Developmental Dyspraxia

Learning Disorder in a Child

A learning disorder is when a child has trouble learning in certain school subjects. Your child may have problems with reading, math, or writing. Skills are below what's expected for the child’s age, grade level, and intelligence. The problem is bad enough to interfere with school or everyday activities.

Causes of a Learning Disorder

Experts believe a learning disorder happens because of a problem in the nervous system. The problem may be in the brain's structure. Or the chemicals in the brain may not work right. As a result, a child with a learning disorder receives, processes, or communicates information in a different way.

Children at Risk for a Learning Disorder?

Learning disorders may run in families. They may also be linked to:

• Problems during pregnancy
• Problems during birth or early infancy
• Other health conditions, such as ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder)

Symptoms of Learning Disorders in Children

Each child’s symptoms may vary. Common symptoms are:

• Reading disorder. A child reads below the expected level given their age, grade in school, and intelligence. Children with this problem read slowly and have trouble understanding what they read. They may have trouble with word recognition. They may confuse words that look alike. This disorder is sometimes called dyslexia.
• Mathematics disorder. A child has problems with numbers. They may have trouble counting, copying numbers the right way, adding and carrying numbers, learning multiplication tables, and recognizing math symbols.
• Disorder of written expression. A child has trouble with writing skills. They struggle with grammar and punctuation, spelling, paragraph organization, or written composition.

Diagnosis

Parents or teachers may first spot the signs of a learning disorder in a child. The child may often have trouble with:

• Reading, spelling, writing, or doing math problems
• Understanding and following directions or staying organized
• Telling right from left
• Not reversing letters or numbers after first or second grade. Examples are confusing b and d, or 12 and 21.
• Recognizing patterns or sorting items by size or shape
• Understanding the concept of time
• Doing tasks with their hands like writing, cutting, or drawing

Before a mental health referral is made, your child's healthcare provider will want to rule out any other health problems. Once this is done, a mental health provider, such as a school psychologist, can appropriately diagnose a learning disorder. The provider will talk with parents and teachers. The child will also need educational and mental health testing.

Public schools have a duty to evaluate children with certain learning problems. When appropriate, these schools must also offer treatment. Check with your school to find out how to request an evaluation. An evaluation identifies if your child has a learning disorder. It also finds learning strengths and weaknesses. The results help decide on your child’s educational needs and best placement at school.

A learning disability may greatly interfere with your child’s ability to succeed in school. If so, then they may be eligible for certain protections and reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 504 of the Civil Rights Act. Talk with your child’s teacher or principal about how to get more information.

Treatment

Treatment will depend on your child’s symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.

Parents, teachers, and mental health experts work together to help a child. Treatments may include:

• Individual or group classes
• Special classes or resources
• Speech therapy
• Family therapy
• Medicines, if a child is easily distracted or hyperactive

Preventing a Learning Disorder

Although it may not be possible to prevent certain learning disorders, spotting and treating one early can ease symptoms and enhance your child’s normal development. It can also improve your child’s quality of life.

Living with a Learning Disorder

A learning disorder has no cure. But early diagnosis and treatment can make it less severe. It will also improve your child’s learning potential and quality of life.

You play a key part in your child’s treatment and well-being. Here are things you can do to help your child:

• Keep all appointments with your child’s healthcare provider and school personnel.
• Work with your child’s healthcare providers and school to create a treatment plan. Your child likely will get care from a team that may include the primary care provider, school psychologists and administrators, therapists, social workers, and experts from your child’s school. Your child’s care team will depend on your child’s needs and how serious the learning disorder is.
• Reach out for support from local community services. Being in touch with other parents who have a child with a learning disorder may be helpful.

Next Steps

Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your child’s healthcare provider:

• Know the reason for the visit and what you want to happen.
• Before your visit, write down questions you want answered.
• At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis and any new medicines, treatments, or tests. Also write down any new instructions your provider gives you for your child.
• Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed and how it will help your child. Also know what the side effects are and when they should be reported.
• Ask if your child’s condition can be treated in other ways.
• Know why a test or procedure is recommended and what the results could mean.
• Know what to expect if your child does not take the medicine or have the test or procedure.
• If your child has a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit.
• Know how you can contact your child’s provider after office hours, and on the weekends and holidays. This is important if your child becomes ill and you have questions or need advice.