Learning Difficulties

Today we have extensive knowledge about how the brain works — so if a child is having trouble in school or taking 4 hours to do homework get the help they need.

Dyslexia (dis-lek-see-uh) is a learning disability Kids who have trouble with math may have dyscalculia (say: dis-kal-kyoo-lee-uh). And people who have trouble forming letters when they write may have dysgraphia (say: dis-graf-ee-uh). Other kids may have language disorders, meaning they have trouble understanding language and understanding what they read.

It can be confusing, though. What qualifies as “trouble” enough to be diagnosed as a learning disability? Reading, doing math, and writing letters may be tough for lots of kids at first. But when those early troubles don’t fade away, and it’s really difficult to make any progress, it’s possible the kid has a learning disability.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is sometimes thought of as a learning disability but it’s not usually considered one. Why? Because most kids with ADHD can learn in school without special assistance, even though they may be easily distracted or have trouble sitting still in class. Although ADHD itself isn’t a learning disability, researchers believe kids with ADHD may be more likely to have learning disabilities.