If you’re like me, you see all the amazing things your child can do. You saw their zest for life at a young age and their incredible wonder and awe as they discovered the world around them. You expected homeschooling to just be an extension of that. And then, the frustration set in and you witnessed your child shutting down. And you begin to question, “Is this a learning disability”?
As homeschool parents, we want our children to excel. We want to allow our children to learn at their pace. We want our children to be lifelong learners.
But, what do we do when learning doesn’t come as easily as we had hoped or expected? Is this really a learning disability? It doesn’t really make sense to you because you know your child is brilliant. And you are right because learning disabilities affect individuals with average to above-average intelligence!
1. Definition of a Learning Disability
The brain uses various neurological pathways to take in information, process information, and use the information that is presented each moment of each day. And sometimes, there’s a glitch in one of these processing pathways that leads to a roadblock on the learning journey. Understanding your child’s learning difference is the key to a successful homeschool experience for both you and your child.
A learning disability is described as an area of weakness or inefficiency that significantly hinders your child’s ability to learn, retain and use new material, often in the areas of reading, writing or math.
2. Types of Learning Disabilities
A learning disability is identified and diagnosed by a psychologist in a formal psycho-educational assessment. The DSM-V (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) refers to it as a ‘Specific Learning Disorder’ (SLD). This is a medical term used for diagnosis, but ‘learning disability’ is commonly used by the education system. There is often a high prevalence of other disorders alongside these learning challenges, such as ADHD and anxiety.
Most learning disabilities fall into the three basic categories.
Specific Learning Disorder in Reading (dyslexia), Specific Learning Disorder in Writing (dysgraphia), and Specific Learning Disorder in Math (dyscalculia) and are sometimes categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. There are instances where one or two of these learning disabilities appear together.
Dyslexia – “difficulty with words”
- This term refers to the broad category of language deficits that often includes the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words as well as the ability to read and spell words accurately and fluently.
Dysgraphia – “difficulty with writing”
- This term refers to those who struggle with the motor (handwriting) skills necessary to write thoughts on paper, spelling, and the thinking skills needed for vocabulary retrieval, clarity of thought, grammar, and memory.
Dyscalculia – “difficulty with mathematics”
- This term refers to those who struggle with basic number sense and early number concepts as well as have difficulties with math calculations and math reasoning.
Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD) – “difficulty with nonverbal communication and coordination”
- This term refers to those who struggle with interpreting nonverbal cues like facial expressions or body language and may have poor coordination. Individuals with NVLD often have trouble with some of the following: organization, attention, executive functioning, nonverbal communication, and motor skills.
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) – “difficulty with processing auditory input”
- This term refers to those who struggle interpreting auditory input. APD is often seen with attention, language and learning difficulties and is sometimes confused with ADHD.
3. Support for Children with Learning Disabilities
Children with learning disabilities have amazing potential! With targeted intervention, they can help their brain create new neuropathways to overcome their learning glitch. And they can learn to use their ‘superpowers’ to support their areas of need.
Remember, a psychologist officially provides the diagnosis of a learning disability following a formal psycho-educational assessment. The assessment provides recommendations for intervention and accommodations that will support your child.
A learning disability is not a diagnosis for lifetime of failure. Conversely, when understood and supported, your child can soar!
References:
International Dyslexia Association
