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SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDER - Mental Health

Learning disorders

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90 views5 pages

SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDER - Mental Health

Learning disorders

Uploaded by

Semere Belay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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(https://mentalhealth.gov.

gy/)

Mental Health (https://mentalhealth.gov.gy) > SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDER

SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDER

What is Specific Learning Disorder?


It is a Neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by an inability to achieve in a designated
area of learning at a level consistent with the person’s overall intellectual functioning.
Typically, a child will have learning problems in one or more areas: reading (Dyslexia),
mathematics (Dyscalculia), or writing (Dysgraphia).

Interestingly, this disorder has a biological origin which includes genetic, epigenetic, and
environmental factors, which affect the brain’s ability to pick up or process information
efficiently and accurately.

The essential feature : Problem in acquiring or learning academic skills as quickly or as


accurately as peers during the years of formal schooling.

Some Facts about SLD:



SLD is one of the most frequently diagnosed Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
According to recent statistics, an estimated 5% to 15% of school children experience
some form of learning disorder. Without proper treatment, this can lead to them falling
behind in school and harm their mental health.
SLD commonly occurs with other neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD,
communication disorders, and autistic spectrum disorder, or other mental disorders
like anxiety and depression.
SLD interferes with how children take in and process information. If they have issues
with incorrect or incomplete schoolwork, it may not be because they “aren’t focusing”
or “not trying hard enough” — it’s probably a result of SLD.
Recognition and diagnosis of specific learning disorder usually occurs during the
elementary/primary school years when children are required to learn to read, spell,
write, and learn mathematics.

Risk Factors
Premature birth or very low birth weight
Prenatal exposure to nicotine (first & second hand smoking)
Family history of SLD
Malnutrition
Lack of engagement by parents or caregivers

Signs & Symptoms


The learning difficulties show as an array of observable and persistent symptoms that
evolve over time.

The common complaints from parents and/or teachers are: writing slowly, cannot complete
classwork and homework, poor handwriting, in exam omits long answer questions, cannot
complete exam paper in time, writing with lots of spelling mistakes, reading slowly, reading
word by word, replacing difficult words with words of similar pronunciation, reading
without punctuation, mistakes while doing arithmetic etc.

Types of SLD

Dyslexia
We can usually identify children with reading disabilities by the age of 7 years (second
grade). 
Their reading is very slow, and the letters on the page seem to move around and get
mixed up, e.g. “b” in place of “d”
Most children with reading disability have an appropriate ability to copy from a written
or printed text, but nearly all spell poorly.
They often dislike and avoid reading and writing. They become anxious when
confronted with demands that involve printed language.

Dysgraphia
Struggle early in grade school with spelling words and expressing their thoughts
according to age-appropriate grammar.
Spelling errors, grammatical errors, punctuation errors, poor paragraph organization,
and poor handwriting

Dyscalculia
Common features of mathematics deficit include difficulty learning number names,
remembering the signs for addition and subtraction, learning multiplication tables,
translating word problems into computations, and performing calculations at the
expected pace.
We can detect most children with mathematics deficits during the second and third
grades (the age of 8 years).

How do we diagnose SLD?


Specialized testing and an evaluation from a mental health professional are important
steps in diagnosing SLD.
The child must have difficulties learning and using academic skills that are substantially
below those expected for the individual’s chronological age.
There mustn’t be another explanation for your child’s symptoms, like vision or hearing
problems, not having good quality classroom instructions, or not fully understanding or
speaking the language of the instructor, psychosocial adversity or any other mental or
medical issue.

How do we treat SLD?


Early diagnosis and intervention is key to a child’s overall success in school. SLD can be
extremely handicapping if not diagnosed and treated early and aggressively.
Children or teenagers usually need remedial instruction to bolster their academic skills,
as well as instruction in developing “attack” skills that will assist them in learning 
strategies to compensate for the deficits that underlie their condition.

What to do if you think your child may


have Specific Learning Disorder?

Visit your primary care physician if you suspect your child may have this
disorder; they will be assessed and referred to the Child Psychiatrist if necessary.

References
1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders: Dsm-5.
2. Black , D. W., & Andreasen , N. C. (2013). Introductory Textbook Of Psychiatry (6th ed.).
American Psychiatric Publishing.
3. Boland, R. J., Verduin, M. L., Ruiz, P., Shah, A., & Sadock, B. J. (2022). Kaplan & Sadock’s
Synopsis of Psychiatry. Wolters Kluwer.
4. Kommu, John Vijay Sagar. (2009). Specific Learning Disorders. AP J Psychol Med.
5. Rowe, S. (2021, May 11). Specific learning disorder: Types, symptoms, causes,
treatment. Psych Central. Retrieved December 10, 2022,
from https://psychcentral.com/disorders/specific-learning-disorder#next-steps
(https://psychcentral.com/disorders/specific-learning-disorder#next-steps)

Prepared by:

 Dr. Seon Fredericks


GPHC Psychiatry Department

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