead to additional new treatments that target the actual causes of learning disabilities, rather than simply offering coping strategies to compensate for weaknesses.

Using a telephone analogy, faulty wiring in the brain disrupts normal lines of communication and makes it difficult to process information easily. If service was down in a certain area of the city, the phone company might fix the problem by re-wiring the connections. Similarly, under the right learning conditions, the brain has the ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections.

These new connections facilitate skills like reading and writing that were difficult using the old connections. That said, you should trust your instincts. If you think something is wrong, listen to your gut. If you feel that a teacher or doctor is minimizing your concerns, seek a second opinion. Keep in mind that finding someone who can help may take some time and effort. Even experts mix up learning disabilities with ADHD and other behavioral problems sometimes.

You may have to look around a bit or try more than one professional. Although getting a diagnosis can be a very difficult and emotional experience, it is often the first step to accessing the care and support needed for the future.

Phone or email the Learning Disability Helpline, which is our advice and support service, for guidance and information about what support we can offer you. Or why not take a look at our online community? This is a place for parents and family carers of people with a learning disability to share experiences, advice and support.

Skip to main content. What is a learning disability? Hear from people with a learning disability, read our definition and learn about diagnosis. Learning disability explained What is a learning disability? Learning difficulties Conditions linked to learning disability Research and statistics Communicating with people with a learning disability Information for healthcare professionals. Learning disabilities: Our definition A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities — for example household tasks, socialising or managing money — which affects someone for their whole life.

What learning disability means We asked people with a learning disability what learning disability means to them. A learning disability affects the way a person learns new things throughout their lifetime. Find out how a learning disability can affect someone and where you can find support. A learning disability affects the way a person understands information and how they communicate. This means they can have difficulty:. Around 1. It's thought up to , people have a severe learning disability.

This figure is increasing. Some people with a mild learning disability can talk easily and look after themselves but may need a bit longer than usual to learn new skills.

A learning disability is a permanent condition developing at the latest in early childhood, whereas mental illness or a mental health problem can develop at any time, and is not necessarily permanent. People can get better and resolve mental health problems with help and treatment. Anyone can develop a mental health problem at any stage of their life, which means that they must be given the necessary support to deal with it, and ideally to prevent it from occurring at all.

Home Node Learning disabilities Learning disabilities Having a learning disability means that people find it harder to learn certain life skills. Possible causes include the following: An inherited condition, meaning that certain genes passed from the parents affected the brain development, for example Fragile X. Complications during birth resulting in a lack of oxygen to the brain. A very premature birth.