Learning disability (LD) is a general term used to describe children facing difficulties coping with mainstream education.

Learning disability can cause a child to have trouble learning and using certain skills.  The skills most often affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and doing math. 

More common learning difficulties include attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, down syndrome, dyslexia visual and auditory perceptual disabilities, motor and language disabilities.

Such children have special educational needs and require more support than available in a regular

Researchers think that learning disabilities are caused by differences in how a child's brain works and how it processes information.

Children with learning disabilities usually have average or above average intelligence. Their brains just process information differently. 

They can be high achievers and can be taught ways to get around the learning disability. With the right help, children with LD can learn successfully. 

Research has shown that 5% – 10% of all going children face some degree of learning difficulty. A learning difficulty can be measured in many ways. Type of learning difficulty describes as mild, moderate, severe or profound.

Children with mild to moderate difficulty do not need to be taken out of school. Learning support can be provided during school such as tuition classes.

Some children may have difficulties in one specific area of a curriculum while others may face difficulties in acquiring all round skills.

For  more serous developmental or language disorders, a qualified learning therapist or specialist is required. 

In educating children with special needs, it is vital that the all round development be enhanced not just language and mathematical skills.

Gardner’s model of multiple intelligences, advocates eight different intelligences. In order to develop the ‘whole child’, all these intelligences have to be developed and enhanced.

This applies especially to special children because they may not be able to cope with purely academic work involving mainly linguistic and mathematical intelligences.

Special children are more likely to learn and understand better if a combination of modalities are employed.

The case for early detection and intervention

There is no one sign that shows a child has a learning disability. Learning disabilities (LD) vary from child to child.

One child with LD may not have the same kind of learning problems as another with LD. For example Sarah, has trouble with reading and writing.

Ali with LD may have problems with understanding math. John bumps onto tables, falls out of chairs, crashes into playmates. 

Mary often loses emotional control.  One minute she is laughing, the next she is crying. Noor can talk very well but she cannot draw a circle.  Johnny has excellent vision but he struggles to distinguish colors and shapes. 

These pre-school children may be exhibiting the early warning signs of a learning disability.

While no one behaviour is conclusively indicative of a learning disability. Research has shown that early intervention with infants, toddlers and pre-school children with disabilities, or those who are at risk from development problems, benefits both the children and the families.

Research also shows that early intervention is most effective when the families of the children are themselves actively involved. 

It is often the parents who have the first concerns when their preschooler does not seem to be on schedules in terms of their development.

It is important to note that all children  have individual development schedules and minor delay in one aspect  does not necessarily indicate a learning disability. However, parental concerns should not be ignored.

Early intervention with a child who is behind in social, cognitive, fine motor, gross motor and/or language development can make a world of difference. 

Be aware of behavioural characteristic such as:

• Poor coordination, clumsiness
• Poor estimation of space
• Emotional overreactions
• Loss of emotional control
• Under or overreaction to touch
• Difficulty using hands to manipulate toys, zippers etc.
• Difficulty focusing
• Difficulty remembering simple sequences
• Difficulty remembering what he/she sees.  

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