About Dyslexia
Other Specific Learning Differences
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DyspraxiaStudents with dyspraxia are affected by an impairment or immaturity of the organisation of movement, often appearing clumsy. Gross and fine motor skills (related to balance and co-ordination) and fine motor skills (relating to manipulation of objects) are hard to learn and difficult to retain and generalise. Writing is particularly laborious and keyboard skills difficult to acquire. Pronunciation may also be affected and people with dyspraxia may be over/ under sensitive to noise, light and touch. They may have poor awareness of body position and misread social cues in addition to those shared characteristics common to many SpLDs. |
DyscalculiaDyscalculia is a learning difficulty involving the most basic aspect of arithmetical skills. The difficulty lies in the reception, comprehension, or production of quantitative and spatial information. Students with dyscalculia may have difficulty in understanding simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers and have problems learning number facts and procedures. |
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DysgraphiaDysgraphia is a difficulty in writing, resulting in written work which may be illegible and inaccurately spelled. This difficulty may exist in varying degrees and does not match with either the person’s intelligence, which may be above average, or their ability to read. There is often a lack of coordination and fine motor skills. |
Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) DisorderAttention Deficit Disorder (ADD) exists with or without hyperactivity. In most cases people with this disorder are often off task, have particular difficulty commencing and switching tasks together with a very short attention span and high levels of distractibility. They may fail to make effective use of the feedback they receive and have weak listening skills. Those with hyperactivity may act impulsively and erratically, have difficulty foreseeing outcomes, fail to plan ahead and be noticeably restless and fidgety. Those without the hyperactive trait tend to daydream excessively, lose track of what they are doing and fail to engage in their studies unless they are highly motivated. The behaviour of people with AD(H)D can be inappropriate and unpredictable; this, together with the characteristics common to many SpLDs can present a further barrier to learning. More information on ADHD could be obtained via: |
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Asperger's SyndromeIndividuals with Asperger’s syndrome (AS; sometimes known as high functioning autism) can exhibit a variety of characteristics along a range of severity. Typically it is characterised by subtle impairments in three areas of development:
Frequently, they have additional motor coordination problems. They may become preoccupied with a particular subject of interest, or develop obsessive routines. Students with AS whose obsessive interests include their subject can be an asset. They have a high attention to detail, and can be punctual, reliable and dedicated. |