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When children don’t seem to be developing or learning in the typical pattern one might be assessed for a disorder or disability. What is a learning disorder or disability? In the next section we’ll learn about the spectrum of disorders and how they may impact many areas of the child’s life.
- A learning disorder is a classification of disorders in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner within one of several domains. Types of learning disorders include difficulties in reading (dyslexia), mathematics (dyscalculia), and writing (dysgraphia). These disorders are diagnosed with certain criteria.
- A learning disability has problems in a specific area or with a specific task or type of activity related to education.
Children with learning challenges are usually identified in school because this is when their academic abilities are being tested, compared, and measured. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -DSM-5, a qualified person will make a diagnosis, identified causes, and will make a treatment plan for disorders and disabilities. The diagnosis of specific learning disorder was added to the DSM-5 in 2013.
The DSM does not require that a single domain of difficulty (such as reading, mathematics, or written expression) be identified—instead, it is a single diagnosis that describes a collection of potential difficulties with general academic skills, simply including detailed specifies for the areas of reading, mathematics, and writing. Academic performance must be below average in at least one of these fields, and the symptoms may also interfere with daily life or work. In addition, the learning difficulties cannot be attributed to other sensory, motor, developmental, or neurological disorders.[1]
The following is an example of the DSM-5 – learning disorders.
Learning Disorders:
- Dyslexia – Reading
- Dyscalculia – Mathematics
- Dyspraxia – Motor Coordination
- Dysgraphia – Writing
- Auditory Processing Disorder – Hearing
- Visual Processing Disorder – Visual
Speech and Language Disorders:
- Aphasia – Loss of language – expressive and receptive
- Articulation Disorder – An articulation disorder
- Fluency Disorders – Fluency disorders
- Voice Disorders – Disorders of the voice[2]
Learning Disorders or Disabilities
In this video, a special education teacher defines what specific learning disabilities are, reviews what they are not, and outlines common learning disabilities .
Dyslexia
Dyslexia, sometimes called “reading disorder,” is the most common learning disability; of all students with specific learning disabilities, 70%–80% have deficits in reading. The term “developmental dyslexia” is often used as a catchall term, but researchers assert that dyslexia is just one of several types of reading disabilities. A reading disability can affect any part of the reading process, including word recognition, word decoding, reading speed, prosody (oral reading with expression), and reading comprehension.
Dyscalculia