Special Education: "What is
Specific Learning Disability?"
by: Mariana Santos
Special Education Teacher
Under the special education
umbrella, there are thirteen categories of disabilities. The most prevalent
amongst these categories is known as Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Here
are some Q and A’s to help you understand SLD better.
Q: What is a specific learning disability?
A: SLD is a disorder that affects the brain's ability to
receive, process, analyze, or store information. It may appear as the
imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do
mathematical calculations.
Q: What are the signs of a specific learning
disability?
Slow vocabulary growth, often
unable to find the right word
|
Slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds
|
Difficulty rhyming words
|
Makes consistent reading and
spelling errors including letter reversals (b/d), inversions (m/w),
transpositions (felt/left), and substitutions (house/home)
|
Trouble learning numbers, alphabet,
days of the week, colors, shapes
|
Transposes number sequences and
confuses arithmetic signs (+, -, x, /, =)
|
Extremely restless and easily distracted
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Slow to remember facts
|
Confuses basic words (run,
eat, want)
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Behind grade level by two years
in conjunction with the other
|
Q: What do I do if I suspect a learning
disability?
A: There are a number of things you can do as a
parent. First, speak with your child’s teacher. It’s important that you
understand how your child is progressing in the classroom and where his or her
academic difficulties are. Second, have your child evaluated. An evaluation
helps you understand where your child is at in his or her academics, where
his/her strengths and weaknesses are, and what you can do to help. You have a
right to ask the school for an evaluation for your child. Third, learn what you
can about specific learning disabilities. The more you know, the more you are
able to help your child. Finally, be an advocate for your child. Understand the
laws that determine the rights of individuals with disabilities.
To find out more about Specific Learning
Disabilities, visit http://www.ldworldwide.org/.
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