There is no one specific instance of a learning disability that you can reference, although you already have the definition. Learning disabilities are different for everyone which creates the need for individualized learning.

Learning disabilities can affect a child’s educational success in the following ways:

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing
• Spelling
• Reasoning
• Mathematics

A child may be great at most subjects, but fails to understand the concepts behind certain mathematical equations for whatever reason. Learning disabilities, however, are not to be confused with intellectual disabilities, the term of which used to be called “mental retardation.” Children with learning disabilities are often of average or slightly above-average intelligence but don’t yet have the skills necessary to overcome a certain educational hurdle.

The sooner a learning disability is recognized, the better a child’s chance of reaching peak educational achievement.

Signs of a possible learning disability are:

• Lower grades than normal
• Sudden behavioral issues
• Refusal to do classwork
• Inability to pay attention

There are others, of course, but it really takes involvement and awareness of your child’s situation at school in order to start pinpointing what the real issue could be.

Learning disabilities can fall under a number of categories, such as:

• Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – a child will be unable to sit still and pay attention for long periods at a time, and might lose interest in a task fairly easily
• Dyslexia – this diagnosis means a child often confuses letter names and their sounds, and often sees letters in a misplaced order, leading to an inability to spell or read correctly
• Visual Processing Disorder – a child will have a difficult time distinguishing between letters than look the same, like lower-case h and n.
• Dyscalculia – often characterized by a child’s inability or extreme difficulty in learning to count by groups of numbers, like 2’s or 5’s, as well as poor mental math skills

If you feel your child is starting to show signs or symptoms of a possible learning disorder, schedule an appointment with a qualified educational specialist right away. Learning disabilities are for life, and cannot be cured through therapy or might be outgrown as your child becomes older. Intervention, diagnosis and learning assistance through special education tutoring programs are the tools you will need to help your child with special needs succeed on the path to educational progress.