Parents' guide to learning disorders

PART 1 - Definition of learning disorders in general, diagnostics

FOREWORD

Hello dear parents,

I would like to give you an insight into the diverse world of learning disabilities. Through personal experience with autism, dyspraxia, VED, dysphagia and ADD, I have experienced the challenges that these can bring.

After months of reading books, I would like to not only serve you technical jargon, but also share my experience as a therapist with affected children and bring a little clarity to the therapeutic process.

We will look at how learning disorders manifest themselves in everyday school life and at home and what therapeutic approaches there are. Since the topic is so huge, I will divide it into individual areas and give you appropriate literature references to delve even deeper.

Learning disabilities are not uncommon these days, but unfortunately they are often not properly recognized or treated. This can cause children and their families to suffer greatly. That is why it is very important that you as parents take the lead and keep a watchful eye on your children, whether at home or at school. Forget the days when people thought a few reading exercises would solve all problems - unfortunately, that is not the case.

As one building block, you are the all-round manager who paves the way for your kids to success. I know from my own experience how frustrating it can be when children are misjudged due to learning difficulties. Every child is unique and has their own talents and strengths! It is our job as parents to get the best out of these talents and to support our kids with positive thoughts . Because, let's be honest, we are not just managers, but also the motivational gurus for our little darlings!

Together you can go down this path and ensure that your children develop their individual strengths and become real overcomers! 🌟

WHAT ARE LEARNING DISORDERS?

characteristic	Description
Definition of learning disorders	Difficulty learning and applying basic skills such as reading, writing or arithmetic.
causes	May be caused by neurological or genetic reasons.
manifestation	They often manifest as persistent problems despite reasonable effort and intelligence.
Diagnostic criteria	1. Serious performance deficits in a specific school content area compared to the respective age group (<10%) 2. The general ability to think (intelligence) must be in the "normal range" (IQ>70) and above the level of (low) school performance. 3. A discrepancy must be identified between the expected and actual level of performance.
Exclusion of criteria	Deficiencies in schooling (absences or unqualified teaching) 2. Sensory disorders 3. Neurological damage
Diagnostic reference systems	DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and ICD-10 (International Classification of Mental Disorders)
Official diagnostic name (ICD-10)	Specific developmental disorder of scholastic skills (F81)

Learning disorders can be limited in content or general

Limited content disturbances

are defined by significant underperformance in one learning area, while in other subjects there is good learning ability and general intelligence is at an average level.

Developmental disorder	Technical term	ICD-10 Code
Reading and writing disorder	Dyslexia	F81.0
Isolated spelling disorder	Dysorthography	F81.1
Disturbance of written expression	Dysgraphia	F81.8
Dyscalculia	Dyscalculia	F81.2

General learning disorders

Developmental disorder	ICD-10 Code
Combined disorders of scholastic skills	F81.2
Unspecified learning disorder	F81.9
Learning disability	F81.9
Mild mental disability	F70.-

Learning disabilities can significantly impair learning in both school and extracurricular areas. In mild intellectual disability, intellectual abilities are limited, although school ability is maintained and the IQ is between 50 and 70.

Temporary learning disabilities can occur due to various critical and situational events, such as maturational crises, school changes, traumatic experiences, and reorientations. It is important to note that learning disabilities often remain and can lead to persistent learning deficits that worsen over time .

In the American DSM model, individual learning disorders are considered to be relative underachievement . One example of this is underachievers (DSM-IV, V62.30: school difficulties), which refers to students who are unable to adequately translate their intellectual abilities into academic achievement. This phenomenon can continue into adulthood and is often influenced by factors such as lack of motivation, high performance anxiety and deficient learning strategies.

Causes of learning disorders:

In simple terms, causes of learning disabilities are the major factors that can influence the occurrence of learning difficulties.

causes	Description
Basic skills	These include basic skills such as attention, information processing, language skills and memory. If these basic skills are not properly developed, it can lead to learning disabilities.
Knowledge and concept systems	This is about how your child processes and organizes information. Difficulties in this area can lead to difficulty understanding and retaining knowledge.
Metacognitive skills	These relate to knowledge of how to learn and self-regulate. Problems in this area can lead to your child having difficulty using effective learning strategies and monitoring their learning progress.
motivation	Your child's motivation plays an important role in learning. If they are not motivated or feel uncomfortable, it can lead to difficulty learning new things.
Prerequisites for learning	This includes the environment in which your child learns, as well as their cognitive and emotional conditions. If these are not optimal, it can affect their learning.

Learning disorders due to insufficient information processing

This specifically refers to difficulties that arise when a child's brain does not absorb, process, or store information effectively. These difficulties can be due to deficits in various cognitive processes.

1. Learning disorders due to insufficient information processing:

• Overselectivity

• Lack of learning prerequisites due to reduced vocabulary

• Deficits in phonological recoding and phonemic awareness

• Problems in lexical development

• Deficits in working memory

• Insufficient selective attention

• Cognitive developmental delays

• Low and insufficiently networked content knowledge

• Lack of memory storage and self-control

• Delaying needs, which makes it difficult to acquire new knowledge

2. Insidious learning disorders:

Insidious learning disorders are slowly progressive difficulties in learning that can often go unnoticed for long periods of time. These disorders can develop gradually, without any immediate obvious signs. They can have a variety of causes, including genetic factors, environmental factors, inadequate or ineffective teaching methods, and lack of support for individual learning needs. Insidious learning disorders can affect self-esteem and motivation and lead to a negative learning cycle that can worsen over time if not recognized and addressed.

Explanation in your own words:

Sometimes the brain can be like an overcrowded closet -

it has difficulty finding the right things at the right time!

Your child may have trouble selecting important information, such as an "overselective" closet that only pulls out certain items of clothing while the rest disappears into the dark.

Also, his "vocabulary treasure" might be a little tight, which seems like a small treasure chest shortage. The brain also has to be like a musical conductor and make the right notes (or letters) sound at the right moment. But sometimes there can be a few off notes!

Measure for insufficient information processing:

One way to help your child make their brain a better organizer is to teach them how to pull out important information more easily. For example, visual aids like color coding or mind maps could be used, similar to how Harry Potter uses his magic tricks to complete his adventures. These techniques can help your child better structure and retain information without the need for flying brooms!

Measure for insidious learning disorders:

Creeping learning disabilities can be like little spies slowly creeping into the learning party without being invited! If your child is showing signs of forgetting things or having trouble remembering, early action could be taken. As well as introducing various memory strategies such as repetition techniques or mnemonics, regular review of the learning material could also be done. This way, it can be ensured that these little spies don't have a chance to ruin the party! With a little support and a few fun tricks, it can be ensured that your child is ready to conquer the learning world and get the fun back in learning!

In general, the following areas are addressed in the funding:

Action objectives	Description
Increasing the quality and quantity of learning activities	The goal is to increase the efficiency and frequency of learning activities to ensure that the child learns more and achieves better results. This can be achieved through targeted exercises, homework or activities that promote learning.
Teaching learning strategies	By teaching specific learning strategies such as organization and time management techniques, visualization and repetition techniques, the child can learn to learn more effectively and retain what he or she has learned better.
Stimulating metacognitive activities	Metacognitive activities involve the child's ability to monitor, control and adapt their own learning. By encouraging self-reflection, goal setting and strategy adaptation, the child can improve their learning skills and develop self-control.
Increasing motivation	The goal is to increase the child's motivation to learn and overcome possible obstacles such as reluctance to learn. This can be achieved by creating a positive learning environment, reward systems or incorporating interesting learning materials.

In this first part I have introduced you to the most important basics in dealing with learning disorders.

In the next parts, we will look at specific learning disabilities in more detail and I will give you practical tips on how to support your child.

So stay tuned and follow the upcoming posts!

literature

1. Shaywitz, SE (2003). Overcoming dyslexia: A new and complete science-based program for reading problems at any level. Vintage.

2. Riddick, B., & Healy, J. (1993). Dyslexia in context: Research, policy, and practice. Wiley.

3. Fawcett, AJ, & Nicolson, RI (2008). Dyslexia: Theory and good practice. Wiley.

4. Swanson, HL, & Harris, KR (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of learning disabilities (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.

5. Mercer, C. D., & Mercer, A. R. (2013). Teaching students with learning problems (8th ed.). Pearson.

6. Reid, G., Fawcett, A. J., & Manis, F. (2004). SAGE handbook of dyslexia. SAGE Publications.

7. Fletcher, JM, Lyon, GR, Fuchs, LS, & Barnes, MA (2007). Learning disabilities: From identification to intervention. Guilford Press.

8. Swanson, H. L., & Hoskyn, M. (2001). Experimental intervention research on students with learning disabilities: A meta-analysis of treatment outcomes. Review of Educational Research, 71(4), 577-622.

9. Reid, G., & Valle, J. (2004). The International book of dyslexia: A cross-language comparison and practice guide. Wiley.

10. Berninger, VW, & Richards, TL (Eds.). (2002). Brain literacy for educators and psychologists. Academic Press.

11. Lauth, Grünke, Brunstein, Interventions for learning disorders, 2003, Hofgrefe

Parents' guide to learning disorders