People with a specific learning disorder can often have average or above-average intelligence, yet they perform poorly at school. The learning difficulties begin during early school-age years, but for some the difficulties may not become fully manifest until the demands for the affected academic skills exceed the individual’s capacities.

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Distinction between ‘learning difficulties’ and ‘learning disorder’

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‘Learning difficulties’ are believed to be the result of specific causes, such as vision or hearing impairment, behavioural or emotional problems, inadequate education, adverse environmental experiences, or difficulty maintaining attention and concentration. Learning difficulties readily respond to intensive educational intervention. Approximately 10-16% of the Australian population have learning difficulties.

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‘Learning disorders’ are viewed as being of neurological origin, meaning that it is brain-based. Learning disorders are lifelong and pervasive, and do not respond readily to intensive educational intervention. Approximately 2-4% of the Australian population have a learning disorder.

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Symptoms of SLD in Children

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Each child with a learning disorder is unique and will present with varying degrees of impairment.

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Provided below are the most common symptoms of SLD in primary school-aged children.

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Dyslexia (reading impairment)

• Reads single words aloud incorrectly or slowly and hesitantly.

• Frequently guesses words.

• Difficulty sounding out words.

• Difficulty understanding the meaning of what is read.

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Dysgraphia (written expression impairment)

• Makes multiple grammatical or punctuation errors within sentences.

• Written expression of ideas lacks clarity.

• Frequent spelling errors.

 

Dyscalculia (mathematics impairment)

• Poor understanding of numbers, their magnitude, and relationships.

• Counts on fingers to add single-digit numbers.

• Difficulties with arithmetic computation.

• Difficulties with mathematical reasoning.

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Causes of SLD

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There is no single cause of SLD, rather it is believed to result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. 

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Factors that can increase the risk of a child having a SLD include:

• Genetics: Family history of SLD.

• Pregnancy and birth: Maternal substance use during pregnancy (smoking, drinking alcohol, recreational drugs), premature birth, low birth weight.

• Toxins and infection: Exposure to environmental toxins (e.g. lead), early childhood infection.

• Brain structure: Differences in parts of the brain that enable reading, writing, or math skills.

 

Diagnosing SLD in Children

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For a child to be diagnosed with a SLD, an assessment needs to be conducted by a psychologist. The assessment involves multiple methods of gathering the information needed to form a diagnosis. This includes psychological tests, direct observation of the child, and information from parents/carers, teachers, and others about the child’s academic performance and educational support/intervention received. ​The first step is to rule out other possible causes of the child’s learning difficulties, such as intellectual disability or another disorder, lack of adequate education, visual or hearing impairment, attention issues, or emotional issues (e.g. depression). The next step is to conduct a cognitive test and academic test.

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If you would like enquire about an assessment for Specific Learning Disorder (SLD), please call 0475 585 073.

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