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What Are Learning Disabilities?
Different terms are used for describing children who may have average or above average intelligence but still find it difficult to learn to read.
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Learning Disability is a comprehensive term which includes both reading disability and math difficulty. Difficulty with written language, which often is an accompaniment of reading disability, is also included in this category.
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Reading Disability is a specific kind of learning disability thought to be of cognitive origin which manifests primarily as a word recognition problem.
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What is Reading Difficulty?
Reading Difficulty is caused by factors such as poor home conditions, inadequate reading experience, and a lack of interest and motivation on the part of the learner
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Dyslexia
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia, a form of Reading Disability, is also a form of Learning Disability. In fact, the terms dyslexia, learning disability, and specific reading disability are often used interchangeably. When a child can listen and understand but cannot read the same
material and understand it, he/she can be considered to have dyslexia.
Symptoms of Dyslexia
An inability to
decode the written word is the most noticeable symptom of dyslexia.
An associated symptom is poor spelling. Dyslexic individuals are also slow in processing written language.
Causes of Dyslexia
Difficulties in recognizing printed words quickly and accurately are inherent to the child. It is therefore proposed that dyslexia is constitutional in origin.
Prevalence of Dyslexia
Many reports show that children with dyslexia can range from 5 to 10 percent of elementary school children.
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FAQ - Questions Parents Frequently Ask About Dyslexia
This section answers the questions:
What is dyslexia?
What causes dyslexia: does it run in families?
How can I tell if my child has dyslexia?
How is dyslexia (learning disability) diagnosed now?
Is there an alternative way to diagnose dyslexia (learning diability)?
What are the current views about reading disabilities?
Do children with dyslexia see writing in reverse?
How can we teach children with dyslexia?
Can my child hope to go to college?
Is it true that some famous men such as Einstein had dyslexia?
Some of these questions are also addressed in other areas of this website.
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All Reading Problems Are Not the Same
Some children experience reading problems because they cannot
decode the written words, whereas some
children find reading difficult because they cannot comprehend what they read. There are also other
reasons why children find it difficult to learn to read. Again, effective instruction should address the nature of the reading problem.
This section discusses the differences between "Reading Difficulties" and "Reading Disabilities". It includes a chart detailing the characteristics of each.
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Reading Disabilities and Attentional Problems
What is
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
The abbreviation stands for Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. The American Psychiatric Association notes that attention deficit can occur in the absence of hyperactivity. Sometimes the abbreviation ADHD-I is used which stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - predominantly Inattentive. There is much controversy about the nature of ADHD and its treatment. It is more descriptive to call this condition "Inconsistent Attention".
Inconsistent Attention and Reading Deficit
Children who cannot
decode the written text lose their focus and indulge in off-task behavior. These children appear to have attention problems. Children who cannot maintain sustained attention lose their focus and fail to comprehend what they read. Thus, both kinds of children behaviorally look very much alike.
How to Tell if a Child has Attention Problems or Reading Disabilities
There are technical but promising procedures to make a differential diagnosis.
How Can Children's Attention Be Improved?
The two approaches are drug treatment and
cognitive behavior therapy. Researchers have concluded that a combination of these two approaches is the most promising.
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