Specific Learning Disabilities: What they are and what you can do.

Specific Learning Disability (SLD) is used to describe neurological differences that cause difficulties with oral language like listening, speaking or understanding; with reading, such as decoding, fluency or comprehension; with written language, such as spelling and writing fluency or expression; or with mathematics, including number sense, computation, or problem solving. (Learning Disabilities Association of America). SLDs typically become apparent in the early elementary years, and many parents first encounter the term when a student is provided an Individual Education Plan (IEP) in a public school classroom.  

IEPs for students with SLD often include supports such as reduced distractions, assistive technology, preferential seating or frequent breaks. These supports and many others are part and parcel of “the Radcliffe Way” where all learners receive individualized instruction. SLD specialists also recommend that students learn to advocate for themselves. The Child Mind Institute makes these following recommendations:

“Once your child is feeling comfortable and you’re confident they’ve got a strong understanding of their LD, help them get their message across clearly with these pointers:

• Name your LD: Even though teachers should have the information, it’s good for a child to get in the habit of naming their learning difference—for example, ‘I have auditory processing disorder’—so there is no confusion.

• Be specific: Not all kids with learning issues are the same, so encourage your child to spell out the ways their LD affects them personally: ‘It’s hard for me to hear when there’s a lot of background noise, so sometimes I miss parts of the lecture.’ 

• Talk about strengths, too: Encourage your child not to just recite a list of things they’re “bad” at, but to talk about things they’re good at, too, and their interests. This will not only boost their self-esteem, it will help the teacher place them in activities that allow them to demonstrate their strengths.

• Tell on yourself: If your child has habits or strategies they use to manage their LD that don’t necessarily look like what they are, encourage them to let the teacher know. For example: I pay attention best when my hands are occupied, so I used to draw all through class. I heard every word, but to my teachers I looked disinterested and bored. Once I learned to let teachers know why I was doodling, they knew I was paying attention, even if it didn’t always look like it.

• Start small: If they’re feeling nervous, encourage them to pick one person they feel comfortable with—a favorite teacher, camp counselor, or even a family friend, as a “test” candidate they can practice on.”