Specific Learning Disorder

Specific Learning Disorder is also called learning disability and it is a neurodevelopmental disorder which starts to develop in the early developmental period of life. This disorder effects the way how individual perceive, process and communicates the received information. In specific learning disorder individual have persistent difficulty in learning such as reading and writing and the individual’s performance is below that is required for his or her age. Specific learning disorder is usually diagnosed in school aged children and sometimes it may not be diagnosed even in adulthood.  This learning disability interfere with student’s learning for example it effects reading, writing, making mathematical calculations and to do spells.

The diagnostic criteria of specific learning disability according to DSM 5TR is mentioned below

Diagnostic Criteria of Specific Learning Disorder

Diagnostic Criteria A.

In specific learning disorder individual have difficulties in learning and in academic skills. The difficulty in learning is indicated by the occurrence of at least one of the given symptoms. These symptoms must persisted for at least the period of 6 months.

1. Individual have problems with reading he or she have inaccurate, effortful but slow word reading for example she or he reads every single word loudly but incorrectly either reads slowly but hesitantly. He or she guesses words frequently and has difficulty in sounding or pronouncing words.
2. Individual have difficulty in interpreting the meaning of words which he or she is reading for example he or she may read the text correctly but is unable to understanding the relationships, sequence, and deeper meaning of what is being read.
3. A person with learning disability have difficulty with spelling. For example while spelling, he or she may add and omit words either vowels or consonants.
4. Individual with learning disability have difficulties in writing. For example he or she makes numerous grammatical and punctuation mistakes within sentences. Individual with learning disability have poor paragraph organization and his or her written ideas lack clarity.
5. In learning disability person have difficulties in calculations. He or she have difficulty with mastering number sense and number facts.
6. Problems with mathematical reasoning for example has severe difficulty in application of mathematical concepts and procedures to solve any quantitative problem.

Diagnostic Criteria B.

The academic skills of individual are significantly below the skills expected for the chronological age of the individual. Lack of academic skills cause marked interference in occupational and academic performance of the individual in daily life activities.

Diagnostic Criteria C.

The specific learning disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder so it’s symptoms start to develop during school-age years. It can’t be diagnosed until it’s symptoms start effecting academic skills like reading or writing long and complex reports, time limited tests and excessive academic load.

Diagnostic Criteria D.

The learning difficulties are not due to visual or auditory problem, any other mental or neurological disorder.

Types of Specific Learning Disorder

Specific learning disorder have three types

1. Dyslexia this is problem with reading difficulty
2. Dysgraphia this is due to writing impairment
3. Dyscalculia this mathematical impairment

It is estimated that 20% of school going children are struggling with learning disability. 80% of the individuals who are suffering from learning disability have difficulty with reading means they have dyslexia. The ratio of dyslexia is equal in male and female.