Learning Difficulties: How do you Know?
How do you know if you or someone you love has a learning difficulty? What are some of the causes and symptoms of learning disabilities? The following stories may help you to answer these questions.
Sarah reads words accurately, but she doesn’t understand and remember what she reads. Words seem to go in one ear and out the other. People think she is not trying, and she has been labeled a “motivation” or “attention” problem.
The primary cause of language comprehension problems is weak concept imagery-difficulty creating an imaged gestalt, or whole, from oral and written language. This weakness causes individuals to only process “parts” of information they read or hear, but not the whole. These individuals have difficulty with reading comprehension, critical thinking, and may not easily follow directions or connect to conversations.
George has learned phonics and can sound out words, but he reads paragraphs very slowly. He often has to sound out the same word multiple times, not remembering it. He makes mistakes such as reading “basket” for “breakfast” and struggles with spelling.
The primary cause of difficulty with reading and spelling is weak symbol imagery – the ability to visualise sounds and letters in words. Many individuals, even those who have well-developed phonetic processing, have difficulty rapidly perceiving sounds in words. They may struggle with sounding out words and remembering frequently used words. Their spelling is often phonetically accurate, but they cannot remember the visual patterns of words.
Michael is unable to read and spell words to his potential. Despite numerous attempts to teach him, Michael cannot decode written words and has to guess from memory or context clues.
A primary cause of decoding and spelling problems is difficulty in judging sounds within words. This is called weak phonemic awareness. This weakness in phonological processing causes individuals to omit, substitute, and reverse sounds and letters within words. They cannot “get the words off the page” and cannot judge whether what they say matches what they see.
Symptoms of weak phonemic awareness include difficulty sounding out words, difficulty spelling, and pronunciation errors. Individuals with weak phonemic awareness often struggle to learn letter names and sounds.
The right evaluation is the first step in addressing an individual’s learning difficulty. Strengths and weaknesses need to be identified through academic and literacy tests, and the results clearly explained. Contact Lindamood-Bell or click here to learn more about a Learning Ability Evaluation.
If your intuition is telling you that something is not “right,” trust your instincts. Seek out a professional who is knowledgeable about the underlying causes and solutions of learning difficulties.
Who: Lindamood Bell Learning Processes
Where: Double Bay & Chatswood
To Find Out More Information Visit Their Website
