Albert Einstein. Leonardo Da Vinci. Charles Darwin.
What do you think these historical figures have in common besides being intellectual visionaries of their time?
You’d be surprised to learn that they all had a learning disability.
Yes, the geniuses that we learn about in school all had a developmental disorder that made it difficult for them to follow traditional methods of teaching.
Yet they are the brightest of their generation, contributing groundbreaking discoveries that propelled mankind centuries into the future.
However, some parents nowadays tend to have a negative view of learning disabilities.
To understand more about this subject, we need to know what exactly constitutes as a learning disability.
What Is A Learning Disability?
Learning disability refers to an umbrella term of cognitive disorders that typically manifest in certain people during early childhood.
Experts have attributed various factors to the cause of these disorders but genetics and neurobiological abnormalities are usually to blame.
These disorders generally interfere with basic mental processes related to reading, writing and mathematics.
However, other areas of cognitive function like organisation, attention, time planning and abstract reasoning may also be affected.
It is the norm for these disorders to manifest during the early school years.
However, it is also not uncommon for diagnosis to occur much later in life.
There is also no cure for learning disabilities, but the condition is manageable with early intervention and in some cases, medication.
It’s important to note that learning disabilities affect an individual far beyond their academics.
They can affect relationship with loved ones and also professional careers.
In 2014, more than 18,000 children in Malaysia registered as having a learning disability.
That number skyrocketed in 2016 with over 82,477 registered children. Many may still go undiagnosed as a result of denial or ignorance.
The most common learning disabilities experienced by Malaysian children include ADHD, autism and dyslexia.
However, there are many more that fly under the radar.
Here are eight learning disabilities every parent should know, and how to spot them.
8 Learning Disabilities and How to Spot Them
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
Possibly the most common learning disability in Malaysia, ADHD, as the term suggests is a disorder characterised by inattention and hyperactivity.
Typical symptoms of children with ADHD include:
- difficulty focusing on one task
- often forgetful
- impulsivity
- excessive talking
- difficulty waiting for their turn
- having trouble staying quiet
- easily distracted
- difficulty sitting still
- interrupting people
- lose/misplace items frequently
- trouble organising
- makes frequent mistakes in their work
Recent scientific research has found promising breakthroughs for the management of ADHD.
While Adderall remains one of the more popularly prescribed medications, alternatives exist.
For example, one study investigated the ingestion of omega 3 fatty acids with phosphatidylserine before bedtime as an ADHD treatment. The results showed that a combination of these supplements greatly reduced symptoms of ADHD in children.
However, always consult with a specialist before trying a new treatment.
Living with a child with ADHD can be a challenge, so here are some tips on how to properly care for them.
Autism
Autism is not officially recognised as a learning disability, but half of all autistic people usually develop some form of learning disorder.
That is, their chances of experiencing a learning disability are higher than a normal child.
The fact that autism typically manifests as a ‘spectrum’ may also have something to do with how severe the learning disorder is. With some individuals being severely autistic and others only displaying mild symptoms only.
There are two main categories of autism symptoms. These are ‘problems with communication and social interaction’ and ‘restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior or activities’.
The most communication issues related to autism include difficulty with:
- sharing emotions and interests
- maintaining conversation
- maintaining eye contact
- reading body language
- developing/maintaining relationships
The most common issues related to repetitive and odd behaviour include:
- having rituals or routines (hand-flapping, head-banging, rocking their bodies, etc.)
- hyperfixation on an activity or hobby
- undersensitivity i.e. seeking more sensory stimulation (turning up the tv volume, jumping up and down, touching things, etc.)
- oversensitivity i.e. avoiding sensory stimulation (avoiding physical contact, closing ears from loud noises, prefer only foods with certain textures, hate brushing teeth or wearing certain clothing).
Much like ADHD, attempts at remedial supplementation for autism spectrum disorder have been done.
However, consult a specialist before starting on any alternative treatments.
If you want to know more about autism, here is a good article to help you get more in-depth on the condition.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia, also sometimes known as reading disorder, is a common learning disability that affects a person’s ability to read, write or spell words.
Letters and words may often appear backwards, skewed or otherwise ineligible.
Detecting dyslexia is much more straightforward than detecting other forms of learning disabilities.
Common symptoms of dyslexia include:
- difficulty remembering the alphabet
- trouble reading
- difficulty remembering words
- poor spelling
- spelling words in the wrong order (‘bird’ may be spell as ‘brid’)
- mispronouncing words
- reading words backwards
- poor reading comprehension
- difficulty identifying rhyming words
- trouble following directions
Much like other learning disorders, there is no cure for dyslexia.
Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is a learning disorder that affects a person’s ability to write words.
Often confused with dyslexia, this disorder typically only affects a child’s writing skills and not their ability to read.
Children with dysgraphia can still read, but may have more trouble putting down words.
Common symptoms of dysgraphia include:
- poor writing and spelling
- laboured writing
- wrong punctuations
- using the wrong word in speech
- odd spacing of letters
- unable to hold writing tools properly
- mouthing or speaking the words when writing
- hand cramps from holding writing tools too hard
Dyscalculia
Discalculia is a learning disorder characterised by a difficulty understanding mathematics.
The degree of dyscalculia can range from mild to severe. Sufferers may either simply have trouble doing calculations or not recognise numbers at all.
However, this condition does not indicate serious cognitive impairment.
Children and adults with dyscalculia can still learn language and other intelletual skills.
Other common symptoms of this learning disorder include difficulty:
- counting
- assigning value to numbers
- reading analog clocks
- performing simple mathematical calculations
- remembering the names of numbers
- following choreographed dance steps
- telling time and directions
- remembering mathematical concepts
- differentiating left and right
Dyspraxia
Also known as developmental motor coordination disorder, dyspraxia is the impairment of physical movement.
This involves gross motor control (walking, running), and fine motor control (writing, using utensils).
Diagnosing dyspraxia in children is often difficult.
Experts need to rule out other conditions like cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis before settling on this disorder as a final diagnosis.
Common symptoms of dyspraxia include:
- poor balance
- clumsiness
- difficulty combining movements
- trouble picking up/holding objects
- unable to tell left from right
- problems with chewing food
- lack of spatial awareness
- poor handwriting skills
APD (auditory processing disorder)
APD or auditory processing disorder is a disability where sufferers have trouble processing sound.
It also manifests in elderly adults and may oftentimes be symptomatic of other disabilities.
For example, ADHD can often result in poor listening skills and difficulty following instructions. However, these are usually because of inattention or distraction.
This is why APD and ADHD can often be confused for one another.
ADHD involves neurobiological factors whereas APD usually stems from a dysfunction of the central nervous system.
Some common symptoms of APD include:
- difficulty processing sound, especially from speech
- trouble understanding spoken words
- difficulty retaining auditory information
- often require words to be repeated
- talk louder or softer than necessary
- unable to filter our background noise
- difficulty following oral instructions
- misinterprets auditory information frequently
- prefer instructions to be written down
Non-verbal Learning Disorder
Non-verbal learning disorder, or NLD is a specific type of learning disorder characterised by an inability to understand non-verbal communication.
Unlike other learning disorders, NLD doesn’t affect things like reading or writing.
Instead, it affects the individual’s motor, visual-spatial and social skills, leading to poor coordination, terrible depth perception, and difficulty with social interaction.
If your child has NLD they can also be very talkative and have poor problem solving skills.
Those with NLD also have trouble:
- understanding sarcasm
- recognising emotion
- interpreting facial expressions
- interpreting body language
- understanding visual information
- understanding spatial relationships
- judging distance
Early Detection for A Better Future
One mistake that some parents of special needs children tend to make is delaying diagnosis.
For whatever reason, some parents don’t want to admit that their child has a learning disability.
This can often be attributed to shame, which ends up doing more harm than good.
The sooner a child with learning disabilities gets diagnosed, the better chance they have at a normal life.
Parents should also not worry about having a special needs child.
We have advanced so much in the area of modern medicine that learning disabilities have become more manageable. This is true especially with the improvement of special needs education.
However, taking care of a child with a learning disability is not cheap. Raising an autistic child alone will cost you around RM96,000 a year.
However, there are many at-home programs that you can do, or get training for, to better accomodate your special child.
Nevertheless, if you suspect your child may have a learning disorder, get them checked out.
If it turns out they do, it’s important to accept their condition and do your best to give them a comfortable and productive life.
You’ve got this, my fellow parents!
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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