Learning disorders are a common problem facing many children and hinder the education process in its usual way, because the child suffers from a lack of attention, concentration and understanding, because the problem of learning disorders is different in severity and also has several types, so follow us to learn about the causes of the occurrence of learning disorders and the symptoms that appear on the child and indicate the presence of this problem in order to pay attention to it and begin diagnosing and treating the problem.

What are learning disorders? 

The problem of learning disorders or learning difficulties is the inability to receive information and understand it easily. Learning difficulties include solving mathematical problems, reading, writing, or various aspects of learning.

The child suffers from a lack of attention and concentration, which is the main reason for the inability to understand. Of course, this problem affects the person’s general life, especially if it is not treated at an early stage.

What are the types of learning disorders?

The problem of learning disorders is divided into several types that differ from one case to another. The most important of these types are the following:

Performance dysfunction

This problem results from a defect in motor skills and coordination between the movements made by the child and his desire. An example of this is the inability to hold a spoon or tie a shoe and other daily motor skills. The performance defect also includes difficulty speaking or difficulty moving the eyes and extreme sensitivity to light.

Dyslexia

The child suffers from difficulty processing language and reading properly. He also suffers from a problem understanding and applying rules, difficulty expressing himself orally, and an inability to organize speech while speaking.

Dysgraphia

This problem results from the child's inability to write, the handwriting is bad and illegible, there is a problem with spelling, and difficulty in writing down ideas on paper.

Dyscalculia

It is a problem that results from a person’s inability to solve mathematical problems, and its symptoms vary from one child to another depending on his mental abilities. It is difficult for the child to add, subtract, count, and differentiate between numbers, which makes him suffer from problems in solving mathematical problems.

اضطرابات السمع

This problem may be due to a disturbance in the coordination between the sounds the child hears and understanding words, or it may be due to hearing loss that hinders learning, reading, and understanding. The child suffers from not distinguishing between similar words, remembering things heard, or not distinguishing the sounds of things and people, in addition to affecting reading.

Visual processing disorders

The person suffers from disorders in visual processing and interpretation of all visual information. He faces difficulty in reading, distinguishing between objects, and coordinating the movement of the hands and eyes.

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What are the symptoms of learning disorders?

Children who suffer from learning difficulties exhibit some disorders that indicate the existence of the problem and which should be paid attention to. The most prominent of these symptoms are the following:

• The child suffers from difficulties in learning the names of colors and distinguishing between them.
• Difficulty learning to read and write.
• Short attention span and increased distraction.
• Memory is short.
• Lack of activities that require fine motor coordination, including copying, writing, and typing.
• Inability to tell stories in an easy way.
• Memory weakness.
• Acting in an emotional or impulsive manner without thinking and carefully making decisions.
• Difficulty concentrating, which leads to difficulty speaking, learning, and expressing ideas.
• The child repeats simple, very short and inconsistent phrases.
• Difficulty dealing with different situations.
• Having a problem understanding the words or terms that the child hears.

What causes learning disorders?

صعوبات التعلم هي وجود مشكلة ذهنية لدى الفرد تمنعه من التعلم وممارسة الحياة بصورة طبيعية وتنتج هذه المشكلة نتيجة مجموعة من الأسباب المختلفة ومنها ما يلي:

• The mother suffers from some accidents at the time of pregnancy that affect the normal growth of the fetus in the womb and affect hearing, sight, etc., or the fetus’s weight decreases.
• Some genetic and environmental factors, including the presence of a family member suffering from the same problem and its transmission to the child through genetic genes.
• الاعتلال المشترك الذي يزيد من احتمالية صعوبات التعلم وفرط الحركة ونقص الانتباه.
• Exposure to stress during early childhood, including malnutrition, high temperature, etc.

Methods of diagnosing learning disorders

يتم تشخيص المشكلة وملاحظتها عن طريق ملاحظة الأعراض التي تظهر على الطفل ويعد التشخيص أمر معقد لأن الأطفال تختلف في الفروق الفردية من طفل إلى آخر، لكن هناك بعض العلامات النموذجية التي تشير إلى وجود صعوبات في التعلم وهي الذاكرة الضعيفة وفترة الاهتمام تكون قصيرة. 

In addition to the inability to distinguish between letters and numbers, problems with hand-eye coordination, disorganization of the senses, movements, and understanding, and the inability to read, write, and solve mathematical problems, the doctor can diagnose the problem when dealing with the child and talking to him.

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كيف يمكن علاج اضطرابات التعلم 

Treating the problem of learning disorders requires effort from the family and people dealing with the person. Treatment methods are as follows:

• معرفة نوعية صعوبات التعلم التي يعاني منها الطفل لتوفير الدعم المناسب وحل المشكلة وفق نوعها.
• Providing an educational environment that supports the child to overcome this stage and helps him overcome the problem.
• Relying on diverse and different teaching methods that help children overcome the problem and learn in innovative audio-visual and kinesthetic ways.
• Provide positive feedback to treat weaknesses and strengthen the child's strengths.
• Enhancing the child’s self-confidence so that he can face challenges better.
• Relying on advanced modern technology, including short story programs and interactive educational games.
• Providing psychological support that helps understand the child’s emotional motivations and needs and improve academic level and achievement.
• Be patient and persevere and have more time to learn and achieve.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between learning difficulties and learning disorders?

Learning disorders result from a defect in the nervous system or due to genetic factors and growth problems, while learning difficulties may be due to family problems or various circumstances surrounding the child.

How are learning difficulties classified?

The classifications are primary learning difficulties, which include a lack of attention, memory, and concentration, or secondary learning difficulties, which include a lack of concentration and understanding of language, learning to read and write, and difficulty with calculations and comprehension.

Who are the children with learning difficulties?

The doctor provides some tests to the child before and after starting treatment for at least six months. If the child does not respond to learning, the child may suffer from mental or neurological disorders that result in learning disorders.

What is the role of the family in treating learning difficulties?

The role of the family is to discover the problem at an early stage and try to find therapeutic solutions for the physical problems, whether audio or visual, and deal with a specialized doctor, in addition to providing support to the child to overcome the problem.

Learning disorders are a type of mental disorder that hinders a child from learning and is due to problems in the nervous system or the child’s development. Discovering the problem may be a reason for finding solutions to it and taking the necessary steps in order to treat the problem as much as possible and be able to coexist in society.

المصادر والمراجع:

Learning disorders: Know the signs, how to help – mayoclinic

Learning Disabilities and Disorders – clevelandclinic