Learning difficulties
Learning Difficulties and their Symptoms
- Developmental or Speech Disorders (e.g. poor articulation or use of language)
- Academic Skills Disorders (problems with reading, writing and arithmetic)
- “Other” Disorders (non-academic areas such as coordination, attention, memory.) Some additional problems may include lack of organisation, trouble with task-sequencing or high distractability.
Learning is a four-step process of receiving, integrating, retrieving and using information. The locus of any learning disability may exist in any of these steps and the type of information it affects will also play a part in how the disability manifests – for example, being unable to distinguish two similar sounding words reflects a ‘receiving’ problem, where an inability to look at a word on a page and say it out loud would indicate an ‘integrating’ problem.
It is important to realize that learning difficulties occur because of problems in the brain’s connections rather than a deficiency of the brain itself. For this reason, children with learning difficulties often have average or above average intelligence, but lack the efficient neural processing which would allow them to reach their academic potential.
Different Types of Learning Disorders
A verbal learning disability entails problems with language tasks such as reading, writing, comprehension and spelling, and is a frequently diagnosed type of learning disability. Symptoms of a verbal learning disability may present as problems with using language to communicate, relating written letters with their spoken sounds or other language applications like reading and spelling.
There are many ways to use language which is why these learning difficulties can be so different from child to child. Some of the different types of developmental and speech language disorders include:
- Expressive language disorders: problems using language to communicate a message effectively
- Receptive language disorders: problems comprehending or responding appropriately to verbal messages
- Articulation disorders: difficulty controlling rate of speech or speech sounds
Academic skills disorders, defined in the DSM-IV, refer to specific areas of achievement most often addressed in school settings. Academic skills disorders include:
- Developmental reading disorder: problems combining or separating word-sounds to enable fluent reading (sometimes referred to as dyslexia)
- Developmental writing disorder: problems composing a coherent written sentence with correct grammar and legible handwriting
- Developmental arithmetic disorder: problems with recognizing and manipulating numbers and reasoning mathematically.
Learning Disorder
Other learning difficulties (occasionally referred to as nonverbal learning difficulties) involve poor motor coordination, spatial awareness, social and/or sensory dysfunction, and also encompass difficulties in areas that enable effective learning such as attention or memory. Many of the specified disorders tend to exist together – that is, it is not uncommon for a child with poor expressive language to have concurrent trouble with reading, writing or spelling and an inability to focus attention for an extended period.
Neurological basis of learning difficulties
Language can be perceived in one of two ways: through a visual medium such as reading words on a page or through an auditory medium such as listening to a teacher speak. Children with learning difficulties often do not experience problems with their eyes or their ears however, their difficulties are the result of how their eyes or ears process the incoming information and is relayed to the relevant part of the brain. Learning difficulties originate in the brain which is why they are often referred to as developmental disorders with a neurological basis.
Some features of every type of learning disability can be related to the ear, the auditory system and auditory processing. The two organs in the inner ear play a pivotal role in learning. The cochlea attends to every sound in the environment and it is the organ of hearing, while the vestibule is the organ of motor balance, coordination and sensory integration – for example, the vestibule plays a significant role in reading by controlling the visual tracking ability of the eyes.
The multitude of problems experienced by children with learning difficulties starts to become clearer when the role of the inner ear is explored in detail. Fine motor coordination is essential for legible writing, accurate auditory processing is essential to learning language well, strong visual tracking enables reading, and a well-functioning brain depends on a strong neural network. Because the cochlea and the vestibule share some of the same anatomical components it is not uncommon for language (cochlea) and motor skills (vestibule) to demonstrate parallel strengths or weaknesses.
Learning Plans
Children with learning difficulties often tend to display abnormal listening patterns, difficulties with language acquisition or poor skills with verbal or written language, poor auditory memory and inattentiveness to verbal language. This is not to say that their hearing is affected – instead, they may show errors with sound discrimination or sequencing sounds in words, inconsistent responses to auditory stimuli and trouble with associating sound with their written symbols. This is reflective of a dysfunction in the way the brain is processing auditory information and helps to explain why language is frequently affected, as verbal skills are first acquired through listening to speech sounds.
Our staff are highly experienced in this area and can put together a tailored plan for your child
Diagnosis of learning difficulties
Learning Difficulties and its treatment
At The Listen and Learn Centre learning difficulties are treated using a number of programs or a combination of these, to address the specific difficulties of the individual. The programs on this page are outlined briefly, for further information on each of the programs please go to the Programs and Therapies drop down menu.
In order to recommend the most appropriate intervention it is necessary to attend an assessment at the centre.
Get in touch with our friendly staff to arrange a consultation and assessment
Level 1, 66 Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn VIC
Level 19, 56 Pitt St, Sydney NSW
