Know the most common learning problems and how to deal with them

Is your child having a hard time keeping up with the class? Don’t worry, he’s not the only one. It is estimated that at least one in 10 schoolchildren has learning problems . What does this mean? Basically, that his brain processes the information he receives in a different way.

There have always been children with specific learning difficulties (SLD), one of the main causes of school failure. But today experts know better how the brain works.

Thanks to advances, it is possible to identify them in time and even help children to overcome them . Teachers know that they must adapt to the learning pace of their students based on their specific needs.

• What are parental responsibilities and how to ensure them

THE 6 MOST FREQUENT TYPES OF LEARNING PROBLEMS

What are the most common AEDs among students? Those that affect reading, writing and mathematics.

Dyslexia

It is the best known. It consists of difficulty in reading and writing . Children have trouble associating the phoneme with the corresponding letter. This also affects the ability to remember spelling rules.

Dysgraphia

Those who suffer from it, have problems writing the letters . This can be of two kinds:

• Motor dysgraphia : children pronounce the sounds well and understand them, but when it comes to writing them on paper they are barely understood due to a motor problem.
• Specific dysgraphia : poor handwriting is the result of spatial disorientation and misperception of shapes.

People with dysgraphia often also have trouble spelling words.

TANV

Not much is yet known about nonverbal learning disorder. It is not very clear why they have trouble interpreting non-verbal information , relating to and communicating with others.

Disortographia

Affects writing. Because children have difficulty spelling words, they rearrange the letters , write several words in a row, or represent the same as they pronounce them.

The dictations and copies of texts serve to detect this class of learning problems.

TEL

Statistics reveal that around 7 or 8% of schoolchildren have language disorders. They express themselves correctly and make themselves understood, but they have difficulty understanding what they are told or what they read.

Dyscalculia

It affects 1% of the child population and is characterized by difficulty in processing numbers and making calculations. It is already beginning to be noticed with basic mathematical operations. One symptom is changing the order of the numbers (putting 42 instead of 24, for example).

Is TDH also among the learning problems?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is not a learning disability in and of itself. In fact, many children do not need a support teacher. Their poor academic performance is motivated by the fact that they are easily distracted. It is important that the school is aware of the situation so that their teachers take it into account.

HOW TO DEAL WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

Parents and teachers are the ones who notice if children have specific learning difficulties. That is why it is important that, as soon as we have suspicions, we go to a psychologist or learning specialist to make the assessment and advise the measures to follow.

To detect learning disorders, we must be attentive to the symptoms. Some of the most significant are the following:

• The child is not able to follow instructions or understand what is said to him;
• Your writing, reading, math, or spelling skills are not what you should be for your age or grade;
• He doesn’t remember something you just told him;
• He is unable to hold a pencil;
• He lacks coordination not only to play sports, but also to walk;
• You don’t know where you’ve put your homework or things;
• It is difficult for him to understand the concept of time;
• When he has to do his homework, especially if it’s language or math, he refuses;
• He doesn’t want to go to school.

Normally, children with learning disabilities do not need to go to special education classes. They just need support and follow the guidelines to practice their skills.

While it is true that there is no cure for these limitations, there are treatments that offer significant improvements.

The treatment involves several steps, including: behavioral and psychosocial therapies (social skills training, behavior modification, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, etc.), psychopedagogical reinforcement, psychological follow-up, coordination with the school and family counseling.

In some cases it is necessary to resort to medication. Do not be scared, because nowadays the medication is very controlled.