Did you know that as many as one in five people have a learning disorder? But with only 1 million out of the nearly 60 million school-aged children currently recognized as having one, there are a large number of these children that are going undiagnosed, suffering in silence. Since learning disorders are only now becoming more recognized and handled, that number is even higher in adults who went to school when diagnoses and treatment for learning disorders were less understood. Here is a resource guide and primer on a variety of learning disorders.
> Dyslexia
Dyslexia refers to any learning disorder that interferes with a person’s ability to spell and/or read fluently in terms of “decoding” letters. They understand spoken language perfectly and there are no signs of poor reading comprehension for words they can decode. There are three subdivisions of dyslexia based on the specific source of difficulty in reading: visual, auditory, and attentional.
> ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a broad disorder characterized by hyperactivity and a lack of impulse control coupled with inattention and difficulties focusing. In some cases, individuals will mainly demonstrate only one of these conditions. In most cases, there are examples of both behaviors, although one may be predominant.
> Autism
Autism refers to a spectrum of disorders that are generally marked by a delayed or impaired ability to communicate and interact with others. Other symptoms include repetitive behaviors, a need for routine and structure, and high levels of interest in specific subjects that border on obsession.
> Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is the mathematical analogue to dyslexia. It is a disability marked by extreme difficulties in learning or using numbers, arithmetic, and other types of mathematics. One classic symptom of dyscalculia is a reduced ability to subitize – to know at a glance the number of objects in a group without actually counting them when the number is relatively small. All humans (and primates in general) demonstrate the ability to subitize numbers up to around five or six. People with dyscalculia, however, demonstrate difficulty subitizing numbers as small as two to three.
> Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is a disability characterized by a difficulty in writing, especially handwriting. Spelling and proper formation of letters can be a problem, along with improper sizing and spacing of letters. Incorrect grammar or word usage is sometimes observed and handwriting can be extremely painful for people with dysgraphia. Dysgraphia is not related to a person’s intelligence or ability to read.
> Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia is a disorder with symptoms that include general difficulties in both planning and executing coordinated movements. As such, it’s considered a disorder of the fine motor skills. People with dyspraxia can demonstrate behaviors similar to dysgraphia in that they experience difficulty in writing. They also can demonstrate poor balance, timing, and awareness of space. They may often trip, stumble, or bump into things. People with dyspraxia may find a task like tying shoes or throwing a ball into a basket nearby extremely difficult.
> Hyperlexia
People with hyperlexia demonstrate well-above average ability to read and decode words, especially at a young age. They can usually spell out long words well before other children even know all their letters. Another symptom is echolalia, the ability to memorize and recite long passages of text that have been previously read. Hyperlexics generally have difficulties, however, understanding and engaging in natural speech and comprehending what they read. Although their vocabulary may be large, they have difficulties in spontaneous language and as a result have difficulties in socializing. In this sense, the condition might be understood as the inverse of dyslexia.
> Aphasia
Aphasia is any disability marked by general language impairment. It can vary from person to person; some have difficulty remembering words while others lack individual abilities to read, write, or speak. Aphasias usually result from an injury or stroke in a language-processing part of the brain. The type of aphasia is defined by the type of damage to the brain and its severity. Common aphasias include Broca’s aphasia and Wernicke’s aphasia.
> Auditory Processing Disorder
Auditory Processing Disorder refers to several different conditions that impair one’s ability to process and interpret sounds, especially speech. People with auditory processing disorder are not deaf and do not have impaired hearing. But they have difficulty discerning different sounds, especially those associated with speech, from ambient background noise. As such, those with auditory processing disorder generally prefer written speech to spoken speech.
> Visual Processing Disorder
Visual processing disorder is the visual analogue to auditory processing disorder. People who have this condition are not blind and do not have impaired vision. Rather, they demonstrate varying levels of difficulties in distinguishing different objects from one another, discerning foreground from background, and recognizing patterns and sequences. Looking for and finding specific letters, numbers, and words on a page or screen can be extremely difficult for people with visual processing disorder.
