What are Specific Learning Disorders
Specific Learning disorders are types of neurodevelopmental disorders that impact on one or more cognitive processes required for reading, written expression or mathematical calculations. Due to difficulties processing information, children diagnosed with specific learning disorders are likely to experience a gap between their academic potential and their actual achievement and may also require support with time management, organisation and social skills.
Types of Specific Learning Disorders
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) divides specific learning disorders into 3 categories including dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia. Dyslexia is characterised by difficulties with reading accuracy and fluency particularly with decoding written text and spelling. Dysgraphia refers to a neurological condition that impacts on individual’s capacity to express their thoughts in writing. Dyscalculia involves difficulties with processing mathematical concepts including understanding number values and relationships. These Specific Learning Disorders can be impacted by underlying difficulties with fine motor coordination, visual-spatial perception, language processing and working memory.
OT role
OTs can use a ‘top-down’ approach to support children with Specific Learning Disorders through implementing strategies that target the functional skills directly related to academic tasks and daily activities. This may involve:
- Functional task analysis: OTs analyse and identify the specific components of the task that are challenging for the child. These challenges may involve difficulties with attention, memory, organization, planning, sequencing, or problem-solving.
- Developing strategies: OTs collaborate with the child, parents, teachers, and other professionals to develop strategies and accommodations to address these challenges. This could include teaching the child how to break down tasks into smaller steps, use visual aids or graphic organizers, employ memory aids or mnemonics, or implement time management techniques.
- Environmental modifications and adaptive tools: OTs recommend environmental modifications and accommodations to support the child’s learning and participation in academic and daily activities. This could include changes to the classroom environment, seating arrangements, use of assistive technology, and provision of additional support from teachers or educational assistants.
Implementing elements of a ‘bottom-up’ approach can complement these strategies by developing skill-building interventions that address the sensory, motor and cognitive components underlying specific learning disorders:
- Sensory processing: OTs assess and address sensory processing difficulties that may affect a child’s ability to process and integrate sensory information efficiently. This may involve interventions to regulate sensory input and enhance sensory-motor integration, which can improve attention, focus, and readiness for learning.
- Motor skills development: OTs focus on developing fine and gross motor skills that are essential for academic tasks. This includes activities to improve hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity, and postural control, which are important for handwriting, drawing, and other fine motor tasks.
- Visual and auditory processing: OT interventions can target strengthening visual and auditory processing skills, such as visual discrimination, visual-spatial awareness, visual memory, auditory discrimination, and phonological awareness. This supports children to better recognize and interpret visual and auditory information, which are critical for reading, writing, and mathematics.
- Executive functioning: OTs help children develop strategies to improve executive functioning skills, including organization, planning, time management, and self-regulation. These skills are essential for academic success and can help children better manage their learning challenges.
A combination of these approaches can be used to best support children with Specific Learning Disorders to actively participate in classroom activities and develop their self-confidence in building their functional capacity in reading, writing and mathematical tasks.
As paediatric OTs, an important part of our role is to make our sessions targeting these areas as fun and engaging as possible! We use a number of different activities that are related to children’s interests and are functionally relevant for them. This keeps children motivated to develop their skills and transfer them into their everyday contexts at home, school and in the community.
If you would like to learn more about Specific Learning Disorders in school-aged children and how we can support your child, please call us on 9913 3823 or email hello@occupationaltherapy.com.au.
