Parents often worry when their child does not achieve the expected results in school. Statistics show that every 10th schoolchild has learning problems. For some children, these learning difficulties are temporary. Others have difficulties that can be overcome only by turning to specialists.

“Learning disorders are mainly diagnosed after the child reaches school age. Then they become noticeable and start to cause serious problems. However, there are sometimes signs that something is wrong, as most children of the same age do for a while. These signs differ from one person to another,” explains psychologist Miruna Jovin.

It is important for parents to remember that a learning disability is not the same as an intellectual disability. Children with learning disabilities usually have a normal IQ. And learning difficulties have many reasons – biophysiological; psychological or related to the conditions offered by the family and society.

Snowball effect

There are children with mild learning difficulties who try to cope with the demands of school, but despite their efforts, fall behind. Unrecognized in time and without intervention, these learning difficulties can turn into school failure. A student who did not understand addition in elementary school will not be able to learn advanced algebra in high school. And a child who tries very hard to learn without success becomes increasingly frustrated and develops emotional problems such as low self-esteem.

Another category consists of children with temporary learning difficulties who, however, end up being perceived by others and labeled, which affects their personality structure and self-confidence. Some end up behaving problematically in school because they want to be seen as bad, not stupid.

Disorders of the central nervous system

Specific learning difficulties, however, have a neurological cause. Experts claim that they are caused by central nervous system dysfunctions that affect the way information is received and processed.

Children born prematurely – 7 cases out of 10 – those who were born with difficulties after a long delivery, with accidents, rickets, with physical weakness, with long-term metabolic or hormonal problems more often have specific difficulties with learning. According to the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signs of learning disabilities include difficulty distinguishing between left and right sides, changing letters, words, numbers – even if the child has passed the first grade of school – difficulty recognizing patterns or sorting objects by size or form Added to this is the child’s difficulty understanding and following instructions, staying organized, and remembering what was just said or read. Difficulties with understanding the concept of time, reporting from now, tomorrow, today, as well as lack of coordination when moving.

Psychologist Miruna Jovin refrained from listing the signs of specific learning difficulties for fear that parents would start a process of “self-diagnosis”: “It is recommended if they notice that there is something completely different about their own child. , compared to most children of the same age and what is bothering them, then talk to a specialist. It is important for parents to know that learning disabilities are not associated with low IQ or developmental delay.”

The four D’s

Examples of specific learning disorders are dyslexia – a reading disorder – dysgraphia – a writing disorder – dyscalculia – a violation of the ability to do mathematical calculations – and dyspraxia – a violation of movement coordination. Thus, dyslexia – a reading disorder – means difficulty in identifying sounds and decoding them in the form of letters and words. At the same time, a child with dyslexia may have difficulties with grammar, verbal and logical expression. Dysgraphia affects a child’s handwriting.

In addition to ugly, messy, illegible writing, a child with this disorder has difficulty expressing thoughts in writing. In young children, dyscalculia can affect learning to count and recognize numbers. As a child with dyscalculia grows older, they may have difficulty solving basic math problems or remembering things like the multiplication table. Dyspraxia affects a person’s motor skills. A child with this disorder may bump into furniture, have difficulty holding a spoon, dressing or tying shoelaces. Problems associated with dyspraxia are: difficulty with speech, eye movement, sensitivity to light, touch,

What can parents do?

For parents, the news that they have a child with a learning disability can be overwhelming. Diagnosis is a complex and often frustrating process, and after it is done, the struggle begins to ensure that the child receives the necessary care. “For parents of children with learning disabilities, it is important to accept that they have another child, and not look at it as a tragic note. Then they will be able to support their child to cope with the diagnosed disability as best as possible and support him in school,” recommends psychologist Miruna Jovin.

The expert adds that there are ways to help children cope more easily with certain learning disabilities, and a therapist can guide the family in that direction.

Experts cited by WebMd recommend that parents read everything they can about their children’s learning disabilities and how it affects their development.

The second tip is to work with the school to develop an individual learning plan that sets clear goals for the child and outlines the support they may need.

At the same time, parents should ensure that the child has a healthy lifestyle: he sleeps at night, eats a balanced diet, and does a lot of sports. The mood of the child is also important. Learning difficulties can affect the child’s self-esteem, there can be signs of depression, changes in sleep, loss of interest in usual activities.

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