Learning disabilities (LD) vary from person to person. One person with learning disabilities may not have the same kind of learning problems as another person with learning disabilities. One person may have trouble with reading and writing. Another person with learning disabilities may have problems with understanding math. Still another person may have trouble in each of these areas, as well as with understanding what people are saying.

Researchers believe that learning disabilities are caused by differences in how a person’s brain works and how it processes information. Children with learning disabilities are not “dumb” or “lazy.” In fact, they usually have average or above average intelligence. Their brains just process information differently.

Children with learning disabilities can be high achievers and can be taught ways to get around the learning disability. With the right help, children with learning disabilities can and do learn successfully.

How common are learning disabilities?

Very common! As many as 1 out of every 5 people in New Zealand has a learning disability.

Almost 160,000 school-aged children (ages 5 through 17) have some form of a learning disability and need special support in school. In the U.S., over half of all children who receive special support have a learning disability (Twenty-fourth Annual Report to Congress, U.S. Department of Education, 2002).

What are the signs of a learning disability?

There is no one sign that shows a person has a learning disability.

Experts look for a noticeable difference between how well a child does in school and how well he or she could do, given his or her intelligence or ability. There are also certain clues that may mean a child has a learning disability. We’ve listed a few below. Most relate to elementary school tasks, because learning disabilities tend to be identified in elementary school. A child probably won’t show all of these signs, or even most of them. However, if a child shows a number of these problems, then parents and the teacher should consider the possibility that the child has a learning disability.

When a child has a learning disability, he or she:

• may have trouble learning the alphabet, rhyming words, or connecting letters to their sounds;
• may make many mistakes when reading aloud, and repeat and pause often;
• may not understand what he or she reads;
• may have real trouble with spelling;
• may have very messy handwriting or hold a pencil awkwardly;
• may struggle to express ideas in writing;
• may learn language late and have a limited vocabulary;
• may have trouble remembering the sounds that letters make or hearing slight differences between words;
• may have trouble understanding jokes, comic strips, and sarcasm;
• may have trouble following directions;
• may mispronounce words or use a wrong word that sounds similar;
• may have trouble organizing what he or she wants to say or not be able to think of the word he or she needs for writing or conversation;
• may not follow the social rules of conversation, such as taking turns, and may stand too close to the listener;
• may confuse math symbols and misread numbers;
• may not be able to retell a story in order (what happened first, second, third); or
• may not know where to begin a task or how to go on from there.

If a child has unexpected problems learning to read, write, listen, speak, or do math, then teachers and parents may want to investigate more. The same is true if the child is struggling to do any one of these skills. The child may need to be evaluated to see if he or she has a learning disability.

What about school and learning difficulties?

Learning disabilities tend to be diagnosed when children reach school age.

This is because school focuses on the very things that may be difficult for the child – reading, writing, math, listening, speaking, reasoning. Teachers and parents notice that the child is not learning as expected. The school may ask to evaluate the child to see what is causing the problem. Parents can also ask for their child to be evaluated.

With hard work and the proper help, children with learning disabilities can learn more easily and successfully. For school-aged children (including preschoolers), special education and related services are important sources of help. School staff work with the child’s parents to develop an Individualized Education Program, or IEP. This document describes the child’s unique needs. It also describes the special education services that will be provided to meet those needs. These services are provided at no cost to the child or family.

Supports or changes in the classroom (sometimes called accommodations) help most students with learning disabilities. Some common accommodations are listed later in ‘Tips for Teachers’.

Assistive technology can also help many students work around their learning disabilities. Assistive technology can range from ‘low-tech’ equipment such as tape recorders to ‘high-tech’ tools such as reading machines (which read books aloud), extended time in exams/test, reader-writers, use of computers and voice recognition systems (which allow the student to ‘write’ by talking to the computer).

It’s important to remember that a child’s learning disabilities may need help at home as well as in school.