Nasonville Elementary

Early Signs of a Learning Disability

Early Signs of a Learning Disability

Here are some of the symptoms that are commonly related to Learning Disabilities:

Language 

* Slow development in speaking words or sentences 

* Pronunciation problems 

* Difficulty learning new words 

* Difficulty following simple directions 

* Difficulty understanding questions 

* Difficulty expressing wants and desires 

* Difficulty rhyming words 

* Lack of interest in story telling 

Motor Skills 

* Clumsiness 

* Poor balance 

* Difficulty manipulating small objects 

* Awkwardness with running, jumping, or climbing 

* Trouble learning to tie shoes, button shirts, or perform other self-help activities 

* Avoidance of drawing or tracing 

Cognition 

* Trouble memorizing the alphabet or days of the week 

* Poor memory for what should be routine (everyday) procedures 

* Difficulty with cause and effect, sequencing, and counting 

* Difficulty with basic concepts such as size, shape, color 

Signs in Elementary aged children

Language/Mathematics 

* Slow learning of the correspondence of sound to letter. 

* Consistent errors in reading or spelling 

* Difficulty remembering basic sight words 

* Inability to retell a story in sequence 

* Trouble learning to tell time or count money 

* Confusion of math signs (+, -, x, /, =) 

* Transposition of number sequences 

* Trouble memorizing math facts 

* Trouble with place value 

* Difficulty remembering the steps of mathematic operations such as long division 

Motor Skills 

* Poor coordination, or awkwardness 

* Difficulty copying from chalkboard 

* Difficulty aligning columns (math) 

* Poor handwriting 

Attention/Organization 

* Difficulty concentrating or focusing on a task 

* Difficulty finishing work on time 

* Inability to follow multiple directions 

* Unusual sloppiness, carelessness 

* Poor concept of direction (left, right) 

* Rejection of new concepts, or changes in routine 

Social Behavior 

* Difficulty understanding facial expressions or gestures 

* Difficulty understanding social situations 

* Tendency to misinterpret behavior of peers and/or adults 

* Apparent lack of "common sense" 

 

No one will have all tese symptons.  The number of symptoms seen in any child does not give an indication as to whether the disability is mild and severe.  All children may have some of these problems to some degree.

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