A Specific Learning Disorder possibly exists if you or your child has difficulties learning and using academic skills. The ‘symptoms’, according to the DSM V (American, Psychiatric Association, 2013) existed for at least 6 months, and there has been no improvement despite specific interventions of ‘remediation’. Furthermore, it is not caused by:
- Intellectual disabilities
- Uncorrected visual and auditory acuity
- Other mental or neurological disorders
- Psychosocial hardship
- Lack of proficiency in language of academic instruction
- Inadequate academic instruction
Specific Learning Disorder is characterized by the following challenges:
- Inaccurate, slow and poor word reading
- Poor reading comprehension
- Difficulties with spelling
- Difficulties mastering number sense, number facts or calculation
- Difficulties with mathematical reasoning
Their academic skills:
- Is far below from what is expected from the individual’s chronological age
- Cause significant interference with academic/occupational performance/daily living
- Has been confirmed by individually administered standardised achievement measures and a comprehensive clinical assessment (Psycho-Educational assessment)
The learning difficulties started before school age, but sometimes only become evident when academic demands become higher, and the individual finds it difficult to keep up with these demands (e.g. as in timed tests, deadlines in reading and reports, heavy academic loads).