What Is A Learning Disability?
What is a Specific Learning Disability?
When our son was in preschool, his teacher pulled us aside and said she noticed he wasn’t naming shapes by their proper names. For example, instead of calling a square a square, he was referring to it as a “box”. As first time parents eager to believe our son was just being creative, we moved on to Kindergarten without much concern.
In Kindergarten our son’s teacher was concerned about his small group work. She wasn’t sure if he was tired or “just lazy”. While we were offended by this insensitive comment, we didn’t realize at the time that this was another clue. We kept an eye on his progress and graduated to the first grade.
It was during a first grade Parent Show and Tell Day that we realized that something wasn’t right. When looking at the work carefully displayed on his desk while glancing at peer’s work that tears filled my eyes. We saw in black and white that our curious, smart, funny first grader was not keeping up with classroom instruction. He had trouble following directions, skipped or guessed at words while reading, couldn’t commit the days of the week to memory and often put his head down on his desk. Thankfully, his first grade teacher recommend he be evaluated (note: anyone can refer a child for an evaluation, including parents), which began our journey into special education under the category of Specific Learning Disability, or SLD.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines a SLD as “a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical calculations.” IDEA distinguishes these characteristics from learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, as well as intellectual disabilities, emotional disturbances, and environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantages.
While reading (dyslexia) is an extremely common learning disability, there are others such as writing (dysgraphia), listening (auditory processing disorder), visual-spatial and abstract thinking (nonverbal learning disability) and math (dyscalculia). Learning disabilities can vary from child to child. For example, one child may have difficulties with reading while another has trouble understanding math. It’s important to know that many of these disabilities can overlap with each other as well as with a diagnosis of ADHD. ADHD is not a specific learning disability but can qualify a child for special education under “Other Health Impairment” if it adversely affects their ability to access the curriculum.
It’s important for parents and teachers to know that children with a SLD can have average to above average intelligence. They are not lazy. Their brains just process information in a different way than their non-disabled peers, which often requires more energy to focus and process information. This can be mentally exhausting for a child and as such they may appear tired. As a child with a SLD grows older and the school work demands increase, their struggles can become more apparent. When our son entered the fourth grade his peers were reading to learn while he was still learning to read. His frustration increased and he didn’t want to go to school. For some children, this frustration can result in elevated levels of anxiety. If this is the case with your child, it would be worth discussing your concerns with the IEP (Individual Education Plan) team and/or your child’s pediatrician.
Specific Learning Disabilities can be challenging and affect multiple skills but fortunately there is a wealth of information and support available. A developmental pediatrician or neuropsychologist can help identify learning disabilities. Websites such as understood.org, doe.mass.edu/sped/links/learndisability.html and ldaamerica.org are also good places to learn more. The earlier you know, the sooner you can advocate for your child’s needs.
Jennifer Warren is a Special Education Advocate working in the Merrimack Valley and beyond. She has advocated for her own son for ten years. She is not an attorney and does not give legal advice. You can learn more about Jennifer’s services at www.warrenadvocacy.com or call her at 978-219-4463 for a free 30 min. phone consultation.