A learning disorder or a learning disability can be described as a problem or an issue with the ability of the brain to process information. 

Individuals with a learning difficulty may not be able to learn quickly or in the same way as their peers. They may also find certain aspects of learning difficulties, such as the development of basic skills.

Since learning difficulties are not curable, their effects can impact the performance of an individual throughout his or her life, be it academically, professionally, or personally. 

Support and intervention can be supplemented using counseling or similar other health care services for achieving success. In this article, we would be talking about learning disorders and different learning disorders in children.

What Are Learning Disorders?

There are approximately 4 million children as well as teenagers in the world who have a learning difficulty or a learning disorder. Many of them may even have more than one type of learning difficulty. Learning disorders can be understood as neurological challenges that affect how the human brain receives, processes, analyzes and stores, information. 

A learning disorder often affects the ability of an individual to develop writing, reading, and math skills. A learning disorder is recognized and diagnosed during the school itself.

The learning disorders indicate the need of an individual for alternative methods of learning. These disorders do not indicate the intelligence level and cannot be considered the same as intellectual difficulties. 

Many learning disorders are mild whereas others can have a severe impact on the academic performance of a child. You may have to give slow learner treatment to such children.

Causes of Learning Disorders

Although it is not completely clear what causes learning disorders, however many researchers believe that brain development, genetic influences, as well as environmental factors may have some impact on the development. Learning disorders can often appear in families, and thus genetic causes are important to be addressed. 

Development of the brain before and after birth can also impact the development of learning disorders. Additionally, environmental factors such as poor nutrition and toxins in early childhood can also be potential factors for developing learning disorders. 

It is important to identify the learning difficulties of students at an early stage to address them early.

Types of Learning Disorders

A learning disorder can be nonverbal or verbal. Verbal learning disorders affect an individual’s ability to write, read, or process spoken or written words. On the other hand, nonverbal learning challenges may make it harder for a child to master abstract concepts or process visual information. 

Some learning disorders may also make it difficult for a child to focus on a certain thing. According to the Learning Disabilities Association of America, there are some specific learning disorders. These are as follows:

    • Dyslexia: This is a condition which can affect the reading fluency, comprehension, spelling, writing, speech, as well as the recall. Dyslexia can occur along with related conditions. It is also referred to as a language-based learning disorder. 
    • Dysgraphia: The children suffering from dysgraphia can find it difficult to space words consistently, write legibly, compose, spell, think, and write simultaneously, or plan spatially. Specifically, Dysgraphia can affect handwriting as well as other fine motor skills. 
    • Dyscalculia: Dyscalculia is another learning disorder that may affect the child’s ability to understand numbers, develop math skills, or learn math-based facts. A child with dyscalculia may find it difficult to comprehend math symbols, memorize or organize numbers, count, or tell time.
    • Language processing disorder: Language processing disorder is a condition that can be understood as a type of APD. It makes it difficult for a child to give meaning to specific sound groups for forming words or sentences. This relates to the processing of both receptive and expressive language. 
    • Auditory processing disorder: The children who have such a condition may face difficulty while recognizing differences among different sounds, finding the origin of different sounds, understanding the sound order, or separating one sound from the other or background noise. 
    • Nonverbal learning difficulties: Such a disorder makes it difficult for a child to interpret different facial expressions or body language. Visual-spatial, social and motor skills may be affected. 
    • Visual perceptual or visual motor deficit: Those with a nonverbal learning difficulty or dysgraphia may have a visual perceptual or a visual motor deficit. Such a condition can directly impact how a person understands visual information, hand and eye coordination, the ability to copy and draw, as well as the ability to follow in paper or text.

Conclusion

Learning disorders need to be identified in children early so that they can be addressed accordingly. The study skills for students with learning disabilities need to be enhanced with proper love and care.

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