Specific Learning Disorders
Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) refers to a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to learn in specific academic areas, despite having average or above-average intelligence. It can impact skills such as reading, writing, or mathematics, making it difficult for individuals to perform at expected levels in school or everyday life.
Dyslexia
Reading
Dyslexia is a word of Greek origin:
​dys: difficulty
lexis: words or language
ia: a condition, a state of
Dyslexia is a learning difference that is characterised by problems processing words into meaningful information, and particularly shows when learning to read. It can be characterised by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and also by limited spelling and decoding abilities. Typically, phonological awareness, memory and processing lie at the heart of these challenges. Often, these challenges are unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities. Due to these difficulties, Dyslexic learners may struggle with reading comprehension and reduced reading experience, which can impact vocabulary development and background knowledge. However, learners with Dyslexia may also show strengths in creativity due to strong visual and reasoning abilities.
Dyslexia is believed to be neurobiological in origin and research indicates it may be hereditary.
Have you noticed that your child finds learning to read a very effortful task? Does your child avoid reading? Does your child struggle to hold onto information?
Dysgraphia
Writing
Dysgraphia is a word of Greek origin:
dys: difficulty
graph: to write/writing
ia: a condition, a state of
Dysgraphia is a learning difference which manifests in illegible and/or inefficient handwriting due to difficulties with letter formation. It is typically the result of deficits in graphomotor function (hand movements used for writing) and/or the storage and retrieval of letter forms (orthographic coding). This means that transferring the word into written form is difficult. Planning sequential finger movements is another element that may be affected by Dysgraphia. A child with a diagnosis of Dysgraphia may experience difficulty in one or both of these processes.
It is important to note that writing is a complex language task dependent upon multiple language skills, working memory, graphomotor skills, and processing speed (Graham, Harris, & McKeown, 2013). Often spelling and the ability to express oneself in writing may be impacted by Dysgraphia.
Dysgraphia is best defined as a neurodevelopmental difficulty and can be hereditary. It can affect children of all ages and ranges of ability.
If you feel your child struggles with written output, despite what appears to be an abundance of ideas or creative thinking on their part, then you may wish to explore your child’s learning challenges further.
Dyscalculia
Maths
Dyscalculia is a word of Greek/Latin origin:
dys: difficulty
‘calculare’: to count
ia: a condition, a state of
Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to great challenges with Mathematics. It typically is unexpected in relation to age, education and experience. Not all learners who struggle with Mathematics are Dyscalculic. Dyscalculia tends to fall at one end of a mathematical spectrum of difficulties and is different to other maths problems due to the severity of the difficulties with number sense, ordering, subitising and symbolic comparison amongst others. It can occur on its own but often overlaps with other specific learning difficulties.
Many people with Dyscalculia may also show strengths in creative and problem solving skills as well as strategic thinking.
Dyscalculia is believed to have neurobiological roots and it may be hereditary.
When assessing for Dyscalculia a range of tests will be used alongside observations and interviews with parents and teachers.
If you have observed your child struggling with counting backwards, having an insecure sense of number and estimation, having difficulty remembering basic facts, despite many hours of practice, having challenges understanding place value, having weak arithmetic skills, lacking in confidence or showing mathematical anxiety, then it is important to understand if this is a specific difficulty in Mathematics.