INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING

DISABILITIES
DEFINITION
“Specific Learning Disabilities means a disorder in one or more of
the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in
using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an
imperfect ability to listen, speak, read, spell or to do
mathematical calculations. The term does not include children
who have learning problems which are primarily the result of
visual, hearing or motor handicaps, or intellectual disability,
emotional disturbance or environmental, cultural or economic
disadvantages.”
(Federal Register, p. 65083)
Learning disabilities, or learning disorders, are and umbrella term for a wide
variety of learning problems. Children and adults with learning disabilities
see, hear, and understand things differently.
A learning disability is a neurological disorder. In simple terms, it results
from a difference in the way a person's brain is "wired." Children with
learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they may
have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or
organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in
conventional ways.
The most common types of learning disabilities involve problems with
reading, writing, math, reasoning, listening, and speaking.
According to DSM-V, its severity can vary from mild, moderate and severe.
 Knowing that a child has a learning disability tells you only that the child is
experiencing some difficulty processing information. You must learn much
more about the child before you can determine the severity of difficulty, the
type of difficulties, and/or the impact the disability has on specific academic
subjects or tasks.

Specific learning disorders involve difficulty in one or more, but not

uniformly in all, basic psychological processes:
(1) input (auditory and visual perception)
(2) integration (sequencing, abstraction, and organization)
(3) memory (working, short term, and long term memory)
(4) output (expressive language)
(5) motor (fine and gross motor)
ETIOLOGY

Caused by neurological difference in brain structure and

function.
It may occur before birth (prenatally), during birth, or in early
childhood.
Can be caused by any one of a variety of factors, or by a
combination of them.
While the specific nature of these brain-based disorders is still
not well understood, considerable progress has been made in
mapping some of the characteristic difficulties of LD to specific
brain regions and structures.
Possible causes include:
• Heredity or chromosomal abnormalities
• Complications during birth like lack of oxygen, low birth
weight, premature or prolonged labour
• Maternal illness or injury during pregnancy
• Drug and alcohol use during pregnancy
• Poor nutrition
• Contact with damaging material or enviornmental toxins
(like tobacco, radiation etc.)
• Neglect, and/or a lack of mental stimulation early in life
PREVALENCE & STATISTICS

According to DSM-V, the prevalence of specific learning disorder across the

academic domains of reading, writing and mathematics is 5%-15% among
school-age children across different languages and cultures. Prevalence in
adults is unknown but appears to be approximately 4%.

According to NSCH, The estimate for learning disabilities among children of

ages 3–17 years in 2007 was 7.8 percent, with 3.7 percent rated as mild and
4.0 percent rated as moderate or severe (NSCH, 2007a,b). The estimate for
learning disabilities in 2011–2012 was 8.0 percent for children of ages 3–17,
with 4 percent rated as mild and 4 percent rated as moderate or severe (NSCH,
2012a).
The prevalence study on Learning Disability conducted at the L.T.M.G.
Hospital, Sion, Mumbai reveals that of the total number of 2,225 children
visiting the hospital for certification of any kind of disability, 640 were
diagnosed as having a Specific Learning Disability. These children came
from the lower, middle and upper middle socioeconomic strata of society.
Referral was due to their poor school performance (LTMG, 2006).

Adolescent unit at the National Institute of Mental Health and

Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore found that 79% of children with
learning disabilities had co-morbid psychological disorders, in which 32%
had internalizing disorders such as anxiety, depression, 28% had
externalizing disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder
(CD) and 19% had other disorders.
 VISUOSPATIAL ABILITY
Visuospatial ability refers to a person’s capacity to identify visual and spatial
relationships among objects.Visuospatial ability is measured in terms of the
ability to imagine objects, to make global shapes by locating small
components, or to understand the differences and similarities between objects.
Impaired visuospatial skills can result in, for example, poor driving ability
because distances are not judged correctly or difficulty navigating in space
such as bumping into things.
Visuospatial construction is a central cognitive ability. There are enormous
individual differences among people in their ability to perform visuospatial
constructive tasks.
The importance of visuospatial construction for everyday life, coupled with the
wide range of ability shown by individuals of the same age, has led to the
inclusion of measures of visuospatial construction on virtually every full-scale
assessment of intelligence.
Visuospatial intelligence also called visual thinking is the ability to
comprehend 3D images and shapes and manipulate them in the mind
without any help. For example, this can be figuring out maps, engineering
models and construction sites, or solving puzzles. It involves both visual
and analytical skills to recognize the object, know it’s relationship to its
surroundings, and organize it hierarchically to be able to manipulate it.

There are two important concepts relating to visuospatial skills:

Spatial relations: the ability to represent and mentally manipulate
two-dimensional objects.
Spatial visualization: the ability to represent and mentally manipulate
three-dimensional objects.
MYTHS AROUND LDs
People with LD are not very smart.
LD is just an excuse for irresponsible, unmotivated, or lazy
people.
LD only affects children. Adults grow out of the disorders.
The terms dyslexia and learning disability are the same thing.
Learning disabilities are only academic in nature. They do not
affect other areas of a person’s life.
Adults with LD cannot succeed in higher education.
Children with LD are identified in kindergarten and first grade.
More boys than girls have learning disabilities.
TYPES OF LEARNING
DISABILITIES
 LEARNING
DYSLEXIA DISABILITIES AND APHASIA/DYSPHASIA
Learning disabilities Learning disabilities in
in reading language

DYSPRAXIA
Learning disabilities
VISUAL PROCESSING
in motor skills DISORDER
Difficulty interpreting visual
information
DYSGRAPHIA
Learning disabilities
in writing AUDITORY PROCESSING
DISORDER
DYSCALCULIA Difficulty hearing differences between
Learning disabilities sounds
in math
 DYSLEXIA
• Difficulty understanding the relationship between sounds,
letters and words
• Difficulty in Phonetic mapping
• Inability to grasp the meaning of words, phrases, and
paragraphs.
Signs of reading difficulty include problems with:
• letter and word recognition
• understanding words and ideas
• reading speed and fluency
• general vocabulary skills
Types of Dyslexia:
There are no official diagnostic “types” of dyslexia, but finding out
which aspects of reading are challenging can help people get the
right support.
Overall, identifying an individual’s specific challenges can help
them get the right support. Some people experience:
• Phonological dyslexia
• Surface dyslexia
• Rapid naming deficit
• Double deficit dyslexia
 Did you know?
• People with dyslexia are usually more creative and have a higher level of intelligence. Example,
Leonardo Da Vinci: This master painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer,
writer was also an amazing anatomist, botanist, geologist, cartographer and inventor all rolled into
one. He was considered to be amongst the greatest painters, and was a dyslexic.
• According to The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, the
incidence of dyslexia in India is estimated at 10% and nearly 35 million children in the country are
thought to have this learning disability.
• The National Brain Research Centre had launched India’s first developed and standardised tool for
screening and assessing dyslexia. The Dyslexia Assessment in Languages of India, or DALI, is a
standardised assessment of around 4,840 children with tools in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada and
English, with more being developed.
 DYSCALCULIA
• Math learning disability that impairs an individual’s ability to represent
and process numerical magnitude in a typical way.
• Called as “number dyslexia” or “math dyslexia.
Common symptoms of dyscalculia include:
• difficulty with number sense (Using fingers to count out math
solutions)
• Difficulty linking numbers and symbols to amounts and directions
• Difficulty making sense of money
• impaired mathematical reasoning
• Troubles with recognizing patterns and sequencing numbers
Types of Dyscalculia:
Dyscalculia usually presents itself in 5 main types.
• Verbal dyscalculia
• Practognostic dyscalculia
• Lexical dyscalculia
• Graphical dyscalculia
• Ideognostical dyscalculia
• Operational dyscalculia
 DYSGRAPHIA
• Impacts writing ability as makes the process of writing laboriously slow
• Physical difficulty forming words and letters
• Struggle to organize thoughts on paper
Symptoms of a written language learning disability revolve around the act of
writing. They include problems with:
• neatness and consistency of writing
• accurately copying letters and words
• spelling consistency
• writing organization and coherence
Types of Dysgraphia:
Dysgraphia manifests in three general ways:
• Dyslexic dysgraphia
• Motor dysgraphia
• Spatial dysgraphia
 DYSPRAXIA
• The National Institute of Neurological Some of the general symptoms
Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) describes people of dyspraxia include:
with dyspraxia as being “out of sync” with their • Poor balance
environment. • Poor posture
• Dyspraxia refers to trouble with movement. • Fatigue
That includes difficulty in four key skills: • Clumsiness
• Fine motor skills • Differences in speech
• Gross motor skills • Perception problems
• Motor planning • Poor hand-eye coordination
• Coordination
DYSPHASIA / APHASIA
• Condition that affects your ability to
produce and understand spoken language.
• It occurs when the areas of the brain
responsible for turning thoughts into spoken
language are damaged and can’t function
properly.
• It is also common for people with dysphasia
to display withdrawal from social situations
because their dysphasia causes
communication problems.
Verbal signs of dysphasia include: Signs of dysphasia in relation to
• Speaking slowly and with great comprehension include:
difficulty • Difficulty understanding spoken
• The use of bad grammar when language
forming a sentence and the • Difficulty understanding complex
omission of grammar grammar or fast speech
• Struggling to remember words and • Difficulty processing and
using a limited vocabulary remembering long sentences
• Speaking fluently but in a • Misinterpretation of sentences
nonsensical manner
Types of Dysphasia / Aphasia:
There are 3 main types:
• Expressive dysphasia
- Broca’s dysphasia
- Transcortical dysphasia
• Receptive dysphasia
- Wernicke’s dysphasia
- Anomic dysphasia
- Conduction dysphasia
• Combined/ Global dysphasia
 AUDITORY PROCESSINIG DISORDER
• Also known as central There are four auditory processing skills that people
auditory processing disorder with APD may struggle with:
• It means brain doesn't • Auditory discrimination: noticing, comparing, and
"hear” sounds in the usual distinguishing between separate sounds
way. It's not a problem with • Auditory figure-ground discrimination: focusing on
understanding meaning. the important sounds in a noisy setting
• Difficulty in recognizing the • Auditory memory: recalling what you’ve heard,
sounds in speech. either immediately or in the future
• APD also isn’t related to • Auditory sequencing: understanding and recalling
intelligence. the order of sounds and words
some common signs of auditory
processing disorder:
• Trouble following spoken directions, • Being easily distracted by background noise or
especially multi-step ones sudden, loud noises
• Often asking people to repeat • Trouble remembering details of things that are
themselves or saying “Huh?” or read or spoken
“What?” • Trouble with reading or spelling, which require
• Trouble following a conversation, processing sounds
especially if there are multiple speakers • Taking longer to respond when someone speaks
or lots of background noise • Trouble knowing where sounds/speech is
coming from
VISUAL PROCESSING DISORDER
• Hindered ability to make sense of information taken in through the eyes.
• Problems involving sight or sharpness of vision. Difficulties with visual processing affect how
visual information is interpreted or processed by the brain.
Common signs :
• Struggles to copy notes from the chalkboard.
• Has difficulty identifying words and often leaves sounds or letters out while reading.
• Struggles with directionality of letters, often writes them backward.
• Has trouble with reading, cannot track words on a page .Visual Motor Processing
• Displays attention and focus issues, has poor balance and coordination, runs into furniture
or people.
• Trouble with spatial awareness.
Psychological difficulties:
• Experience increased levels of anxiety.
• At greater risk for depression.
• Experience higher levels of loneliness.
• May have a lower self-concept (self-esteem).
• Are at greater risk for substance abuse.
• May be at greater risk for juvenile
delinquency.
 Diagnosis of learning disorder
DIAGNOSIS OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
According to DSM-V
The DSM uses the term “specific learning disorder.” Revised in 2013, the current
version, DSM-V, broadens the previous definition to reflect the latest scientific
understanding of the condition.The diagnosis requires persistent difficulties in
reading, writing, arithmetic, or mathematical reasoning skills during formal years
of schooling. Symptoms may include:
- Inaccurate or slow and effortful reading
-Poor written expression that lacks clarity
-Difficulties remembering number facts
-Inaccurate mathematical reasoning.
Current academic skills must be well below the average range of scores in
culturally and linguistically appropriate tests of reading, writing, or mathematics.
The individual’s difficulties must not be better explained by developmental,
neurological, sensory (vision or hearing), or motor disorders and must
significantly interfere with academic achievement, occupational performance, or
activities of daily living.
Who conducts tests?
When evaluations are conducted, the evaluators are usually experts
in several fields including education, speech and language,
audiology, and psychology. By conducting a series of tests,
evaluations, and interviews, they are working to understand what
stands between your child and academic success.
Findings from these evaluations may reveal any of a number of
issues, ranging from hearing loss or low vision to difficulties with
focus, use of language, or reading.1 Fortunately, there are tools and
techniques for managing almost any learning-related disability — but
until the issue has been diagnosed, there's not a much anyone can
do.
The recommended psycho- educational tests are discussed
below under various heads:

-Intelligence tests
-Achievement tests
-Visual Motor integration tests
-Language tests
 Intelligence Tests
Intelligence tests (often called IQ tests) most commonly used to diagnose a learning
disability.
• Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WIPPSI)
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS)

Other common intelligence, or cognitive, tests include

• the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test
• Differential Abilities Scales (DAS)
• the Woodcock Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities
• the Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (CTONI).

Findings from these tests can help pinpoint areas of strength and weakness; armed with
this kind of information, schools can often suggest educational options or offer special
support where it's needed.
 Achievement Tests
Achievement Tests
Common achievement tests used to diagnose a learning disability
include –

• the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (WJ)

• the Wechsler
Achiet Individual
Tets Achievement Test (WIAT)
• the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT)
• the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA)

These tests focus on reading, writing, and math. If child has fallen
behind in a particular academic area, schools can offer remedial support,
tutoring, and other tools to help child catch up.
 Visual Motor Integration Tests
Visual motor integration tests are supplementary tests that many evaluators use
to support a learning disability evaluation. Common visual motor integration
tests include-

• the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test

• the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration

Findings from these tests may help to determine if child's brain is properly
connecting visual cues to motor coordination. In other words, is the child able to
draw what he sees? If the child is having a difficult time integrating visual and
motor skills, it will be very tough for him to learn to write or draw properly
without special support.
 Language Tests
Commonly used language tests used in the diagnosis of learning
disabilities include_

• the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF)

• Goldman Fristoe Test of Articulation
• the Test of Language Development.

These tests explore child's ability to understand spoken and

written language and to respond verbally to questions or cues.
CASE EXAMPLES
Dyslexia in third-grade child: Farook, 8, is brought to a specialist who focuses
on children who have dyslexia. Diagnosed with the condition the year before, he is
currently having trouble keeping up in class. His teacher has reported that he is not
achieving at the same level as his classmates and that he may need to be held back a
year. His parents are worried his learning difficulty might negatively affect his entire
life and prevent opportunities he might otherwise have access to. The specialist assures
them that dyslexia does not necessarily bar success. He tells Farook's parents there are
many different techniques that can help children with dyslexia to achieve in the
classroom, and they begin to work together to identify what will work best for Farook.
The specialist also refers Farook and his parents to a support group for parents of
children with dyslexia. Meeting with other parents and hearing how their children
cope with the challenges of dyslexia help Farook's parents gain more confidence about
his future. After a few meetings with the specialist, Farook finds it less challenging to
keep up in the classroom, and his teacher also reports improvement.
Hiding a learning difficulty: Marisol, 12, is referred to the school
guidance counselor after she is caught copying another student's math
homework. Her teacher reports that she has suspected Marisol has been cheating
for some time, because her homework is nearly always correct but her test scores
are consistently low. Marisol admits she has been cheating in math but will not
give a reason why. The counselor looks at Marisol's record and notices that,
while her grades are good overall, she appears to have struggled with math for
years. She asks Marisol to complete some math problems in front of her. Marisol
has a hard time doing so, and the counselor tells her she believes she may have
the learning disability dyscalculia. During a meeting with Marisol's parents the
next day, the counselor gives them information on specialists who can confirm
that Marisol has a learning difficulty and discusses with them some steps they
can take to help Marisol succeed in the classroom. The specialist
confirms dyscalculia. The school helps Marisol connect with a tutor who is
trained to help students with dyscalculia, and within a few weeks, her math work
shows improvement.
 MANAGEMENT OF
LEARNING DISABILITIES
• Learning Disabilities are not a disease and, therefore, there is no cure.

• With proper diagnosis, appropriate and timely instruction, hard work, and support from family, teachers,
friends and professionals , these individuals can succeed in school and later as adults.

• A person with learning disability is not “ Lazy”, ”Dumb” or “ Retarded” .

• The brain is normal, often very highly “intelligent,” but with strengths in areas other than the language area.
Their brain just processes information differently.

• “Children with dyslexia use 5 times the brain compared to normal children while doing a simple language
processing task” (Silverstein et al,2001,pg 22,
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/10/991006075536.htm#:~:text=Summary%3A,of%20Universi
ty%20of%20Washington%20researchers.)
So how can we help?
MANAGEMENT Classroom Strategies
Schools can implement academic accommodations and modifications to help students with learning
disability succeed.
• Management usually includes both strengthening the skills and developing a learning strategy
tailored to take advantage of a child’s strengths.
• A student with LDs can be given extra time to complete tasks
• Help with taking notes, and work assignments that are modified appropriately.
• Teachers can give taped tests or allow students with LDs to use alternative means of assessment.
• Students can benefit from listening to books on tape (audio books) and using text reading and word
processing computer programs (speech to text).
• For example, repetition and mnemonic devices might make it easier to memorize a math formula,
and drawing a picture to illustrate a word problem might help a child visualize what is being asked.
•
 Management Classroom Strategies
• Specific programs and methods of teaching that can significantly
improve the acquisition of skills
• Find a teacher/tutor trained in an approach like Orton/Gillingham,
Lindamood-Bell, Phonographix or any similar systematic, multi-sensory
approach
• Teach the ʻrulesʼ of language, which include the sounds paired with
symbols , explicit method for teaching the elements of language
• Pair audio books with written text to improve vocabulary
• Allow oral expression of information for assessments
• Present material in small units
• Use visual supports and manipulatives during lectures
• Use of a laptop or word processor if typing skills are sufficient
IEP (Individualized Education Program )

• After doing an evaluation to pinpoint the child’s problems, a team

of special educators will create an individualized education
program (IEP) for the child that outlines what he needs to thrive at
school.
• Special educators will then help the child build on his strengths
and teach him ways to compensate for his weaknesses.
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vLgaIjwXpCsYAuQP8F4jQoDBPAs
WBTpS/view?usp=sharing
• Accommodations

• Special writing implements of larger size or with specialized grips may be provided.
Use of tri-grasp pencils, pencil grips, widelined paper, graph paper, slant boards
• Young children with dysgraphia may try papers with raised lines to provide tactile
feedback for staying within margins.
• Reduce need for writing-oral presentations and tests
• Enlarge worksheets and leave plenty of space for answers
• Place students close to the teacher. Students with attention problems can be seated
close to the teacher, chalkboard/whiteboard, or work area and away from
distracting sounds, materials, or objects.
• Specific instruction in keyboarding - daily use of computer, voice recognition
software-use of spell check.
• Many kids with dysgraphia also have dyslexia. They may need to work on basic
reading skills like decoding (Letter-sound relationships, Syllable patterns, Relations
between meanings and letter groupings) in order to write well.
• Multisensory techniques

• Use dark ruled and “bumpy” paper.

• Trace and do mazes
• Try “Wet-Dry-Try.”
• Try sensory freezer-bag writing.

• Use a “Spacekid.”
 DYSCALCULIA

Dyscalculia refers to a wide range of

lifelong learning disabilities involving
Mathematics specially areas which
require visual spatial, language, and
digital processing in the brain
Management

• The treatment of children and adolescents with dyscalculia is a

complex matter because of the heterogeneity of the disorder and the
comorbid disorders often associated with it.
• Work on finding different ways to approach math facts
• Allow use of a calculator
• Practice estimating – logical answer
• Highlight symbols and key words
Classroom accommodations
• Explain ideas and problems clearly and encourage questions; offer
visual math charts
DYSPRAXIA
• Dyspraxia, also known as developmental co-ordination disorder
(DCD), is a common disorder that affects movement and
co-ordination.
• It can affect co-ordination skills – such as tasks requiring balance,
playing sports or learning to drive a car – and fine motor skills, such
as writing or using small objects.
• DCD is thought to be around 3 or 4 times more common in boys than
girls, and the condition sometimes runs in families.
Management
• A number of therapies can help to manage the problems.
• Occupational therapists will look at fine motor and perceptual skills,
together with activities of daily living such as household tasks and
organisational skills and help develop strategies to improve these. They can
suggest suitable equipment to help with these tasks.
• Speech therapists can help with speech or language problems and also
sometimes with communication and social skills.
• Counselling can help to overcome some of the problems like depression
and anxiety.
• Assertiveness and self-development classes or join a self-help group like
yoga classes
• Physical therapists, meanwhile, work on building body strength, if that’s
part of a child’s trouble with movement.
Management
• Try going to the fitness gym to improve muscle strength and co-ordination.
• Do any sport/activity that might improve co-ordination and manual dexterity such
as computer games, bowling, swimming, rock climbing, walking and aqua
aerobics.
• Use diaries, calendars, post it notes to plan your daily life.
• Prioritise things you have to do first. Finish one task before you start another.
• Mind maps and flow charts can be useful, particularly at work.
• Use any implement in the home to help you carry out your daily tasks such as
electric toothbrushes, electric shavers, kettle-tippers, special tin openers and
potato peelers, word processors with spell checks and lap-top computers.
• If you are learning a new sequence of actions, see that you get clear, precise
instructions. Use a video if this helps.
 AUDITORY PROCESSING DISORDERS

Kids with this condition, also known as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD),
can't process what they hear in the same way other kids do.
This is because their ears and brain don't fully coordinate.
Something interferes with the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds,
especially speech.
Management
Three treatment approaches for individuals diagnosed with
CAPD, often used concurrently, include the following
• Direct skills remediation (auditory training) includes
procedures to target multiple skills associated with auditory
processing (Bellis, 2002, 2003; Chermak & Musiek, 2002; cf.
British Society of Audiology [BSA], 2011). It includes
o Auditory discrimination
o Phoneme discrimination
o Temporal aspects of audition
o Auditory pattern recognition
o Recognition of auditory information presented within a background of noise or competition
o Computer-Based Training
o Binaural hearing and binaural processing
• Compensatory Strategies
They focus on strengthening higher-order central resources like language, memory, and attention to
enhance listening skills, communication, social skills, and learning outcomes.
o advising the speaker to speak more slowly, pause more often, emphasize key words, and "chunk"
his or her instructions;
o use of graphic organizers (e.g., problem–solution map; story map; semantic network tree)
o phonological awareness
o active listening
o self-instruction
o metamemory techniques (e.g., mnemonics, mind mapping)
o problem solving and assertiveness training.
o pairing verbal presentations or instructions with visuals
• Environmental Modifications
Environmental modifications improve access to auditorily presented
information
o Enhancement of the auditory signal—using remote microphone hearing assistive technology

o Modifications to the listening environment—improving acoustics that can affect speech

intelligibility
o covering reflective surfaces to decrease reverberation
o using properly placed acoustic dividers
o moving external noise sources from the learning space.
 At Home
Kids with APD often have trouble following directions, so these suggestions may help:
• Reduce background noise whenever possible at home and at school.
• Have your child look at you when you're speaking.
• Use simple, expressive sentences.
• Speak at a slightly slower rate and at a mildly increased volume.
• Ask your child to repeat the directions back to you and to keep repeating them aloud (to
you or to himself or herself) until the directions are completed.
• For directions that are to be completed later, writing notes, wearing a watch, or
maintaining a household routine can help. So can general organization and scheduling.
• It can be frustrating for kids with APD when they're in a noisy setting and need to listen.
Teach your child to notice noisy environments and move to quieter places when listening
is necessary.
• Build your child's self-esteem.
 At School
• Tell teachers and other school staff about the APD and how it may
affect learning
• Changing seating plans so that child can sit in the front of the
classroom or with his or her back to the window.
• Study aids, like a tape recorder or notes that can be viewed online.
• Computer-assisted programs designed for kids with APD
• Stay in touch with school staff about your child's progress.
• Recognize that its symptoms and behaviours are not something that a
child can control.
 VISUAL PROCESSING DISORDERS
• Visual processing disorders occur when the brain has trouble making
sense of the visual input it receives. They are distinct from visual
impairment in that there is no blindness or issue with the functioning
of the eyes
What to Do if the Child is Diagnosed with Visual
Processing Disorder
• A Visual Processing Assessment should be performed, for children, when there are
concerns regarding their ability to learn from visually-presented material.
• A sensory-trained occupational therapist who is working on a child who struggles with
visual processing disorder will usually include vestibular (movement) activities and
activities that work on the core and shoulder muscles (postural activities) as these have
an effect on the visual system and can help to improve visual processing skills.
• Vision therapy is a kind of physical therapy for the visual system which includes the eyes
and brain and can produce successful results for correcting visual processing disorders.
In-office, one-on-one vision therapy treatments can improve visual processing speed,
visual memory, visual-motor integration and more in order to improve a child’s visual
processing issues
• Find a Specialist-If your child has been diagnosed with a visual processing disorder, you’ll
want to find an expert who is trained in research-based interventions
• Request Classroom Accommodations
• Create an Individualized Education Plan
PSYCHOLOLICAL PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN
WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
Stress and Anxiety
Self-Image
Depression
• Children, adolescents, and adults with LDs are particularly vulnerable.
That’s because many individuals do not fully understand the nature of
their learning disability, and as a result, tend to blame themselves for
their own difficulties. Years of self-doubt and self-recrimination may
erode a person’s self-esteem, making them less able to tolerate the
challenges of school, work, or social interactions and more stressed
and anxious.
Management
• Children are more successful when early in their lives someone has been extremely supportive and encouraging, and
when they have found an area in which they can succeed. Teachers can create an incredible support system by:
• Listening to children’s feelings. Anxiety, anger and depression can be daily companions for children with LDs. However,
their language problems often make it difficult for them to express their feelings. Therefore, adults must help them learn
to talk about their feelings.
• Rewarding effort, not just “the product.” For students with learning disabilities, grades should be less important than
progress.
• When confronting unacceptable behavior, do not inadvertently discourage the child with learning disability. Words such
as “lazy” or “incorrigible” can seriously damage the child’s self-image.
• Helping students set realistic goals for themselves. Many students with LDs set perfectionistic and unattainable goals. By
helping the child set an attainable goal, teachers can change the cycle of failure.

• Above all, it is critical that school personnel, parents, and outside professionals working with the child with learning
disability communicate on an on-going basis to provide the support needed, so he or she can become a happy and
successful student, and eventually, a happy and successful adult.
Particular therapeutic approaches
• Psychodynamic therapies: adapting traditional psychoanalytic
methods has enabled considerable progress to be made, and a
variety of related approaches are being developed.(Sinason, Margaret
Mahler, Beail have written extensively about it.
• Cognitive-behavioural therapies: cognitive processes are now seen
as more significant in behaviour modification. They help to recognize
and accurately label emotional states in themselves and others, this
has been successfully used in anger management and specific
treatments for anxiety and depression. Treatment should be
modified to suit the individual's level of functioning, using non-verbal
materials, visual aids such as drawings, symbols, photographs and
dolls, and role play.
Particular therapeutic approaches

• Family/systemic therapies: Many people with learning disabilities

live with families who need to be educated about the disability.
• Concepts of 'loss' may need to be worked through at various stages of
the family life-cycle, such as loss of the 'normal' child or sibling, or
loss of aspirations for the individual's future development.
• A person with learning disabilities may be expected to be inept or
incapable in all circumstances; or they may be seen as 'special’.
Reading Material
• Beail N. Psychoanalytical psychotherapy with men with intellectual
disabilities: a preliminary outcome study. Br J Med Psychol 1998:71: 1-11.
• Bender M. The unoffered chair: the history of therapeutic disdain towards
people with a learning difficulty. Clin Psychol Forum 1993: 54: 7-12.
• Hollins S, Sinason V. Psychotherapy, learning disabilities and trauma: new
perspectives. Br J Psychiatry
2000; 176: 32-6.
• Jacques R. Family Issues. Psychiatry 2003: 2:9: 39-42.
• Kroese B K, Dagnan D, Loumidis K. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for People
with Learning Disabilities. London: Routledge, 1997.
• Prout H T, Nowak-Drabik K M. Psychotherapy with persons who have
mental retardation: an evaluation of effectiveness. Am J Ment Retard 2003;
108: 82-93.
Useful Links
• https://www.eoepmolina.es/wp-content/gallery/Dyslexia-dysgraphia/Dysgraphia.
pdf
• https://dyslexiaida.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/DITC-Handbook.pdf
• https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/treatments-appro
aches/treatment-options/treatment-options-for-dysgraphia
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3514770/
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/developmental-coordination-disorder-dyspraxia-i
n-adults/#:~:text=Treatment%20for%20dyspraxia&text=occupational%20therapy
%20%E2%80%93%20to%20help%20you,way%20you%20think%20and%20behave
• https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/partnering-with-childs-school/in
structional-strategies/at-a-glance-classroom-accommodations-for-dcd?_ul=1*n67
s8l*domain_userid*YW1wLWxuc2dLU0poajdLT2t1blJwZFhGSXc.
“EVERY CHILD IS
SPECIAL.”
THANKYOU
☺