Learning Difficulties

Learning Difficulties

A learning difficulty refers to students who demonstrate difficulties acquiring academic skills as a consequence, with a range of causes.

Children experiencing difficulties learning can have a broad range of challenges. For some students, it can be due to an extended absence from school, illness, or changes in family circumstances. However, when students continue to struggle to complete set tasks, or focus during explicit teaching sessions, then it is wise to seek support as soon as possible.

Learning Difficulties may include one or more characteristics:

*Following instructions
*Identifying letter sound relationships and spelling patterns.
*Retaining information.
*Maintaining focus.
*Decoding simple words.
*Segmenting and blending sounds.
*Retelling a story in sequence.
*Writing a sentence.
*Difficulties with comprehension and processing information.
*Recalling sight words.
*Behavioural difficulties.
*Sensory deficits.
* Retrieving facts.

As a parent, you may also notice that your child is achieving results below the expected standard, or the class teacher may request a meeting regarding your child’s progress.
Reading difficulties can include, replacing diagraphs with sounds they are familiar with, omitting sounds, adding words, prefixes or suffixes to sentences. This usually results in the text not making sense and the child becoming anxious and frustrated.

Students experiencing difficulties with spelling may demonstrate poor letter- sound correlation and retention of spelling rules. Sight words may continually be misspelt over a long period of time, even when the words have been repeatedly and explicitly taught.

Specific Learning Disorder

A Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) results when a child experiences impairment in one or more learning disciplines, however, students may achieve satisfactory or high standards in other learning domains. The problem is usually quite severe and seems to persist, even after the student has received adequate intervention and explicit teaching. Progress may take longer than expected, with academic outcomes being achieved at a slower pace.

Some Learning Disorders include:

Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a severe learning disorder in reading and spelling. This disorder affects other curriculum areas and impacts on a child’s ability to achieve their academic potential. With explicit teaching and targeted intervention, dyslexia can be improved, allowing students to manage the disorder effectively.

If you are concerned about your child’s progress or have a familial history of dyslexia, making an appointment to see a speech therapist for an assessment is recommended. Additionally, a WIAT-III will highlight areas of strength and weakness, providing very specific information in all areas of literacy and mathematics that may also be of concern.

The WISC-V is important in identifying deficits in working memory and processing speed which form a critical part of planning, retention and executive function capabilities.

A child with dyslexia may also have other underlying challenges, including AD/HD or dysgraphia.
Early identification and intervention will give the child the best opportunity to achieve their potential at school. Dyslexia can present comorbidly with AD/HD or other learning disorders.

Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is a learning disorder associated with a child’s ability to understand mathematics concepts. It impairs a child’s ability to acquire and apply strategies associated with mathematics. Some symptoms may include difficulty subitising, performing basic mental operations, place value, retaining basic facts, recognising number patterns, ordering items in sequence, difficulty processing numbers and quantities.

Diagnosis
Diagnosis in children usually occurs when the child is approximately eight years old.

Strategies
Drawing the number problem.
Hands on mathematics games.
Songs using number facts.
Digital maths games such as Mathletics.
Repetition and drilling of number facts.

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is a specific learning disorder associated with spelling and written expression. Children with dysgraphia have difficulty with handwriting/printing, punctuation, grammar and written expression.

Students may face challenges with holding and controlling a writing implement, recalling what letters look like, reversing letters, poor spacing, hand fatigue and illegible handwriting. Dysgraphia is usually associated with poor fine motor skills and difficulty forming shapes of letters. Additionally, it also refers to challenges in converting sequential thoughts into the written form. Dysgraphia may occur comorbidly with other disorders.

Strategies
Students with Dysgraphia require individualised, targeted tuition to explicitly teach writing and the transference of thoughts into the written form. Small group work, one on one tuition and explicit instruction in the classroom may be beneficial in improving written expression.

High quality teaching strategies should be implemented to support students with dysgraphia. These students will struggle to perform and output written tasks. It requires a strong support system and additional individualised instruction, to guide them through the writing process. Scaffolding tasks and reducing the amount of output required, is encouraged and may be increased as writing output improves. Extending the amount of output required can slowly be extended with regular review to ensure learning outcomes are consolidated, before new material is introduced.