They affect so many people yet a large number do not even know that they have a learning difficulty. Some may attribute this to attending a badly run school which did not identify their issues early on in their lives but, even as they progress through adulthood, their learning difficulties do not improve at all.

What does having a learning difficulty mean?

Having a learning difficulty does not mean one particular type but it categories many types under this one, generic title which is called “Specific Learning Difficulties” (SPLD). It is often incorrectly labelled with those who have autism or dyslexia, but there are more generic types which can be attributed to a variety of learning difficulties as follows.

Dysgraphia

Affecting a person’s ability to write, dysgraphia can be held responsible for a number of problems such as writing fatigue, writing irregularly and causing untold problems on the person’s ability to communicate using the written form. If a person has higher-than-average intelligence but their writing ability does not match, this is because dysgraphia leads to incorrectly composed sentences that make no grammatical sense.

Dyspraxia

Affecting coordination, dyspraxia can seriously harm a persons’ motor-neurone function along with their hand to eye coordination and this is normally found in Asperger syndrome as well as ADHD.

Dyscalculia

Although those with dyscalculia have a more than perfect ability to understand and speak language, their skills in using mathematical equations are minimal. Understanding timetables can lead to them being late for appointments and they are more prone to getting lost.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Those with ADHD normally have a disruptive behaviour which cannot be attributed to psychological reasons. ADHD is not age specific and it is more than likely for this to be found in older children. ADHD is normally inherited from a parent to their child but the environment in which they grow up can drastically affect the child. Accordingly, the effects of ADHD can be reduced if small changes are made. Those with ADHD shouldn’t automatically be given medication but every effort should be made to concentrate on how to help the child without medical intervention.

It must be remembered that the many types of learning disabilities should in no way fall under the category of learning difficulties and autistic disorder. Learning disabilities need a completely different interpretation and, through greater understanding, will lead to less ignorance of the subject.