Learning Disabilities

There are different reasons why reading is challenging for students. Dyslexia is a more well-known type of reading disorder in which individuals have typical or advanced levels of intelligence, but struggle to decode and read with fluency, and spell with accuracy. Children with Dyslexia often show solid to strong reading comprehension. Sometimes, children struggle with the visual aspects of reading, while other children struggle to comprehend, even though they process orthographics and decode well. At Milestones, we evaluate Reading Disorders and other learning disabilities and explain why reading is underdeveloped and what can be done.

Challenges with writing are known as writing disorders. This often includes difficulty organizing thoughts into paper, and for some, the physical aspect of writing is taxing, leading to low effort and quality with written expression. Dysgraphia is the term used to describe the neurological condition where children have difficulty in writing in a manner appropriate for their age level. A neuropsychologist can help to determine if writing is challenging due to low language skills development, organizational skills weaknesses, underlying motor coordination difficulties, or attention and executive functioning difficulties.

Dyscalculia is a learning disorder that affects a person’s ability to understand math and number-based information. People who have dyscalculia tend to struggle with math and number problems due to the way their brains process these concepts. Common symptoms in early childhood development that may point to math disorders include vulnerabilities in visual spatial skills, a delay in learning to count, difficulty recognizing patterns and numbers, the need to use visual aids (like fingers) to help count, and losing track when solving problems. Some children are slow to retrieve math facts, and though they can solve problems, they require more time, especially for multistep problems. Working with a neuropsychologist who specializes in learning disabilities can help identify the type of math weakness a child is struggling with and what can be done to support them.

A nonverbal learning disability (NVLD) affects one's social, visual-spatial, and motor skills. Children with nonverbal learning disabilities do not typically have issues with reading and writing. Instead, they may struggle with coordination, not be able to interpret sarcasm, may have messy handwriting, may appear to be uncoordinated, may stand too close to people, and may appear to be physically awkward in many settings.

This is a symptom of learning disabilities that refers to difficulty initiating and carrying out tasks. Children and teens with executive functioning weaknesses often have trouble planning, organizing, and sequencing the steps needed to complete tasks. They may also have difficulties focusing, may find it hard to stay motivated, might not be able to multi-task, may have trouble with time management, and may experience memory and information processing challenges. Noticing signs of executive functioning weaknesses may be an indication of ADHD. Executive functioning challenges are not within the category of learning disabilities, but these weaknesses certainly impact student success and often require remediation.