LDs & Developmental Differences

What are (specific) learning disorders?

Learning disorders, which may be characterised as specific learning disorders (ICD/DSM), learning disabilities (US), or learning difficulties (UK), are brain-based differences that result in difficulty in the development of academic and functional skills, including reading, written expression, mathematics, reasoning, listening, and speaking. Learning disorders are considered specific developmental disabilities affecting a narrow range of skills, rather than global disabilities affecting cognition and functional skills more generally. If you believe that your child might have a learning disorder, a good first step is to discuss your concerns with your child's educators and healthcare providers.  

What are (neuro-)developmental disorders?

Developmental (or neurodevelopmental) disorders are disorders that affect the development of the way the brain and its processes develop. Developmental disorders begin before birth, in infancy, or in childhood and have impacts that last throughout a person's lifetime. They may affect learning, memory, emotion, self-regulation, and/or other mental and emotional processes. People with developmental disorders may have differences in physical development as well. While the category technically includes specific developmental disorders, like dyslexia, the term 'developmental disorders' is usually used to describe conditions involving more global developmental differences, like autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities (characterised as learning disabilities in the Commonwealth), fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, etc. There are many developmental disorders, and every individual with a developmental disorder is different, with unique strengths and challenges. Therefore, interventions and supports for people with developmental disorders should be tailored to individual needs.  

Signs of Potential Learning & Developmental Differences

Among young children (pre-school and kindergarten):

• Delayed speech or articulation relative to peers

• Difficulty acquiring or recalling vocabulary or difficulty expressing ideas

• Difficulty with rhyming or difficulty discriminating words with similar sounds

• Difficulty learning songs or nursery rhymes

• Difficulty learning the alphabet or numerals

• Difficulty acquiring simple numeric concepts, such as quantity or one-to-one correspondence

• Poor fine or gross motor development relative to peers

• Difficulty regulating behaviour or maintaining attention compared to peers

• Lack of interest in others or poor play behaviour

Among primary school children (grades 1 through 5):

• Any of the above

• Delays in acquiring correspondences between letters and sounds

• Difficulty identifying, distinguishing, or manipulating the sounds within words

• Difficulty in acquiring common spelling patterns or reading common irregularly-spelled words (e.g., said, been)

• Slow and laborious reading, poor reading comprehension, or an unwillingness to read aloud

• Difficulty expressing ideas in writing

• Failure to follow typical conventions for sentence structure or organization in writing

• Frequent inversals, reversals, or transpositions of letters, letter sequences, numbers, or number sequences 

• Frequently confuses numeric signs or operations

• Difficulty in acquiring or retrieving arithmetic facts

• Difficulty with arithmetic reasoning or multi-step problems

• Poor handwriting, poor grip, clumsiness, or poor coordination

• Poor behaviour, poor social skills, inattention, or impulsivity

• Heavy reliance on memory or difficulty generalizing information

• Poor memory, especially for directions or facts

Among middle and secondary school children (grades 6 through 12)

• Any of the above

• Poor reading speed, accuracy, or comprehension

• Poor written expression or difficulty writing coherent texts

• Failure to acquire complex spelling patterns or ongoing spelling difficulties

• Failure to acquire algebraic reasoning or difficulty solving complex problems

• Difficulty with analysis, synthesis, or generalization of information

• Failure to understand abstract concepts

• Disorganization, inattention, or an inability to follow complex directions

• Lack of motivation to engage in academic activities