Before I even start in on a definition I’m going to be honest and admit that I don’t like the term “learning disabilities.” For one thing it’s vague, and secondly it sounds ominous. I’d much rather hear a teacher say, “Ava has troubles reading”; still not descriptive, but at least not so gloomy. Part of the confusion lies in the wrong information that’s floating around, and the way it gets circulated. Parents talk amongst each other, and stories get interpreted differently. You might hear a story about a friend’s nephew or niece, notice some similarities with your child, and assume your child is in the same boat. Teachers don’t always know what’s going on either. Your child’s teacher may recommend you test your child for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which is what happened to us. Keep in mind teachers are not psychiatrists or doctors, and their opinions could be wrong.
You also have to remember the topic of learning disabilities is fluid. It was only first coined in 1963. If you read a book on learning disabilities published even ten years ago, you’re bound to find information that doesn’t jive with what we know now. The reality is new research is constantly coming to the forefront, altering how we look at and help people with learning problems.
When children are reasonably bright, are working hard at school, but are not getting decent grades, something is wrong. Things don’t add up. There is something about the way their brain works that makes it harder for them to learn, and achieve their potential. It could be in the way they receive information: maybe they don’t pick up on all the directions, and end up doing the wrong thing. Or it could be how they store information in their brain: Johnny doesn’t properly connect old with new information in his brain, so he can’t tell a story in its proper sequence; or he can learn facts, but can’t put the facts together to see the big picture. Some children are slower at processing information; it takes them longer to figure out what to do, so it takes them longer to answer questions. They might be able to memorize words, but have trouble using the words in a sentence. There are also children who get stuck on the retrieval process. Suzie knows the answer to the question, but can’t organize her thoughts well enough to put them into words. For some children, the challenge is in communicating what they know. You might read a paragraph they wrote and have no idea what they’re trying to say. Their thoughts might jump from one to the other with no connecting thread, or be riddled with spelling mistakes.
Some children have trouble problem solving, figuring out consequences and thinking ahead. Tommy dreams up a zany plan about staying out all night without even thinking about what could go wrong. Jenny might have problems getting and keeping friends. She doesn’t know how to fit in with a group, makes silly comments, and can’t put herself in someone else’s place; sometimes, without realizing it, hurting her friend’s feelings.
Organization is also a common problem. Tyler might take the time to write his homework in his agenda, but never opens it up when homework time rolls around. He hops from one assignment to the next with no overall plan of action. Paying attention to the teacher and concentrating on a task can be boring and tedious for a child who doesn’t understand what’s going on. Try to imagine yourself in a seminar completely out of your realm of knowledge, and what’s worse, you seem to be the only one who doesn’t know anything. Our son literally used to fall asleep in class, particularly if the teacher or material being taught was of no interest to him. When you see your child struggling with issues like these everyday, and across various situations, i.e. home, school, dance class, karate class, it’s time to talk to your child’s teacher and school counsellor.
Learning disabilities have nothing to do with intelligence. In fact, if a child’s IQ is below average, they are not a candidate for learning disabilities. A child may have exceptional reasoning ability, but get stuck on something simple like reading a page from a book. Reading, in fact, is the most common form of learning problem, accounting for approximately 80%. Another name for this is dyslexia. Dyslexia typically shows up when children have trouble matching sounds to letters. Later it evolves into problems recognizing words and understanding sentences.
There are three other types of learning problems. Dyscalculia is difficulty with arithmetic, particularly concepts like quantity and place value. Children may also struggle with multiplication tables and math problems. Dysgraphia has to do with organizing ideas and putting them down on paper. Finally, dyspraxia involves struggles children face with fine and gross motor skills like cutting out shapes and kicking a soccer ball.
All these learning challenges are not exclusive. Children can have any number of them to varying degrees. Learning problems are also not temporary; children do not grow out of them. The way the symptoms appear might change, depending on what they are doing. For example, your child might have a flair for art, where the use and understanding of words is not as critical. When students enter high school they have more freedom to take courses tailored to their abilities, which helps take the spotlight off their learning issues.