Difficulties Learning encompass a range of conditions that can present obstacles to individuals within traditional educational settings. These challenges can manifest in various forms, impacting literacy skills, mathematical abilities, memory, focus, and organizational skills. Students or adults experiencing learning difficulties may require additional time to process information and complete tasks, often benefiting from tailored instructional strategies and classroom adjustments, such as utilizing specialized fonts or employing technology for note-taking.
It’s crucial to recognize that learning difficulties are highly individualistic; no two people experience them identically. Conditions like dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia exist on a spectrum, presenting uniquely in each person. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for learning difficulties to coexist with motor-skills challenges. Dyspraxia, for example, is a motor-skill difficulty that can impede handwriting and impact planning capabilities. Similarly, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can significantly affect learning processes.
What’s in a Name? Learning Difficulties, Disabilities, and Differences
The terminology surrounding learning challenges can be nuanced. While “learning difficulties” is widely used, you might also encounter terms like “learning disabilities” or “learning differences,” and “specific learning differences.” The subtle distinctions between these labels carry implications for how individuals perceive themselves and their learning styles.
The term “disability” can, unfortunately, imply a deficit, suggesting an individual is inherently less capable than their peers. This label can foster a sense of permanent disadvantage and diminish self-agency.
Conversely, “learning difference” emphasizes neurodiversity, highlighting that individuals with these conditions simply learn in ways that diverge from conventional norms. It reframes the challenge not as a disability, but as a different cognitive style. “Learning difficulty” occupies a middle ground, acknowledging the real obstacles individuals may face in standard educational environments, while also suggesting that these are challenges that can be navigated and overcome with appropriate support.
1. Dyslexia: Challenges with Reading and Language
Dyslexia stands as one of the most prevalent learning difficulties, particularly within English-speaking populations. At its core, dyslexia often affects phonological processing – the ability to break down words into their constituent sounds.
This core deficit has cascading effects on reading fluency and accuracy, and frequently leads to difficulties with spelling and writing. Given that reading and writing are foundational to most academic curricula, undiagnosed dyslexia can quickly lead to academic отставание (falling behind peers). Children may struggle with note-taking, reading comprehension, homework assignments, written tasks, and assessments.
It’s vital to underscore that dyslexia is not indicative of lower intelligence. However, the language-based challenges associated with dyslexia can lead to feelings of inadequacy and diminished self-esteem. Children may internalize their struggles, believing themselves to be less intelligent than their classmates.
Common indicators of dyslexia include difficulty reading aloud, inconsistent spelling (being able to spell a word correctly one day but not the next), losing one’s place on a page while reading, weak phonics skills, letter reversals (e.g., confusing ‘b’ and ‘d’), hesitant writing due to spelling uncertainty, and a vocabulary that may be less extensive than expected for their age. To delve deeper, explore resources on signs of dyslexia, effective strategies for students with dyslexia, and support for adults with dyslexia.
2. Dysgraphia: Struggles with Writing Skills
Dysgraphia presents as a learning difficulty that specifically impacts writing abilities. Children with dysgraphia often produce writing that is difficult to decipher. The act of writing can be slow, laborious, and emotionally taxing, leading to frustration and stress. The spatial and organizational demands of writing are particularly challenging for individuals with dysgraphia. This includes managing spacing between letters and words, writing in a straight line, and maintaining consistent vertical spacing between lines of text.
Adhering to margins, using punctuation correctly, and distinguishing between capital and lowercase letters can also pose significant hurdles. Even the physical formation of letters may be problematic. For these reasons, using a computer for written work is frequently recommended as an effective classroom accommodation.
Students with dysgraphia may actively avoid handwriting, especially in situations where they feel observed by peers. They may experience embarrassment when asked to write on the board, produce minimal text in written assignments to avoid the task, and often underperform on assessments that require written responses. For more information, consult resources on the signs of dysgraphia and the distinctions between dyslexia and dysgraphia.
3. Dyscalculia: Navigating Numbers and Math
In contrast to dyslexia and dysgraphia, which are rooted in language processing, dyscalculia is a learning difficulty centered around numerical and mathematical processing. Children with dyscalculia may struggle even with basic arithmetic. They might lack a clear strategy for approaching math problems, and spatial aspects of equations, such as balancing them, can be particularly confusing. Grouping numbers and applying the correct order of operations also present significant obstacles.
Even fundamental counting skills can be challenging. Consequently, providing individuals with dyscalculia access to calculators as a learning aid is often recommended.
When dyslexia and dyscalculia co-occur, the challenges are compounded. Reading mathematical word problems becomes significantly more difficult due to reading comprehension difficulties, and number reversals can become frequent, introducing errors and leading to incorrect answers. The combination of dysgraphia and dyscalculia can make showing mathematical work in a long-form, written format exceptionally difficult.
Furthermore, writing mathematical symbols may be nearly impossible for some, as can be tasks involving spatial reasoning in math, such as interpreting graphs and charts. Lastly, in the intersection of dyspraxia and dyscalculia, sequencing steps in mathematical problems can become problematic. To learn more, explore resources on math difficulties in the classroom.
Attention Disorders and Their Impact on Learning
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) were once grouped under the broader umbrella term of ADD. However, in contemporary usage, particularly in the US, ADHD has become the more encompassing term for attention disorders. ADD without hyperactivity is now often categorized as the primarily inattentive presentation of ADHD. It’s worth noting that ADD is still a term used in the UK. Attention disorders are frequently characterized by difficulties in sustaining focus over extended periods.
Children with ADHD may exhibit impulsivity, restlessness, and produce disorganized or messy written work. They are often more readily identifiable in a classroom setting compared to students with ADD (or inattentive ADHD). In the latter case, a learner may not draw attention to themselves; they might even appear to be paying attention. As a result, the underlying attention difficulty can go unnoticed until it manifests as incomplete assignments and poor test performance. Unfortunately, in some cases, a child may be wrongly perceived as not trying hard enough.
Reading comprehension, maintaining focus on tasks, following multi-step directions, completing long-term projects, and organizational skills can all be significantly impacted by attention disorders. Further insights can be found in articles on ADD, teaching strategies tailored for students with ADHD, ADHD-related reading challenges and the distinctions between ADD and ADHD.
Dyspraxia: A Motor Skills Difficulty Affecting Learning
While not always categorized directly under “learning difficulties” or “learning disabilities,” dyspraxia is a motor skills difficulty that can significantly affect academic success. This is because dyspraxia impacts the planning and coordination of muscle movements, including the fine motor skills required for handwriting.
For instance, the physical act of gripping a pen or pencil for writing can be painful and tiring. Consequently, written work may contain more spelling errors and be shorter in length than expected. In cases of verbal dyspraxia, also known as apraxia of speech, the muscles of the face, mouth, and throat are affected, limiting spoken language production.
Individuals with dyspraxia might also exhibit an unusual gait when walking, struggle with tasks like using a paintbrush in art class, experience difficulties playing musical instruments, and/or have trouble with coordinated movements in sports. They may appear clumsy and often struggle with organization and tasks requiring planning. For more information, explore resources on supporting students with dyspraxia, and dyspraxia in adults.
Slow Processing Speed, Language Disorders, and Apraxia
In addition to the difficulties already discussed, some students may experience processing speed issues. Slow processing speed means a child requires more time to absorb and process information, complete schoolwork, and may need more repetitions for information to transfer into their working memory.
Expressive and receptive language disorders, as well as apraxia of speech, are other language-based difficulties that can cause challenges with comprehension and verbal communication. Learn more about these related conditions in resources about processing speed, expressive and receptive language disorders, and dyspraxia vs. apraxia of speech.
Screening and Assessment for Learning Difficulties
When a learning difficulty is suspected, initial screening is typically recommended. This often involves a brief assessment, sometimes administered online, to determine if more in-depth testing is warranted. If dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia are suspected, comprehensive testing can be conducted by educational psychologists, or in some instances, by speech and language therapists.
This detailed assessment is crucial because the manifestation and severity of learning difficulty symptoms vary greatly from person to person. Understanding an individual’s specific strengths and areas of challenge is essential for developing the most effective strategies and accommodations.
Accommodations and Technology: Tools for Support
It is frequently recommended that individuals with learning and motor skills difficulties be given access to computers for completing school assignments. One key reason is that typing addresses many of the presentational aspects of writing, from letter formation and spacing to overall neatness.
For those with language-based learning difficulties, learning to touch-type can also be beneficial for spelling skills. Touch-typing helps encode words as a sequence of muscle movements in the fingers, which can reinforce memory and recall of spellings. Furthermore, using digital devices unlocks access to assistive technologies such as auto-complete, predictive text, and spell-checkers. For students with dysgraphia and dyspraxia, typing is often physically easier and less painful than handwriting.
Touch-type Read and Spell (TTRS) for Literacy and Typing Skills
However, learning to type may not be straightforward for students with learning difficulties compared to their neurotypical peers. Typing programs that emphasize speed over accuracy can create undue pressure, especially in timed lessons. Inaccessible displays can also lead to increased frustration and decreased confidence.
Touch-type Read and Spell (TTRS) was specifically designed to help individuals with learning difficulties master typing skills, enabling them to effectively utilize technology and reduce reliance on handwriting in academic and professional settings. Simultaneously, TTRS is structured to strengthen literacy skills. The program employs a dyslexia-friendly, Orton-Gillingham based approach that is multi-sensory.
Learners hear words spoken aloud, see them displayed on screen, and type them out, which reinforces learning through multiple sensory pathways, enhancing memory retention. Lessons are broken down into manageable modules that can be repeated as needed, allowing each student to learn at their own pace. Additionally, the vocabulary presented within TTRS follows a systematic progression of English phonics, further bolstering decoding, sight reading, and spelling skills as learners progress through the program.
TTRS is accuracy-focused, requiring students to correct errors before advancing. This approach builds confidence gradually as learners revisit modules and witness their skill improvement. Learning to type not only enhances access to digital tools and online resources for individuals with learning difficulties but also significantly boosts their confidence and self-esteem.
