Learning Disabilities

Henry Montero, LMHC, CASAC-2, CTTS

Alquimedez Mental Health Counseling
1154 E. Tremont Ave Bronx, NY 10460-2452
Tel: 718-664-7679
www.alquimedez.com
Email: info@alquimedez.com
Twitter: @henmontero
Instagram: alquimedezmentalhealth

A learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects an individual’s mental health. The affected person may face increased hardships when it comes to writing, reading or merely spelling words. All of these constitute learning disabilities and require unconventional teaching methods as a result.
Although learning deficiencies typically last a lifetime, there is plenty of reason for optimism for children. Professional intervention can be quite beneficial, and children can flourish not just in their academic performances, but in life as well.

History is littered with examples of prominent individuals who succeeded in their careers despite having a learning disability. For instance, the great Albert Einstein and other preeminent personalities like Walt Disney and Whoopi Goldberg all had a learning affliction.

We will look at the different types of learning disabilities that affect children:

Types of Learning Disabilities

Dyslexia
The first type of learning deficiency we will examine is called dyslexia. This impacts the reading skills and language-based processing capabilities of children. Naturally, the extent of the deprivation varies from one individual to another. However, a child’s fluency, comprehension, spelling, decoding and in some cases, speech may be influenced by dyslexia. Therefore the disability is also referred to as the Language Based Learning Disability.

Dyscalculia
Another learning disability that children exhibit is known as dyscalculia. It affects their ability to comprehend numbers effectively. This means that a child who is suffering from dyscalculia may exhibit symptoms when he is studying mathematics, as that particular subject involves numbers.

Furthermore, dyscalculia patients may have a poor understanding of arithmetic symbols for instance. They may also show an inability to memorize and organize numbers. In some cases, even telling the current time can be an issue.

Dysgraphia
Similar to how the term dyscalculia refers to calculus, dysgraphia is a reference to writing and motor skills. Hence, a child with dysgraphia has trouble when it comes to handwriting and enough motor skills.

Generally, they may write in illegible handwriting, leave unnecessary spaces in between words and have extremely poor spellings. They may even find it difficult to compose simple sentences at times. Also, they may struggle to simultaneously think and write as well.

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
Another learning disability that we will discuss is called auditory processing disorder. This specific condition impacts a child’s ability to compute sound. They are unable to process sound effectively. The process of how sound reaches the ear and is then interpreted by the brain is affected if a child suffers from APD.

For instance, they are unable to discern the nuances of words when they are spoken to, even if the other person is being considerably loud. In more severe cases, children may be unable to identify the source of these sounds too. Background noises and indistinct clattering can create issues for them also.

Language Processing Disorder
The final type of learning disability which we will discuss is the inability to process language properly. This is regarded as a particular type of auditory processing disorder, and those affected cannot assign meaning to the spoken word.