Specific Learning Difficulties

Although Dyslexia is mainly associated with difficulties in reading, writing and spelling, this is really because of the way that some people process (or learn) visual, verbal or auditory information and then recall it later. There is some evidence to suggest that Dyslexia is hereditary, which means that a number of people within an extended family, will experience at least some of the elements in a SpLD profile.

People with Dyslexia will often find it hard to organise their thoughts or activities (sometimes because of difficulties with time perception). It is common to have a ‘poor memory’ both for retrieving information they have just learnt and also stored information.

When reading, those with dyslexia will often miss out individual words or lines of text, or mix up the letters within words, which means it can be difficult to make sense of what they read. As a result, comprehension is sometimes difficult, although this can also be affected by memory.

Dyslexia can also lead to difficulties putting ideas onto paper. Although verbal communication might come easily, expressing themselves in a written format is difficult because issues with spelling and grammar can distract from writing in a coherent and concise manner.

When spelling, dyslexia will often result in a confusion between the sounds that make up words, which is why it can be difficult to arrange letters in the correct order. This can also lead to issues with recognising letter or number sequences.

Attention Deficit Disorder is one of a variety of difficulties associated with attention and focus. Each person with ADD/ADHD has different symptoms, which are also different in adults and children.

ADD/ADHD is generally associated with the tendency to be easily distracted, or to have trouble paying attention, both of which mean that it is often difficult to complete tasks, remember conversations or pay attention to details; however, it can also result in hyperfocus, which is to become absorbed in a task to the exclusion of everything else. ADD/ADHD can also result in impulsivity, where people act before thinking or without considering the consequences.

For people with ADD/ADHD, the world can seem a chaotic place. We live in a world in which time is of the essence and in which both our jobs and our homelife depend upon schedules, appointments and commitments. To cope with this, we have to develop organisation and prioritising skills; all of which the person with ADD/ADHD will find particularly difficult because they will often be late for things, lose personal items, such as keys, or unintentionally forget deadlines. They might also put off starting or finishing a task.

Dyspraxia is similar to dyslexia because it is often associated with difficulties writing, developing language and organising thoughts and actions, but unlike dyslexia, it is also connected to movement, balance, co-ordination and direction.

Although people with dyspraxia are often thought of as clumsy, this is in fact the result of their poor spatial skills. As well as developing balance and body posture, spatial skills allow us to develop fine motor skills, used when holding a pen or typing, and so dyspraxia can make forming written letters difficult (sometimes known as Dysgraphia).

Dyspraxia can affect people in many areas of their everyday lives, because controlling movements in a particular order is often difficult to master. As a result it may lead to a lack of confidence when tackling new skills, meaning it might take longer than usual to learn to ride a bike or learn to drive.

Dyscalculia is a difficulty with assigning meaning to numbers and grasping numeracy skills. This is because people with dyscalculia have a specific weakness acquiring the skills which allow them to do basic arithmetic calculations. This can include: counting backwards, putting or recalling numbers in groups estimating amounts (such as with money) and multiplying in hundreds or thousands.

Because this is associated with poor long and short term memory, people with dyscalculia will often have trouble learning times tables etc., and take longer than usual to work out a mathematical problem.

Dyscalculia can also affect life skills, such as telling the time, time perception and therefore organisation.