Children: Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities look very different from one child to another. One child may struggle with reading and spelling, while another loves books but can’t understand math. Still another child may have difficulty understanding what others are saying or communicating out loud. The problems are very different, but they are all learning disorders. It’s not always easy to identify learning disabilities. Because of the wide variations, there is no single symptom or profile that you can look to as proof of a problem. However, some warning signs are more common than others at different ages. If you’re aware of what they are, you’ll be able to catch a learning disorder early and quickly take steps to get your child help. The following checklist lists some common red flags for learning disorders. Remember that children who don’t have learning disabilities may still experience some of these difficulties at various times. The time for concern is when there is a consistent unevenness in your child’s ability to master certain skills. Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities Preschool Problems pronouncing words Trouble finding the right word Difficulty rhyming Trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, days of the week Difficulty following directions or learning routines Difficulty controlling crayons, pencils, and scissors, or coloring within the lines Trouble with buttons, zippers, snaps, learning to tie shoes