Learning Disorders: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment - How to Help Students with Learning Disabilities

A learning disorder is a brain dysfunction and a type of neurological disorder that causes difficulties in understanding or processing information. 
A learning disorder involves many different learning differences and can be caused by many different factors. 
There are many learning difficulties such as reading difficulties, written language difficulties and math difficulties, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, processing deficit, etc. 
There are many effective ways that can help improve reading, writing and math, and cognitive skills for a child.

Learning Disorders- How to help students with learning disabilities

Learning Disorders: Specific types, Symptoms, Causes, and Diagnosis - How to Help Students with Learning Disabilities

What are Learning Disorders? 

The term "learning disorder" refers to a serious mental problem a student may have when learning: reading, writing or other learning activities.

A learning disorder is sometimes called other names, including learning disabilities, learning difficulties or learning delays.

Learning disorders impair the child's ability to learn and process information. Although there may be learning disorders in very young children, it is usually not observed until the child enters primary school.

In some students whose intelligence quotient (IQ) is very high, the learning disorder cannot appear to an advanced school stage.

This article explains learning disorders and distinguishes them from physical and mental disabilities. It also discusses how to investigate learning disorders and how to deal with them.

Learning disorders can make it difficult for a child to read, write or solve simple math problems and understand the tags and what a normal student can do easily.

Many children with learning disorders suffer for a long time before being diagnosed. This can affect the self-confidence of the child and the level of motivation.

So, it is necessary to understand how to identify signs that may indicate learning disorders and what you can do to help your child.

Learning Disorders: Facts and Myths

The human brain can perform tasks that require advanced skills, such as pronunciation, reading, writing, and mathematical processes.

These are advanced functions of the body, requiring billions of connections between neurons in the brain.

The brain has areas of vision, hearing, and other senses. When one of these areas is unable to function properly, it can result in a learning disorder.

The learning disorder is specific to a particular activity of learning, such as reading, writing, or solving mathematical questions. But the reading disorder is the most common learning disorder.

It is very important to distinguish between learning disorders and natural differences between students. Students learn different skills at different rates.

Students who perform poorly in certain areas are not necessarily learning disorders.

Learning Disorder is present when the child has serious problems learning a subject and is performing much less than is expected of children of his age.

There are many types of learning disorders.

The most commonly investigated species concerned topics taught in schools, such as literacy and mathematics.

Do not be confused with learning disorders and intelligence disorders; intelligence is a broad general gauge of mental abilities.

While the learning disorder situation affects only one of these abilities. For example, a learning disorder that affects reading is known as dyslexia.

A person with a reading impairment may have an average or above-average IQ, although he has a reading problem.

Learning disorders and mental disabilities (known as "mental retardation") are quite another.

Mental retardation has an impact on a number of mental abilities, while learning disorder only affects one or two aspects of the learning process.

Learning disabilities and physical difficulties that can affect learning, such as blindness or deafness, should also be distinguished.

Blindness and deafness affect learning and require special education, but are not categorized as learning disorders.

Read more: The Best Strategies to Cope with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Learning Disorders- How to help students with learning disabilities

What are the Most Common Types of Learning Disorders?

Learning disorders affect a person's ability to acquire and use academic skills, such as reading and numeracy.

Learning disorders are not similar to mental or physical disabilities, nor do they reflect a child's intelligence as we mentioned above.

However, learning disorders affect a child's ability to accomplish tasks or to use specific skills in school in particular.

The most common types of learning disorders include:

Dyslexia: Dyslexia is a learning disorder characterized by difficulty reading, spelling and remembering known words.

Dyscalculia: Dysfunction is a learning disorder associated with mathematical concepts. His marks include the difficulty of solving math problems, even if they are simple, sequences of information or events.

Dysgraphia: Dysgraphia is a type of learning disorder that affects handwriting and fine motor skills and interferes with word spacing, spelling, and the general ability to keep ideas on paper.

Non-verbal learning disabilities: This learning disorder is difficult in nonverbal signals, such as consistency and body language.

★Some children may experience more than one type of learning disorder.

Read more: Specific Types of Learning Disabilities

What are the Signs of Learning Disorders?

Signs and symptoms of learning disorder depend on the type of learning disability the child experiences in learning.

If the child is delayed in achieving some of the reference points in his development, and the rest of the aspects of development and natural growth only, this is a sign of learning disorder.

This may include problems with language, math, motor skills, or other aspects of learning.

There are certain signs to be noticed to see if the child has learning disorders. This is usually at the primary school stage; at this stage, most learning disorders are detected.

Signs that can be observed before a child enters school:

• Showing stubbornness, aggressiveness or emotional reactions in school or during academic activities such as homework or reading
• Problems with the pronunciation of words
• Problems finding the right word
• Difficulty saying phrases that go according to a unified rhyme
• Problems learning alphanumeric characters, numbers, colors, shapes, and days of the week
• Difficulty implementing certain instructions, or in following familiar ways of learning
• Difficulty controlling pencils, pen, and scissors without leaving the specified areas

A person with learning disorders may have difficulty with the following skills:

• Learning the relationship between the letter and the sound expressed
• Collecting sounds for letters to form words
• Pronouncing keywords when reading
• Reading words or spelling of words correctly
• Learning basic math concepts
• Being unable to consistently complete the homework without significant assistance
• Understanding the concept of time and remembering the timelines
• Remembering what someone has just said to him
• Resisting the work of duties or activities

What Causes Learning Disorders?

Determining the cause of a learning disorder is very difficult, because the brain is a complex member, and learning is also a complex process.

Many scientists believe that learning disorders occur because of small changes in brain structure and function.

There is evidence that learning disorders are related to heredity, as they tend to reappear in a single family.

Learning Disorder can be inherited from a parent. There is also a part of the causes of learning disorders that go back to embryonic formation.

Exposure to cigarette smoke and drug and alcohol abuse during pregnancy can increase the likelihood of subsequent learning disorders in the child.

Learning disorders may also occur in children exposed to lead in the paint after birth.

Read more: Focused Attention and Mental Meditation in Psychology: Common Attention Issues and Disorders

Learning Disorders- How to help students with learning disabilities

Diagnosis of Learning Disorders

The decision to have a learning disorder is usually done by a consultant, a psychologist, and some teachers. This is the first step in developing an educational program that can help the child learn.

It is very important that a person who specializes in diagnosing learning disorders makes a full assessment of the child's condition. After this assessment, a specialist can tell us if the child has a learning disorder or not.

The assessment examines how a child thinks, how he remembers, how things are judged, how he behaves as well.

Other factors related to child development are also being considered, depending on age.

Individualized educational assessment is important for the child; doctors can determine the type of learning disorder with the help of this assessment. This assessment can also determine whether a child needs special education programs or not.

Multiple assessments are being used to identify a child-friendly educational program. These assessments measure children's skills in specific areas.

Assessments may vary by school or government policy. Certain actions are also being taken with regard to child development and growth.

Actions may include classroom monitoring and interviews with parents, school staff, and other peers who know the child.

This provides useful information on how the child behaves and performs in different circumstances.

The specialist should first rule out the social causes that may be behind learning problems, such as family problems, malnutrition, and sleep problems in the child.

Medical problems such as depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder should also be excluded.

A child learning disorder is diagnosed if all of the following criteria are met:

★The child's reading and writing abilities and mathematics are much lower than the expected abilities of those of his age and intelligence described in school.

★The existence of a learning disorder is confirmed by a specialist who uses a specific assessment methodology.

The evaluation may vary by school or government policy.

The child's learning problems have a clear effect on his school performance.

How to Help Students with Learning Disabilities

Early intervention is essential as learning difficulties are rapidly compounded.

For example, a child who cannot learn to combine in primary school will not be able to understand algebra in high school.

Children with learning disorders may suffer from anxiety about performance, depression, low self-esteem - and loss of motivation.

Some children may also misbehave in an attempt to distract attention from the real problem.

If you or your child's teacher believes that your child has a learning disorder, consider presenting it to a psychiatrist or mental health professional to assess the condition.

Many schools also offer tests to identify learning disabilities.

First, your child is likely to be screened for vision, hearing or other medical conditions.

The psychologist or the learning specialist then tests talks with your child and checks your child's school record to determine if your child has a learning disorder.

In many cases, further assessment of the diagnosis is required.

Keep in mind that some children learn more slowly and may need time to develop reading and writing skills and solving math, while others suffer from disorders affecting their ability to learn.

Read more: Natural Ways to Treat Learning Disabilities

Treatment Options

If your child has learning disorders, your child's doctor or mental health professional may recommend:

Provide further assistance: A reading specialist, a math teacher or other trained professional can teach your child techniques to improve his academic skills.

Teachers can also teach children the skills of organization and study.

Individualized Education Program (IEP): A child's school may have an individual education program to develop a better plan for how to learn in school.

Ask if there is any state legislation on the IEP.

Therapies: Depending on the learning disorder, some children may benefit from the therapy.

 For example, speech therapy can help children with language disabilities.

Vocational rehabilitation may help improve the motor skills of a child with writing problems.

Complementary and alternative therapies: Some research has shown that complementary and alternative therapies, such as music therapy, can benefit children with learning disorders. However, further research is needed.

Drug therapy: Your child's doctor may recommend medicines to reduce learning disorder.

If your child is suffering from depression or severe anxiety, taking some medications may help.

Talk to your child's doctor to learn about risks and benefits.

Before starting a child's treatment, you and your child's doctor, teachers or therapists will determine the goals of your child.

If little progress is made, after a considerable period of time, it may be necessary to rethink the plans for diagnosis or treatment of the child.

While learning disorders can cause long-term memory problems, hope remains.

Early intervention and treatment can contribute to the full recovery of some learning disorders.

The family and teachers can help children who have continued difficulties in achieving success in school and other areas of life.

Conclusion:

Learning Disorders affect students' ability to learn.

The majority of learning disorders are related to common educational topics in schools, such as literacy and mathematics. 

The specific cause of learning disorders is unknown.

Learning disorders do not reflect the child's intelligence; they are different from mental retardation.

Mental retardation has an impact on a number of mental abilities, while learning disorder only affects one or two aspects of the learning process.

Learning disorders are also different from attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. The child's status should be assessed to see if he has a learning disorder and needs special education services. 

There is no cure for a learning disorder, but it can be dealt with through special educational programs aimed at helping the child overcome this disorder.

These special education programs can help the child learn, gain confidence and maintain his interest in school.