Does My Child Have a Learning Disability? - Big Y® World Class Market®

Is your child having trouble learning the three R’s? From time to time all kids struggle with schoolwork. But suppose it’s something more? Here’s what you need to know.

What Is a Learning Disability?
If your child has a problem receiving information, for instance when looking at the letter “b” he thinks it’s a “d,” that’s a sign of a learning disability (LD). It most likely has nothing to do with his eyes; his brain could be the culprit. And if he can never quite seem to come up with the right word, that too can be because of a learning disability. Bad handwriting? Trouble doing math? Again, a learning disability may be at hand. Kids develop skills at different rates. We all know they mature and grow differently. Sometimes it takes a little longer for them to figure something out. That’s all normal, natural and fine. When your child, however, consistently shows problems with learning, it may be time to take action.

LD Facts
Are learning disabilities common? Consider the reading disorder dyslexia. It affects 2 to 8 percent of elementary school kids. That’s significant. And nearly 2.9 million U.S. students, are enrolled in special education services for learning disabilities. Left untreated, learning disabilities can pull kids down. Nearly a third of kids with learning disabilities drop out of high school, more than double the normal dropout rate. And, two-thirds of school graduates with LDs were judged to be “not qualified” to attend a four-year college. Learning disabilities are real and put kids at risk.

Don’t Panic
Even if it turns out that your child has a learning disability, don’t despair. It doesn’t mean a life of ruin. For instance, the man who invented Mickey Mouse had a learning disability. Walt Disney didn’t do too badly in life, did he? And the man who led Britain during World War II — yes, Sir Winston Churchill — suffered from learning problems. And the next time you flip the switch to turn on your electric light consider this: Thomas Edison couldn’t read until he was 12. Yes, a learning disability. And while we’re at it, let’s not leave out Albert Einstein. His learning disability kept him from speaking until he was 3 and he struggled with math.

So having a learning disability does not mean your child won’t be successful. Things can be done. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health indicated that over two-thirds of young students at risk for reading problems became average or above average readers after getting special help in the early grades. The lesson? Catch a learning disability early and you can do something about it. It never goes away, but the right approach to dealing with it can pay off. But don’t delay. A recent poll indicates that 44 percent of parents who suspected learning problems in their child waited a year or more before accepting the fact. The sooner your child receives help, the sooner the progress.

Remember, all children will probably exhibit some of these behaviors. That doesn’t mean they have a learning disability. If you see a pattern of repeated behaviors that you think may indicate a problem, talk to your child’s teachers. With the help of your child’s teachers and experts in the field of learning disabilities, your child can acquire the important academic skills as well as the confidence to succeed.

What to Look for
How can you tell if your child has a learning disability? Watch for these signs at different ages. If you see several of these behaviors consistently it may be wise to seek professional help.

Preschool
• Begins speaking later than other kids
• Has trouble pronouncing words
• Can’t seem to find the right words or has a small vocabulary
• Has trouble rhyming words
• Has difficulty learning numbers, alphabet, days of the week, colors, shapes
• Restless, trouble staying focused
• Has problems following directions
• Fine motor skills developing slowly

Grades K-4
• Trouble learning the connection between letters and sounds
• Mixes up basic words (run, eat, want)
• Repeated reading and spelling errors, including letter reversals (b/d), inversions (m/w), transpositions(felt/left), and substitutions (house/home)
• Flips number sequences and confuses arithmetic signs (+, -, x, /, =)
• Has a hard time remembering facts
• Learning new skills is difficult, relies heavily on memorization
• Grips pencils and pens unsteadily
• Has problems understanding time
• Appears clumsy, unaware of physical surroundings, accident-prone

Grades 5-8
• Reverses sequences of letters (soiled/solid, left/felt)
• Has a problem learning prefixes, suffixes, root words and other spelling tricks
• Doesn’t like to read aloud
• Word problems cause problems
• Shaky handwriting
• Pencil grip is awkward
• Shies away from writing compositions
• Not good at remembering or citing facts
• May not have many friends
• Doesn’t understand the meaning of facial expressions, body language

High School Students
• Poor speller, often spells the same word many different ways
• Shuns reading and writing tasks
• Has a hard time drawing conclusions
• Has difficulty with open-ended test questions
• Flagging memory skills
• Doesn’t like change
• Works at a slow pace
• Has problems with abstract concepts
• Misses the details or focuses too much on them
• Misreads

Types & Treatments
There are at least three major categories of learning disabilities:
• Dyslexia — a problem with reading and written expression
• Dyscalculia — troubles with mathematics
• Dysgraphia — problems with writing and fine motor skills

These conditions must be diagnosed by specialists. If you suspect a learning problem with your child, the first step is to ask your pediatrician or teacher for help. For a thorough diagnosis, you may be referred to a:
• Clinical psychologist
• School psychologist
• Educational psychologist

Since each child is different, the recommended treatment will be based on your child’s specific needs. Common treatments may range from tutoring to counseling to enrollment in special education classes in your school system. The most important thing is to get your child the assistance he or she needs as soon as the disability is diagnosed. This will help ensure the best possible outcome.