If your child struggles with writing, reading, reasoning, or solving maths problems, they may have a learning disability. Read on to discover the 5 most common learning disabilities and how to identify their signs in children. 

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What are Learning Disabilities?

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Learning disabilities are the umbrella term for several learning challenges children may have. These may affect their learning behaviours, writing, reading, and reasoning. 

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These disabilities are commonly found in children but may not be recognised until they begin school. Young children with learning disabilities are not lazy, dull, or less intelligent than their peers. They are often average or even more intelligent than many of them.  However, their brains are simply wired differently to process information that may be otherwise simpler for other  children of the same age. 

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But how can you recognise the signs and symptoms of these learning disabilities? 

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Below is a list of the 5 most common learning disabilities and noticeable early symptoms to note in your kids. 

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Dyslexia 

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Dyslexia is the most commonly known learning disability. It is a language-based problem that affects the child’s ability to recognise and understand spoken and written words. Children with dyslexia often have reading, word recognition, spelling, and writing difficulties. They often have difficulty breaking down and putting words together according to their sounds.

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The noticeable early symptoms of dyslexia include;

• Inconsistent spelling
• Letter reversals
• Lack of concentration during reading comprehension
• Avoiding reading tasks

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ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

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Children with ADHD may struggle to remain focused on the task at hand. They can get distracted quickly and have trouble learning in a typical classroom. Their attention span is quite short, as such, they are unable to pay attention to a task for a long period, which can lead to the inability to grasp what they are being taught. They are also often restless and tend to be impulsive. 

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The noticeable early symptoms of ADHD include;

• Restlessness
• Inability to sit calmly
• Excessive talking
• Forgetfulness and loss of items
• Being fidgety 

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Dysgraphia 

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is a learning disability characterised by difficulty writing? These challenges are commonly referred to as transcription skills, which include writing, spelling, and typing. Dysgraphia makes it difficult for children to think and write simultaneously. They write slowly and have difficulty communicating their ideas in writing. They may struggle with incorrect spelling, illegible handwriting, and a tight grip on the pencil or pen when writing.

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The early signs and symptoms of Dysgraphia include;

• Prolonged writing time
• Omitting words from a sentence
• Difficulties holding a pen or pencil
• Frequent erasing when writing
• Inconsistent word and letter spacing

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Dyscalculia

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If your child actively struggles with understanding and solving maths and number operation tasks, they may have dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is sometimes referred to as number dyslexia. It is a distinct disorder that impairs a person's ability to comprehend numbers, reason, solve, and tackle mathematical concepts and operations. A child who has dyscalculia may struggle in all areas of mathematics.

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The early signs and symptoms of Dyscalculia include;

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• Persistent finger-counting 
• Maths anxiety
• Difficulty recognising numbers
• Difficulty in linking numerical symbols with their words
• Delayed counting

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Dyspraxia

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is a neurological disorder that affects one’s motor skills including planning and coordination. Although dyspraxia is not usually classified as a common learning disability, it is a disorder that can affect a child’s academic performance. Children with dyspraxia struggle with planning and execution of tasks, hand-eye coordination, and balance. In most cases, they are clumsy and do not move about as much as they should. 

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The early signs and symptoms of Dyspraxia include;

• Clumsiness
• Poor posture and balance
• Taking longer to walk, speak, or sit at an early age
• Difficulty writing, and holding items
• Difficulty processing thoughts

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How to support your child if they have any of these common learning disabilities

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• Be patient with your child and understand that their disability is not their fault. Recognise that they require more love, care, and patience.
• Be kind to your child. Always praise them and appreciate them rather than dwelling on their mistakes. Tell them that you see their efforts to do well and how proud you are of them. 
• Determine how your child enjoys learning. They could love reading books, solving puzzles, or watching educational videos. The important thing is to help them learn in a way that is most effective for them.
• Allow learning breaks and break complicated tasks into simpler ones to help them perform at maximum capacity and maintain focus on each task.
• Take external help from learning platforms, tutors to help your child.

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If your child is experiencing any of these learning disabilities, seek help. Assist them through the process of managing this newly found aspect of their lives, and always remember that their learning disabilities do not reflect their intelligence and great abilities.