Learning Disability, Slow Learners, ADHD and Autism

Many people “label” their children as Hyperactive, Irritable, slow in learning, having attention deficit based on their perception and little knowledge about the actual term. It’s like saying, “I have flu” if one is suffering from cough, cold and fever. The so called diagnosis that you do can land you in a hospital due to wrong self medication. Similarly, if you do not identify the child’s issue correctly and timely, it may affect the child for a lifetime.

So, let us differentiate between these four terms- Learning Disability, Slow Learners, ADHD and Autism.

  

       1. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

This is a mental disorder of the neurodevelopmental type. The characteristics of ADHD are:

Many a times, people diagnosed with ADHD have learning disabilities. They are not able to adjust in the society if they are not given appropriate treatment and counseling. According to few studies, students with ADHD might show hyperactive/fidgety behaviors, inattention/distractibility problems, and/or impulsivity. These behaviors, present for years, can be seen at school, at home, and with peers. Students with Learning Disorders have a neurologically-based processing problem that interferes with the ability to master specific learning skills. Between 30 and 50 percent of children with LD will also have ADHD. The reverse is also true; between 30 and 50 percent of children with ADHD will also have LD.

Therefore the parents should consult the doctor, psychologist to look for both possibilities. The sooner the problem is identified, the faster the remedial coaching can begin.

2   2.  Autism

Autism is a developmental disorder and the signs can be identified in two or three years of a child’s life. The developmental milestones are therefore an important marker for identification. The characteristics of Autism are:

             

For kids with autism, the main struggle involves social understanding, communication and repetitive routines or behaviors—including narrow and obsessive interests.

These symptoms are not typical of kids with learning and attention issues. The narrow interests and repetitive behavior also helps in differentiating autism from non verbal learning disability, which can otherwise look a lot like autism.

Like kids with autism, kids with learning and attention issues may struggle with social skills and communication. But those struggles are related to their specific learning issues.

For instance, a child with visual processing issues (a type of Learning Disability) may stand too close to someone during conversation because he has trouble judging distances. A child with autism might stand too close because he has a poor sense of personal space.

3   3. Slow Learners

A slow learner is a child of below average intelligence, whose thinking skills have developed significantly more slowly than the norm for his/her age. This child will go through the same basic developmental stages as other children, but will do so at a significantly slower rate. However, this development, while being slower, nevertheless be relatively even. There are children who are slow learners who also have specific learning disabilities. The characteristics of slow learners are:

     4.  Learning Disability

A child with specific learning disability is one of average or above average intelligence who has specific difficulties which can make learning very difficult. There may be deficits in any of the basic central nervous system functions, which have to do with the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities i.e. attention, memory, language, auditory and visual perception, motor coordination and planning, spatial orientation, impulse control and sequencing. In short, if there is a discrepancy between the children’s potential and actual achievement.

The characteristics of children with learning disability are:

Now we have seen that the characteristics of these four problems. These conditions can co-exist and the symptoms may seem overlapping at times, but these four issues are different from each other and hence it is very important for a parent to get the child tested before jumping to conclusions.

Note: The opinions expressed in this article are of the author and are not to be taken as diagnostic or remedial. The parents are advised to consult their doctor or psychologist and take help from school teachers while attempting to resolve the issues of the child.