A Parent's Resource Guide to Learning Disorders
Learning disorders can affect a child’s abilities with spoken language, writing, math or reasoning. Some children have no problem reading sentences, but cannot comprehend the meaning of the content. Others cannot read the sentence at all, but have no trouble understanding the material when it is explained to them. Both of these scenarios are variations of learning disorders. There are many different kinds, each with its own unique cognitive restrictions.
Reading is very much a task of order. When a syllable is read, the brain assigns it a sound. People with dyslexia have difficulty making this association. While the stereotypical perception of dyslexia is that people see and read backwards, this has only been the case in a small number of scenarios. Some scientists believe that 15% of the population may have some form of dyslexia.
Youth and Dyslexia (PDF)
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is one of the most common problems affecting children today. Children with ADHD have difficulty staying focused and paying attention both in class and at home. They are also hyperactive and have trouble controlling their behavior when they are excited.
What is ADHD? (PDF)
Disorders on the Autism Spectrum cause different levels of social, emotional and communicative deficiencies. The causes are still unknown, but new information surfaces steadily especially as the disorder becomes more prevalent. Autism currently affects one in every 100 children born and the numbers keep rising. It is much more common in boys, but many girls are on the spectrum too.
As the inclusion of the phrase “graph” might hint, dysgraphia is a writing disorder. There are two main types: language-based and non-language based. Generally, children with the disorder are unable to write legibly despite their best efforts. Their words may appear unfinished or contain varying and inappropriate letters. What is both interesting and troubling about dysgraphia is that many of the students who suffer from it are highly intelligent and have no other cognitive problems. They produce thought and carry conversations with no obstacle.
When Writing Hurts (PDF)
While dysgraphia is a writing disorder, dyspraxia is a disorder of speech and other motor skills. Children with dyspraxia are unable to control their muscles in coordination and therefore have difficulty producing words, zipping their pants, etc. While some children are born with the disorder, it can also be developed as the result of a stroke or brain trauma. Needless to say, people of all ages suffer from dyspraxia.
Verbal Dyspraxia (PDF)
Hyperlexic children actually have high IQs and develop reading skills faster than their peers. Despite the ability to read the language, they have difficulty comprehending it. Essentially, they can tell you the story but not what it means. If you ask a hyperlexic child about the content, they will struggle to answer. Hyperlexia is found on the Autism Spectrum and is often diagnosed in conjunction with other autistic disorders.
Have you ever had trouble remembering a particular word? Aphasia is a language disorder where people have trouble remembering almost every word they use. Their ability to summon words is hindered, yet they completely recognize the reason why they want to use the word (to describe a person, etc.). Aphasia is caused by damage to the left side of the brain, so it is not uncommon for aphasiac people to also suffer from weakness or paralysis in the right side of their body which the left brain controls.
Auditory Processing Disorder
Auditory Processing Disorder, or APD, is a defect that restricts a child’s ability to filter and process sounds. For this reason, listening becomes a struggle and mishearing is rather common. Background noises can also become burdensome as a child with APD cannot determine which sounds are directed at him or her, and which are not. Children with APD need an abundance of time to process the information they are given and many will respond with the wrong information.
Visual Processing Disorder
Basically, any cognitive issue that relates to the people and objects an individual sees is considered a Visual Processing Disorder. They have nothing to do with eyesight. There are a number of different Visual Processing Disorders. For example, Visual Discrimination restricts a child from distinguishing between two similar objects. Children with a Visual Processing Disorder may also have trouble determining order or distance.