LD

One reason a child may struggle in school, have behavioral issues, or seem to be hyperactive or have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD) may be because the child has a Learning Disability (LD). Children with learning disabilities usually have a normal range of intelligence but their performance is less than it should be so they do poorly in their work or on their tests. Learning disabilities affect at least 1 in 10 schoolchildren.

Learning Disabilities are typically caused by differences in the nervous system that influences how the child takes in information, how that information is processed, or how the child retrieves information that has already been processed, thus making it difficult for the child to communicate what he or she already knows. Learning disabilities tend to run in families and are more common in boys than in girls. They may also run in families. The child may have a learning disability in just one area, such as in math, or in reading. Or, the child may have difficult in several areas of study.

Although learning disabilities are treatable, they most often aren't identified until the child is already failing in school after a year or two of struggle. This causes a snowball effect because as the child experiences failure, his or her self-esteem and performance level lowers, causing more problems. When a child doesn't learn the basic core of knowledge being taught, such as multiplication tables, or basic reading skills, learning higher order skills, such as algebra or more difficult reading tasks can often not be accomplished. This may make the child appear or feel stupid or frustrated, causing the child to act out.

Warning signs that a child may have a learning disability include:

has difficulty understanding and following instructions.
messy or incomplete work.
poor self esteem and feelings about self.
has trouble remembering what someone just told him or her.
fails to master reading, spelling, writing, and/or math skills, and thus fails schoolwork.
has difficulty distinguishing right from left; difficulty identifying words or a tendency to reverse letters, words, or numbers; (for example, confusing 25 with 52, "b" with "d," or "on" with "no").
lacks coordination in walking, sports, or small activities such as holding a pencil or tying a shoelace.
easily loses or misplaces homework, schoolbooks, or other items.
cannot understand the concept of time; is confused by "yesterday," "today," "tomorrow."
has ADHD-like symptoms of not being able to sit still, concentrate, or complete work.

A learning disability can often be detected by the school psychologist or other mental health professional. Unfortunately, most school systems will not help the child until the difference between the child's ability in comparison to the child's performance, as measured on a standardized test, is greater than a year. This often leads to school retention, or holding the child back a year in hopes that the child will "catch up." Research shows that holding back a child with a learning disability is not beneficial in that the retention adds to the problem of lowered self esteem. In addition, the child may suffer social issues when peers move on and he or she must start over again with new friends.

About the Author: Dr. Catherine Cain, PhD, LMFT provides therapy to children in her clinical practice in middle TN and also offers online therapy and consultation on learning disabilities, ADHD, Autism, Depression, and many other behavioral or mental health disorders. To find out more about her services, click here. To schedule an online session or email session with Dr. Cain, click here.