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What you should know about learning disabilities
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Learning disabilities are specific neurological disorders that affect the brain’s ability to store, process, retrieve or communicate information. They are invisible and lifelong.
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Manifested by significant weaknesses in listening, writing, speaking, reasoning, reading, mathematics, social skills and/or memory in a pattern of uneven abilities.
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Learning disabilities can be compensated for through alternate ways of learning and accommodations.
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Learning disabilities can occur with other disorders (ADHD, etc) and may run in families.
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Learning Disabilities are NOT the same as mental retardation, autism, deafness, blindness, behavioral disorders or laziness.
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Learning disabilities are not the result of economic disadvantage, environmental factors or cultural differences.
Learning Disabilities Terminology
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Type of learning
disability
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Area of difficulty
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Symptoms include
trouble with:
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Example:
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Dyslexia
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Processing language
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Reading, writing, and
spelling
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Letter and words
may be written or pronounced
inaccurately
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Dyscalculia
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Math skills and concepts
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Computation, remembering
math facts, concepts of
time, money, grasping math concepts, etc.
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Difficulty learning to
count by 2s, 3s, 4s
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Dysgraphia
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Written expression
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Handwriting, spelling,
expressing ideas on paper
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Illegible handwriting, difficulty organizing
ideas, getting
thoughts on paper
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Dyspraxia
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Fine motor skills
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Coordination,
manual dexterity
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Trouble with scissors,
buttons, drawing,
writing
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Information Processing Disorders
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Auditory
Processing
Disorder
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Interpreting auditory information
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Language development,
reading
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Difficulty anticipating
how a speaker will
end a sentence
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Visual Processing Disorder
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Interpreting visual
information
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Reading, writing
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Difficulty distinguishing letters like “h” and “n”
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD)
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Concentration and focus
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Over-activity, distractibility,
and/or impulsivity
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Can’t sit still, loses
interest quickly, is
easily distracted, may daydream
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Information courtesy of the Learning Disabilities Association of Nova Scotia
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