Methods for Identifying Learning Disabilities

Learning disability is basically a disorder, which negatively affects an array of academic and functional skills in a person, including the ability to speak, listen, read, write, spell, reason and classify information. However, it should be noted that it does not indicate low intelligence level at all. Students suffering with learning disabilities have difficulty in achieving their intellectual level because their brain is deficit in processing information, in one or the other ways. Moreover, it should be understood that the signs and symptoms associated with learning disability are quite often seen in normal children too. The situation should only be considered problematic if such signs persist for long. Nevertheless, in order to keep a check, look out for the following signs and symptoms in your child.

Methods For Identifying Learning Disabilities

Given below are some methods, with the help of which you can determine if your child is actually suffering from learning disabilities.

Pay attention towards the child’s understanding or usage of spoken language.
Scrutinize his understanding of simple instructions. Look out for lengthy pauses before identifying and naming colors and objects.
See if the child has restricted interest towards books.
Ascertain if child is facing considerable difficulty in coloring and drawing.
Check if the child faces problem related to motor coordination.
Note if your child loses interest very soon and has short attention span.
Observe if the child has trouble in remembering what he/she had just been told.
Check whether your child is failing schoolwork on a consistent basis.
Figure out if the child understands the concept of time or confuses between today, tomorrow and yesterday.
Check if the child has difficulty in telling the direction and is confused in identifying the words and letters or reverses them. For instance, ‘b’ and‘d’, ‘18’ and ‘81’, ‘no’ and ‘on’, etc.

Signs & Symptoms Of Learning Disabilities

Children with a learning disability may experience problems in structuring their sentences, spellings, handwriting (which could be difficult to understand) and some may even have trouble writing, as the problem is language based.
Poor mathematical ability is also a strong indicator of learning disability in children. They may have problems in differentiating numbers, copying shapes, recalling math facts and may not understand mathematical terms. Identifying, using, and monitoring the use of algorithms to solve math problems, will also be difficult.
Weaknesses in working memory are also associated with learning disability. Difficulty may be experienced in processing information, which will make it hard to store anything in the long term-memory. Therefore, retrieving any information may become extremely problematic for a child with such a disability.
Children with this disability may not indulge in socially acceptable standards of behavior. They might misinterpret social clues and fail to predict the consequences of socially unacceptable behavior. There is not a high probability that such children will adapt their behavior to different social situations.
Sufferers of learning disability also feel frustrated due to their inability, in so far as learning tasks is considered. They have difficulty paying attention to a certain task for a longer time, which is precisely the reason why they are unable to learn.

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