Specific learning disability is a developmental problem that begins with the birth of the child and continues throughout life, related to learning and perception. Since it is a difficulty that fundamentally affects the development of language and speech, the use of language, reading, writing, and mathematics, children’s educational experiences are greatly affected. These difficulties experienced in education negatively affect not only academic success but also daily routine, social relationships, and related to this, children’s self-esteem. This lifelong situation can also become a significant difficulty that people face in their professional lives.
Although the child’s intelligence level is compatible with or above his/her peers, they cannot exhibit the expected performance in areas such as reading, comprehension, writing, self-expression, listening, thinking and mathematics. Since their skills in relevant areas fall behind their peers, their academic success decreases.
Symptoms of Specific Learning Disability
Symptoms such as inaccurate and slow reading, difficulty in understanding the content read (not understanding what is meant, not perceiving the order and relationship between events), skipping syllables when reading some words, not being able to pronounce certain sounds, making frequent spelling and punctuation errors (grammar and grammar errors) when writing, difficulty in perceiving and remembering numbers, doing finger counting instead of mental calculations, and difficulty in understanding mathematical cause-and-effect relationships may indicate a specific learning disability.
As a result of the difficulty experienced, academic success decreases and daily functioning becomes difficult to maintain. The difficulty experienced in specific learning disabilities is not related to intelligence.
Difficulties in reading, writing or math can be classified as specific learning disabilities. Children may have only one type, or more than one.
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Reading Disorder (Dyslexia)
Considering the child’s age, intelligence level and age-appropriate education, reading skills are below the expected level. There are difficulties in reading accurately, reading speed and fluency, and perceiving the text read.
Math Disorder (Dyscalculia)
Considering the child’s age, intelligence level and age-appropriate education, his/her mathematical skills are below the expected level. He/she has difficulty understanding number concepts, mathematical symbols and abstract concepts, and has difficulty perceiving the concepts of “big and small”. This disorder disrupts academic success or daily life activities that require mathematical skills.
Written Expression Disorder (Dysgraphia)
Considering the child’s age, intelligence level and the education he/she receives in line with his/her age, his/her writing skills are below the level of development. He/she frequently makes spelling and punctuation errors, has difficulty writing a text in accordance with the rules of grammar, and has difficulty organizing the text. This situation, which greatly reduces academic success, also brings with it many difficulties in professional life in the future.
Causes of Learning Disability
Although there is no known cause of learning disability, it is stated that neurological problems experienced before or after birth (such as brain damage, brain damage due to toxic substances) may be triggers.
Intervention for Specific Learning Disabilities
There are various psychological assessment inventories developed to detect Specific Learning Difficulty. For a correct assessment, information from the school (teacher) and the family is combined with the child’s performance and it is decided whether or not the child has a learning disability.
Although there is no definitive treatment for specific learning disabilities, it is known that skills in the areas of difficulty can be improved. Informing the child, family and school about the area of difficulty (psychoeducation); providing various skills in reading, writing or mathematics; and teaching the child methods and strategies that the teacher can use are some of these.
During or before the acquisition of relevant skills, many children experience failure in the school environment due to the problems they experience with learning and are emotionally damaged. This area of difficulty may also emerge secondarily in social relationships and contact with peers. A child who has academic difficulties may be labeled; he/she may be emotionally hurt.
For this reason, in addition to the support provided for learning, receiving support from professionals specialized in the field of child mental health also has a healing effect on the child in overcoming the emotional difficulties he or she is experiencing.
