SPECIFIC

LEARNING
DISORDER
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Presented by: RICCA MAE S. SANTOS, RPm

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 What is a
Specific
Learning
Disability?
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 Specific Learning Disability

●  Specific learning disorders are neurodevelopmental disorders that are typically

diagnosed in early school-aged children,
c
although may not be recognized until
adulthood. They are characterized by a persistent impairment in at least one of
three major areas: reading, written expression, and/or math.
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 Specific Learning Disability

● The term “specific learning disability”c is commonly used in federal and state
law, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), and by
many private and public schools.
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 Specific Learning
c

Disability
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 Case Study: Alice
● Alice 20-year-old college Student, sought help because of her difficulty in
several of her classes. Alice had always worked hard in school but promised to
try harder. However, with each report card, her mediocre grades made her feel
c
worse about herself. She managed to graduate from high school, and she
discovered that she could recall the material much better if she read loudly.
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After several meeting, she was suspected to have a SPL. Her comprehension
was poor, and she could not remember most of what she have read. Although
she did not become a A student, but she managed to graduate from the
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university.
 Diagnostic Criteria
● Have difficulties in at least one of the following areas for at least six months despite targeted help:

○ Difficulty reading (e.g., inaccurate, slow and only with much effort).

○ Difficulty understanding the meaning of what is read.

○ Difficulty with spelling. c

○ Difficulty with written expression (e.g., problems with grammar, punctuation or organization).
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○ Difficulty understanding number concepts, number facts or calculation.

○ Difficulty with mathematical reasoning (e.g., applying math concepts or solving math problems).
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 ● Have academic skills that are
substantially below what is
expected for the child’s age and
cause problems in school, work or
everyday activities.
● The difficulties start during school-
age even if some people don’t
experience significant problems
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until adulthood (when academic,

work and day-to-day demands are
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greater).
 ● Learning difficulties are not due
to other conditions, such as
intellectual disability, vision or
hearing problems, a neurological
condition (e.g., pediatric stroke),
adverse conditions such as
economic or environmental
disadvantage, lack of instruction,
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or difficulties
speaking/understanding the
language.
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 Types of Learning Disorders:
Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and
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Dyscalculia
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 Dyslexia
Refers to difficulty in acquiring and processing
language that is typically manifested by the lack
or proficiency in reading, spelling and writing.
People with dyslexia have difficulty connecting
c
letters they see on a page with the sounds they
make. As a result, reading becomes slow and
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effortful and is not a fluent process for them.

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 ●  SLD and dyslexia were higher for boys, whereas girls scored high on
dysgraphia and dyscalculia. 
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 Dysgraphia

● A term used to describe difficulties with

putting one’s thoughts on to paper. Problems
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with writing can include difficulties with
spelling, grammar, punctuation, and
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handwriting.
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 Dyscalculia
A term used to describe difficulties
learning number related concepts or
using the symbols and functions to
perform math calculations. Problems c
with math can include difficulties with
number sense, memorizing math facts,
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math calculations, math reasoning and

math problem solving.
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 Prevalence
● Affects 6 % of the population
● Prevalence of developmental dyscalculia was 3.4 % and the male to
female ratio was 4:1 c
● The prevalence of developmental dyscalculia among rural students is
higher than in urban schools.
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(Wilson AJ, Dyscalculia: why do numbers make no sense to some people? Retrieved on 1
Dec 2012, from [Link], 2008).
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 Learning disorder can vary in severity:
● Mild: Some difficulties with learning in one or two academic areas, but may be
able to compensate
● Moderate: Significant difficulties with learning, requiring some specialized
c
teaching and some accommodations or supportive services
● Severe: Severe difficulties with learning, affecting several academic areas and
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requiring ongoing intensive specialized teaching

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 Recording Procedures
● Each impaired academic domain and subskill of specific learning disorder
should be recorded. Because of ICD coding requirements, impairments in
reading, impairments in written expression,
c in mathematics, with their
corresponding impairments in subskills, must be coded separately.
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 Diagnostic Features
● Specific learning disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a biological
origin that is basis for abnormalities at a cognitive level that are associated
with behavioral sign of disorder. c

The Biological Origin includes:

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Genetic, Epigenetic, and environmental factors, which affect the brain’s ability to
perceive or process verbal or non-verbal information efficiently and accurately
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 Risk and Prognostic Factors
● Environmental – Prematurity or very low birth weight increases the risk for
specific learning disorder, as does prenatal exposure to nicotine.
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● Genetic and Physiological – Appears to aggregate in families particularly
when affecting reading, mathematics, and spelling. The relative risk of specific
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learning disorder in reading or mathematics is substantially higher (4-8 times

and 5-10 times higher, respectively ) for first degree relatives of individuals.
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 Associated Features Supporting Diagnosis
● Frequently but not invariably preceded, in preschool years, by delays in
attention, language, or motor skills that may persist and co-occur with specific
learning disorder. c

● An uneven profile of abilities is common, such as above-average abilities in

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drawing, design, and other visuospatial abilities, but slow, effortful, and
inaccurate reading and poor reading comprehension and written expression.
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 Prevalence
● The prevalence of specific learning disorder across the academic domains of
reading, writing and mathematics is 5% - 15% among school age children
across different languages and cultures.
c Prevalence in adults is unknown but
appears to be approximately 4%
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 Culture-Related Diagnostic Issues
SPL across languages, cultures, races and socio-economic conditions but may
vary in its manifestation according to the nature of the spoken and written symbol
systems and cultural and educational practices.
c
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 Gender-Related Diagnostic Issues
● SPL is more common in males than in females ranges from 2:1 to 3:1 and
cannot be attributed to factors such as ascertainment bias, definitional or
measurement variation, language, racec or socioeconomic status.
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 Functional Consequences of SPL
● SPL can have a negative functional consequences across lifespan, including
lower academic attainment, higher rates of high school dropouts, lower rates of
post secondary education, high levels cof psychological distress and poorer
overall mental health, higher rates of unemployment and under-employment,
and lower incomes.
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 Differential Diagnosis
● Normal variations in Academic attainment
● Intellectual disability (Intellectual developmental disorder)
● Learning difficulties due to neurologicalc or sensory disorders
● Neurocognitive disorder
● Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
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 Comorbidity
● SPL commonly co-occurs with neurodevelopmental disorder (ADHD,
Communication disorder, developmental coordination disorder, Autism
spectrum disorder)or other mental disorders
c (e.g., anxiety disorder, depressive
and bipolar disorders)
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This comorbidities do not necessarily exclude the diagnosis SPL but may testing
and differential diagnosis more difficult
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 Treatment of Learning Disorders
● Educational Intervention
● Biological drug is typically restricted to those individual is typically restricted
to those individuals who may also have c comorbid ADHD

● Direct Instruction (Kameenui,Fine, & Korgesaar, 2013)

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Systematic Instruction – Lesson Plan

● Teaching of mastery –Until they understand all the concept
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 ● Though there is no “cure,” specific learning disorder can be successfully
managed throughout one’s life. People with specific learning disorders
can go on to become skilled learners and may be able to build on
strengths that often are associated with their learning differences.
People with dyslexia, for example, are often particularly creative and
able to think outside-of-the-box. c

● Early intervention is key for people with specific learning disorder. If

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problems are identified early, intervention can be more effective, and

children can avoid going through extended problems with schoolwork
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and related low self-esteem.

Thank you!
c
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 References
● American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. (DSM-5) American Psychiatric Association
Publishing. 2013. c

● Shaywitz SE, Shaywitz JE, Shaywitz BA. Dyslexia in the 21st century.
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Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2021;34(2):80-86.

● [Link]
is-specific-learning-disorder
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