What is Specific Learning Disability in Children?

Specific learning disability in children  is a developmental problem in some functions of the brain that begins at birth. This problem with learning and perception continues throughout life. However, it would not be right to consider specific learning disabilities as a disease. This disruption in brain functions is considered a difference or a special condition. He/she should know that this problem is not due to vision, hearing or intelligence problems. It can also be observed between the ages of 0-6. However, a full diagnosis is usually made with the beginning of primary school and the beginning of reading and writing activities.

Specific learning disability  is a problem experienced by children who are normal or smarter than normal. This problem is not related to vision or hearing problems. It negatively affects education life because it is a difference that affects skills such as speech and language development, language use, reading-writing-comprehension and mathematics. Children with specific learning difficulties cannot exhibit the expected performance in the academic field. Negatively affecting academic success also damages social relationships and self-perception.

What are the symptoms of specific learning disabilities in children?

Preschool Period Symptoms

1. Delay in speech and pronunciation,
2. Difficulty remembering the names of things,
3. Poor concept development (cannot understand and confuses concepts such as big-small, thick-thin)
4. Slow motor development
5. Having difficulty in activities that require coordination, such as cycling,
6. Changing the position of syllables,
7. Difficulty in learning colors and numbers,
8. Not having the vocabulary appropriate for his age and developmental period.

Primary School Period Symptoms

1. The hand preference used while writing is not clear,
2. Difficulty in learning to read, reading incorrectly and slowly, not being able to make sense of what you read (not understanding the relationships between events),
3. Skipping syllables or lines while reading,
4. Learning to write late, not wanting to write,
5. Frequently making spelling mistakes, mixing up letters and numbers (6-9, mn, bd),
6. Attention and concentration problems,
7. Doing finger calculations instead of doing operations mentally,
8. Difficulty in learning time, calendar, multiplication tables,
9. When telling stories, do not confuse the beginning, middle and end.

What are the Types of Specific Learning Disabilities in Children?

1. Dyslexia: It is a specific learning difficulty experienced in the field of reading. Reading, reading comprehension skills, reading speed and fluency are below the expected level. Situations such as reading words backwards, mixing up letters while reading, or spelling words incorrectly may be observed.
2. Dyscalculia:It is a specific learning difficulty experienced in the field of mathematics. Considering the child’s age and developmental level, mathematical skills are below the expected level. Has difficulty understanding numbers and mathematical symbols. Has difficulty perceiving abstract concepts.
3. Dysgraphia: It is a specific learning difficulty experienced in written expression. Written expression skills are lower than expected for the child’s age and developmental level. He makes spelling mistakes and has difficulty writing according to grammatical rules. Has difficulty producing a meaningful text. It negatively affects academic success and professional life.

How is Specific Learning Disability Treated?

Specific learning disorders are not treatable with medication. However, academic failure caused by a specific learning disorder may cause damage to social relationships. In addition to the support provided for learning disabilities, it may be necessary to receive support on these issues. If there are problems such as anxiety disorder or depression, drug treatment is prescribed for those problems.

There is no drug treatment for types of learning disabilities. With the interventions, skills in areas of difficulty are improved. Training is provided for children diagnosed with specific learning disabilities. Education should be given to the family along with the child. This process should be handled from a psycho-educational perspective and supported by family-school cooperation. The school schedule should be followed and a study plan should be made for ease of learning.

What Should Families of Children with Specific Learning Disabilities Do?

1. Families should accept their child’s specific learning disability. It should not be forgotten that it is caused by structural changes in the brain, and we should not blame or judge the child for his/her failure in school.
2. Each child’s specific learning difficulty is different. It is necessary to recognize the child’s strengths and weaknesses and approach them accordingly.
3. You should obtain information about your child’s specific learning disability and inform your environment, your child’s school and teachers. You should try to cooperate with the school and teachers.
4. Support your child’s learning disability with psycho-education. Get help from experts.
5. Avoidance behavior may develop in the child due to academic failure and inability to express himself/herself easily. It may be necessary to get support in this regard.
6. The child needs to be supported in his work. In order to love herself and not judge herself, she needs to be able to feel that she is not judged and valued.
7. You should encourage him to do difficult tasks by encouraging him to do simple tasks.
8. In the first semesters, we need to study with him, but you should not do the homework for him.
9. Reinforce the learning gained through education by doing activities at home. Children with specific learning disabilities learn more easily with the learning-by-doing technique.
10. Practice reading out loud together for at least 10 minutes every day.
11. Be firm about the rules. If one is consistent during this period, one can learn discipline.
12. Educational treatment must be continued for at least 6 months in children with specific learning disabilities. You must be patient during this period as progress is slow.