Signs of a Learning Disability

Published on 11 March 2024 at 16:01

According to the National Center for Education Statistics 32% of 7.3 million students receiving Special Education Services were found eligible for a Specific Learning Disability in 2021-2022. Not all children that are struggling in school have a learning disability. However, knowing the signs can better prepare us to help a child struggling in school if there is a suspected learning disability. This article outlines what a learning disability is, signs to look out for that may indicate a child has a learning disability, and what to do next if you suspect your child has a learning disability.

What is a Learning Disability?

A learning disability or a Specific Learning Disability (SLD - as it is called in public schools) is a difference in how a brain takes in, processes, organizes, stores, understands, and/or uses information**. Learning disabilities can effect oral/auditory communication, reading skills, written language, and mathematics*. Learning disabilities are usually due to genetic or neurobiological factors that change how the brain functions for cognitive processes related to learning*.

Learning disabilities can run in families and sometimes occur with another disability such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, and language disorders***. Learning disabilities include Dyslexia (difficulty reading), Dysgraphia (difficulty writing), Dyscalculia (difficulty with math/numbers), and Nonverbal Learning Disorder*.

Signs of a possible Specific Learning Disability

Not all children with a learning disability will show ALL of these signs. The signs listed below are meant to be a guide. Often children with a learning disability have their own strengths as well as weaknesses. One are listed may be a strength for a child while others might be an area of difficulty.

Preschool: 3-5 years of age

  • Trouble learning letters, numbers, shapes, colors*

  • Difficulty following directions*

  • Struggles to learn and follow set routines

  • Difficulty recalling information

  • Often struggles to find the right word when speaking*

  • Difficulty hearing, understanding, and/or producing rhyming words

  • Struggles to understand concepts such as more/less, bigger/smaller, before/after

  • Pronunciation problems when speaking*

  • Difficulty in retelling a story or recounting an experience they have had

  • Problems interacting with peers* (cooperative play, communicating wants/needs, verbally responding appropriately to a peer)

  • Fine motor control issues with writing utensils or scissors*

Grade School: 5 to 10 years of age

  • Trouble with time concepts (yesterday/tomorrow/last year/next week/later/after/before)or spacial awareness (left/right, under/over, behind/next to)

  • Difficulty connecting the concept of sounds to letters, struggles to sound out words or use known sounds to write words

  • Difficulties with reading

  • Transposes, reverses or substitutes when writing or reading a words/numbers (b/d; m/w; 6/9; 5/2; left/felt; home/house)*

  • Difficulty with spelling simple words*

  • Short term memory issues - holding onto information for a few seconds/minutes to write it down or use it to complete a task

  • Taking longer than others to learn new skills*

  • Requires a lot of repetition and reteaching to master a skill

  • Difficulty with understanding a concept

  • Problems learning basic math concepts and learning math facts*
  • Struggles to understand a story

  • Seemingly struggles with following along with oral conversations*
  • Problems remembering what happened earlier 

  • Difficulty planning or organizing *

  • Messy or sloppy handwriting

Middle School: 10-13 years of age

  • Short term memory issues - holding onto information for a minutes to write it down or use it to complete a task

  • Taking longer than others to learn new skills

  • Requires repetition and reteaching to master a skill

  • Inconsistency with demonstrating a skill (gets it one day and then doesn't the next)

  • Problems with task initiation

  • Difficulty with time management*

  • Struggles with reading and math skills

  • Difficulty with spelling, spells the same word different ways within the same assignment

  • Difficulty reading or spelling multi-syllable words

  • Avoids tasks that require writing

  • Messy or sloppy handwriting

  • Reading and/or listening comprehension problems*

  • Difficulty with math concepts and problem solving tasks especially those requiring multiple steps
  • Seemingly struggles with following along with oral conversations*

  • Trouble expressing thoughts or ideas cohesively*

  • Struggles to translate skills from one situation to another*

  • Problems with organizing school work and/or personal space (folders, desk, locker, bedroom)*

High School and Adults: 13 years or older

  • Concerns with memory: short term and/or long term*
  • Difficulty with reading and writing tasks*
  • Difficulty with math concepts and problem solving tasks especially those requiring multiple steps
  • Struggles to answer open-ended academic questions (in writing or orally)*
  • Problems with spelling consistency - spells same word differently on the same assignment*
  • Completes work slowly or struggles to keep pace with peers in class*
  • Difficulty understanding abstract concepts
  • Gets caught up in details*
  • Struggles with time management*
  • Misinterprets or remembers information they read or heard*
  • Trouble expressing thoughts or ideas cohesively in writing or orally*

  • Struggles to translate skills from one situation to another*

  • Problems with organizing school work and/or personal space (locker, bedroom)*

  • Problems with task initiation
  • Taking longer than others to learn new skills

  • Requires repetition and reteaching to master a skill

  • Inconsistency with demonstrating a skill

When considering if a child has a learning disability it is important to ask some questions: How often is the child demonstrating one or more of these signs? Did it happen one time, often, or is it almost all of the time? Does the sign happen in multiple situations or only in one specific scenario? Does the child struggle with a particular task or concept once in a while or often? What is often - multiple times a day, daily, every couple of days, weekly, monthly? How long does it take for the child to learn the skill? Do they often need reteaching in the skill after they have mastered it? Do they demonstrate inconsistent skill acquisition (i.e. seem to get it one day but struggle with it the next)?

A child that shows one of the above signs or a skill deficit only occasionally or only in specific scenarios may not have a learning disability. A child that often shows one or more of the above signs or skill deficits in multiple areas and instances, takes a longer than average time to learn a skill, often requires reteaching for the same skill and/or shows inconsistent mastery of the skill might have a learning disability.

What Next?

I think my child may have a learning disability, now what? If you suspect that your child may have a learning disability there are several things you can do now to start getting your child the help and support they deserve.

1) Collaborate with your child's teacher - Talk with your child's teacher and share your concerns. Ask them if they are noticing the same concerns that you have. Ask them what the school can do to support your child. Specifically ask if there are intervention programs or groups that your child could join to start focusing on their areas of need. Ask for recommendations of things to work on at home with your child. If you'd like to learn about how to prepare for a meeting with you child's teacher you can do so here.

2) Talk with your pediatrician - Share your concerns with your pediatrician. Are there any medical concerns that might be effecting your child's learning?

3) Monitor your child's progress - Carefully monitor your child's progress. Take notes on failed assignments and missing work. Check in regularly with the teacher.

4) Request an evaluation - Request the school to do an evaluation of your child to see if they do have a specific learning disability. Make your request in writing (email and paper copy) to the administrator of the school, be sure to copy your child's teacher and the Special Education administrator for the school district.

If you are looking for more individualized help, have questions about learning disabilities, or don't know where to start and would like to learn more please contact me or leave a comment below. Parents shouldn't have to navigate this on their own. I can provide you with tailored information, create an individualized plan to target your goals for your child, and provide you with training that will  help you meet the unique needs of your child situation.

Sources:

*Clouser, L.(n.d.). New to LD. Learning Disability Association of America. Retrieved from https://ldaamerica.org/your-chances-of-knowing-someone-with-learning-disabilities-are-very-good-did-you-know/?audience=Parents

** Cleveland Clinic. (2024). Learning disabilities and disorders. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4865-learning-disabilities-what-you-need-to-know

*** Visser, L., Kalmar, J., Linkersdorfer, J., Gorgen, R., Rothe, J., Hallelhorn, M., & Schulte-Korne, G. (2020). Comorbidities between specific learning disorders and psychopathology in elementary school children in Germany. Frontiers Psychiatry, 11. 292. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00292 

Anna Everly

Owner, Educational Consultant

 

Anna is the owner of First We Teach, LLC. She is an Intervention Specialist and Educational Consultant with a decade of hands on teaching experience. She supports parents to feel confident in navigating their child's education, provides educational planning, and acts as an inclusive education coach for other educators. Sign up for a one-on-one session with Anna today!

 

 

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