PROBLEMS RELATED WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES.....................................

Learning
disabilities: Related problems and issues

Social and emotional difficulties

Sometimes kids have trouble expressing their feelings, calming
themselves down, and reading nonverbal cues, which can lead to difficulty in
the classroom and with their peers.


Social and emotional skills are an area where you can have a huge impact
as a parent. For all children, but especially those with learning disabilities,
social and emotional skills are the most consistent indicators of success,
outweighing everything else, including academic factors.  Academic
challenges may lead to low self–esteem, withdrawal and behavior problems, but
you can counter these things by creating a strong support system for your child
and helping them learn to express themselves, deal with frustration and work
through challenges. Your focus on their growth as a person, and not just on
academic achievements will help them learn good emotional habits and the right
tools for lifelong success.

Other disorders that make learning difficult

Difficulty in school doesn’t always stem from a learning disability.
Anxiety, depression, stressful events, emotional trauma, and other conditions
affecting concentration make learning more of a challenge.

• ADHD – Attention Deficit
       Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), while not considered a learning disability,
       can certainly disrupt learning. Children with ADHD often have problems
       with sitting still, staying focused, following instructions, staying
       organized, and completing homework.
• Autism – Difficulty mastering
       certain academic skills can stem from Pervasive Developmental Disorders
       such as autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Children with an autism spectrum
       disorder may have trouble making friends, reading body language,
       communicating, and making eye contact.

Can
gifted children have learning disabilities?

Many gifted and talented children (and adults) are often misdiagnosed as
having learning disabilities or behavior disorders. This occurs because there
are many characteristics of gifted children, both social and emotional, that
are mistaken as symptoms of specific learning disorders.


It is not uncommon for some gifted children (those with IQ scores over
140) to display a significant discrepancy (20 points or more) between Verbal IQ
and Performance IQ and possess characteristics of a learning disability. Often
gifted children have unusual learning styles, and even though they are very
intelligent, they may also have learning disorders.


Without intervention, self–esteem issues are almost certain in the life
of a child who is both gifted and has a learning disability. Whether or not
your gifted child also has a learning disability, they will benefit from extra
support, encouragement and love.

Diagnosis
and testing for learning disabilities and disorders

The process of diagnosing a learning disability can be confusing. It
involves testing, history taking and observation by a trained specialist.
Finding a reputable referral is important. Start with your child's school, and
if they are unable to help you, ask your insurance company, doctor, friends and
family.

Specialists trained to do psychological testing and result
interpretation

• Clinical psychologist
• School psychologist
• Educational psychologist
• Developmental psychologist

• Neuropsychologist
• Psychometrist
• Occupational
       therapist (tests sensory disorders that can lead to learning problems)
• Speech and language therapist
  
      

Sometimes several professionals coordinate services as a team to obtain
an accurate diagnosis, including input from your child's teachers.
Recommendations can then be made for special education services or
speech–language therapy within the public school system.


A nonpublic school that specializes in treating learning disabilities
might be a good alternative if the public school is not working out. For a list
of nonpublic schools in your area go to the website for your state's Department
of Education. For example, in California see: Nonpublic Schools
Database.

Integration, sequencing and abstraction: Technical terms for how the
brain works

A professional learning disorders specialist might refer to the
importance of “integration” to learning. Integration refers to the
understanding of information that has been delivered to the brain, and it
includes three steps: sequencing, which means putting information in the right
order; abstraction, which is making sense of the information; and organization,
which refers to the brains ability to use the information to form complete thoughts.



Each of the three steps is important and your child may have a weakness
in one area or another that causes learning difficulty. For example, in math,
sequencing (the ability to put things in order) is important for learning to
count or do multiplication (as well as learn the alphabet or the months of the
year). Similarly, abstraction and organization are important parts of numerous
educational skills and abilities. If a certain brain activity isn’t happening
correctly, it will create a roadblock to learning.

Getting
help for children with learning disabilities

All children can be both exhilarating and exhausting, but it may seem
that your child with a learning disability is especially so. You may experience
some frustration trying to work with your child, and it can seem like an uphill
battle when you don’t have the information you need. After you learn what their
specific learning disability is and how it is affecting their behavior, you
will be able to start addressing the challenges in school and at home. If you
can, be sure to reach out to other parents who are addressing similar
challenges as they can be great sources of knowledge and emotional support.