Specific learning disorder, an umbrella term for difficulties in learning and using academic skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics, is characterized by a significant discrepancy between an individual's academic abilities and what is expected for their age. Diagnostic criteria include persistent difficulties despite adequate instruction and are not attributable to other factors like intellectual disabilities or visual/auditory impairments. Dyslexia and dyscalculia are common types of specific learning disorders, each impacting different aspects of learning, and early intervention strategies can help address these challenges.

1. Specific learning Disorder

2.  This developmental disorder involves difficulties learning and using academic
skills.
 “Specific Learning Disorder” has become the umbrella term for mathematics,
reading, and written expression disorders in the updated DSM-5.

3.  In contrast to talking or walking, which are acquired developmental milestones
that emerge with brain maturation, academic skills (e.g., reading, spelling, writing,
mathematics) have to be taught and learned explicitly.
 Specific learning disorder disrupts the normal pattern of learning academic skills;
it is not simply a consequence of lack of opportunity of learning or inadequate
instruction.

4. Diagnostic Criteria
 A. difficulties learning and using academic skills, as indicated by the presence of at
least one of the following symptoms that have persisted for at least 6 months,
despite the provision of interventions that target those difficulties
 1. inaccurate or slow and effortful word reading ( e.g., reading single words aloud
incorrectly or slowly and hesitantly, frequently guesses words, has difficulty
sounding out words)
 2. difficulty understanding the meaning of what is read( e.g., may read text
accurately but not understand the sequence, relationships, inferences, or deeper
meaning of what is read)

5.  Difficulties with spellings
 Difficulties mastering number sense, number facts, or calculation
 Difficulties with mathematical reasoning
 B. the affected academic skills are substantially and quantifiably below those
expected for the individual’s chronological age. For individuals age 17 years and
older, a documented history of impairing learning difficulties may be substituted
for the standardized assessment.

6.  C. the learning difficulties begin during school age years but may not become
fully manifest until the demands for those affected academic skills exceed the
individual’s limited capacities
 D. the learning difficulties are not better accounted for by intellectual disabilities,
uncorrected visual or auditory acuity, other mental or neurological disorders

7.  The four diagnostic criteria are to be met based on a clinical synthesis of the
individual’s history, school reports, and psychoeducational assessment.
 Specify if:
 With impairment in reading:
 Word reading accuracy
 Reading rate or fluency
 Reading comprehension

8.  Dyslexia is another term used to refer to a pattern of learning difficulties
characterized by problems with accurate or fluent word recognition
 With impairment in written expression
Spelling accuracy
Grammar and punctuation
Clarity or organization of written expression

9.  With impairment in Mathematics
Number sense
Memorization of arithmetic facts
Accurate or fluent calculation
Accurate math reasoning
 Dyscalculia is an alternative term used for this problem

10.  Specify current severity
 Mild
 Moderate
 Severe

11. Dyslexia
 Raising a child with dyslexia can stir up a lot of emotions. You may look ahead and
wonder if this learning issue will affect your child’s future. But dyslexia is not a
prediction of failure.
 Dyslexia is quite common, and many successful individuals have dyslexia.

12.  A good way to understand dyslexia is to establish what it is not. It’s not a sign of
low intelligence or laziness.
 It’s also not due to poor vision.
 It’s a common condition that affects the way the brain processes written and
spoken language.
 People with dyslexia can still understand complex ideas. Sometimes they just need
more time to work through the information.
 They may also need a different way to process the information, such as listening
to an audiobook instead of reading it.

13.  People with dyslexia are often very creative. It’s unclear whether such creativity
comes from thinking outside the box or from having a brain that’s “wired” a bit
differently.
 It’s important to keep in mind, however, that struggles with reading and other
issues can lead to frustration and low self-esteem.
 The stress of dealing with schoolwork can make kids with dyslexia lose the
motivation to keep trying.

14.  Early in elementary school, students are expected to read a passage of text and
answer questions about it.
 This is what’s known as “reading comprehension,” and it’s essential for building a
strong foundation for success in school.
 Students with dyslexia often have reading comprehension problems

15.  Connecting letters to sound : Phonics
 Decoding text: The process of sounding out words is known as “decoding.” Once
your child can decode individual words, she can start to make sense of entire
sentences.
 Recognizing “sight” words: The ability to read a familiar word at a glance
having to sound it out is called “word recognition.”
 Reading fluently: Fluent readers can recognize most words by sight and quickly
sound out unfamiliar words.
 Understanding the text: Strong readers can remember what they’ve just read.
can summarize it and recall specific details. Readers with dyslexia can get bogged
down sounding out individual words.

16. What causes dyslexia
 Genes and heredity
 Brain anatomy
 Brain activity

17.  As researchers zero in on what causes dyslexia, they’re also learning how the brain
can change.
 This concept is known as “neuroplasticity.” Studies show brain activity in people
with dyslexia changes after they receive proper tutoring.

18. Warning signs
 Has trouble recognizing the letters of the alphabet
 Struggles to match letters to sounds, such as not knowing what sounds b or h make
 Has difficulty blending sounds into words, such as connecting C-H-A-T to the word chat
 Struggles to pronounce words correctly, such as saying “mawn lower” instead of “lawn mower”
 Has difficulty learning new words
 Has a smaller vocabulary than other kids the same age
 Has trouble learning to count or say the days of the week and other common word sequences
 Has trouble rhyming

19.  Struggles with reading and spelling
 Confuses the order of letters, such as writing “left” instead of “felt”
 Has trouble remembering facts and numbers
 Has difficulty gripping a pencil
 Has difficulty using proper grammar
 Has trouble learning new skills and relies heavily on memorization
 Gets tripped up by word problems in math
 Has a tough time sounding out unfamiliar words
 Has trouble following a sequence of directions

20. What skills are affected by dyslexia
 Social skills
 Listening comprehension
 Memory
 Navigation
 Time management

21. How can professionals help with dyslexia
 There are accommodations that can help in classroom like word prediction
software
 Response to intervention: a plan some schools use to give extra time to children
 Common strategies teachers use to help kids with dyslexia include using a
multisensory approach to link listening, speaking, reading and writing, and having
kids repeat directions back to the teacher.
 IEP

22. Suggestion for Parents
 Read to your child. Find time to read to your child every day. Point to the words
as you read. Draw attention to words that you run across in daily life, such as
traffic signs, billboards, notices, and labels.
 Be a good reading role model.
 Focus on the sounds within words
 Work on spelling
 Help with time and planning.
 Share in the joy of reading.

23.  Teach through your child's areas of strength
 Respect and challenge your child's natural intelligence
 Teach your child to persevere- we learn from mistakes
 Recognize your child's limitations
 Don't become a homework tyrant

24. What is dyscalculia
 Dyscalculia is a brain-based condition that makes it hard to make sense of
numbers and math concepts. Some kids with dyscalculia can’t grasp basic number
concepts.
 They work hard to learn and memorize basic number facts. They may know what
to do in math class but don’t understand why they’re doing it. In other words, they
miss the logic behind it.

25.  Your child’s struggle with math can be confusing, especially if he’s doing well in
other subjects.
 This can lead to anxiety and low self-esteem. But parents have the power to
change that equation.
 Dyscalculia is a lifelong condition, but that doesn’t mean your child can’t be happy
and successful.

26.  The most common problem is with “number sense.” This is an intuitive
understanding of how numbers work, and how to compare and estimate
quantities on a number line.
 Most researchers agree that number sense is at the core of math learning. If kids
don’t understand the basics about how numbers work, learning math and using it
every day can be very frustrating.

27.  Dr. Brian Butterworth, a leading researcher in dyscalculia, compares number sense
to being color-blind.
 He says some people are born with number blindness. This makes it hard to tell
the difference between quantities
 Number blindness is one reason many kids have trouble connecting numbers to
the real world. They can’t grasp the idea that “five cookies” has the same number
of objects as “five cakes” and “five apples.”

28.  It isn’t clear how often kids identified with dyslexia would also meet the criteria for
dyscalculia. Both conditions can affect a child’s ability to understand math-related
words.
 There is no central data bank for the research data on dyscalculia. That makes it
hard to estimate how many people it affects.

29. What causes dyscalculia
 Genes and heredity: Studies of dyscalculia show it’s more common in some
families. Researchers have found that a child with dyscalculia often has a parent or
sibling with similar math issues.
 Brain development: Researchers are using modern brain imaging tools to study
the brains of people with and without math issues.
 Environment : exposure to alcohol in the womb

30. Warning signs in Preschool
 Has trouble learning to count, especially when it comes to assigning each object in a
group a number
 Has trouble recognizing number symbols, such as making the connection between “7”
and the word seven
 Struggles to connect a number to a real-life situation, such as knowing that “3” can
apply to any group that has three things in it—3 cookies, 3 cars, 3 kids, etc.
 Has trouble remembering numbers, and skips numbers long after kids the same age
can count numbers and remember them in the right order
 Finds it hard to recognize patterns and sort items by size, shape or color
 Avoids playing popular games like Candy Land that involve numbers, counting and
other math concepts

31. What skills are affected
 Social skills
 Sense of direction
 Physical coordination: Dyscalculia can affect how the brain and eyes work
together. So your child may have trouble judging distances between objects. He
may seem clumsier than other kids the same age.
 Money management: Dyscalculia can make it difficult to stick to a budget,
balance a checkbook and estimate costs
 Time management

32. How to help
 One on one instructions
 Extra time
 IEP
 Using concrete examples that connect math to real life, to strengthen your child’s
number sense. Examples: sorting buttons or other familiar objects.
 Using visual aids when solving problems, including drawing pictures or moving
around physical objects—which teachers refer to as “manipulatives.”

33.  Assigning manageable amount of work
 Reviewing recently learned skills before moving to new ones
 Chunking
 Playing math related games
 Cozy up with calculator
 Boost confidence
 See what it feels like
 Be upbeat